Evening journal., 1919-11-28
THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT IGNORED.

yv~HE debate I'm the House surrounding the proposed
A amendment TO the railroad bill making 1t Illegal to
maintain so-caled Yin Grow cars" touched on point
that day Is going to be thoroughly thrased out In
this country.
The question well put by Congressman Layton OF
Delaware when he said: 81 believe that the North alb
soluey 10 its heart recognizes The conditions that pre-
vail in the South, and the reason why the North has
never attempted to political in order TO IN
terfere with the government Of the Ango-SNon race IN
the south is because they in sympathy with the
domination OF the Angl0-SaXon race. But and here Mr
Layton sounded a very significant warning this viii
always and eernaly be burning question in this coun-
try until YOU people OF the South are willing to Doe count
ed only for the white race your representation IN the
political affairs Of This country
subject to certain limitations in the Constitution the
states are permitted TO the qualifications Of their own
voters One those limitations is found in the Fifteenth
Amendment which says that the right TO vote shall not
be denied because Of race color previous condition
OF seryude."
In their efforts TO prevent the coored man from voting
me Southern states have got around that provision by
means Of the famous grandfather clauses and other
legislative subterfuges.
There little disposition in the North to Interfere in
the restrictions on voting in the South provided those
restrictions in conformity with the Constitution
But II the colored race is not TO be allowed 10 vote
neither should il be counted when computing the basis
u representation i'm Congress and the electoral college
The Fourteenth Amendment is explicit and mandatory.
It reads "But when the right 10 vote at any election
IS denied to any Of the male inhabitants Of such stale
being ventyone years of and citizens Of the United
states or IN any way abridged except for participation
m rebellion other crime, the basis of representation
hereln shall be reduced in the proportion which the
number Of such male citizens shall bear 20 the whole
number OF citizens twentyone years OF age In such
State"
That provision Of the Constitution is perssenty vio
lated at every biennial national election I'm The South.
representation today from every Of the southern
States based population precisely is in the Morrill,
in spite the fact that the state laws bar large pro
portion of coored Of voting from the polls.
Il is no secret that there at the present time be-
tween forty and nifty Democratic members OF the House
% Representatives who and hold their seats because
the House has neglected TO enforce the mandatory Four
teentl Amendment governing It's membership
But that is only one Of the sinister features Of this
question
The Electoral College which casts the official vote for
President and NcePrcsden equals in number the repre-
sentaon in Congress from the states.
That means that the South has its voting strength in
the college increased forty by the disregard of the
plain terms Of the Constitution.
,It is no secret that had the Fourteenth Amendment
been enforced Mr. Wilson would not have been elected
Me second time
He had majority Of but twenty three electoral votes
over Justice Hughes.
Had the representation been in accordance with the
supreme Of lhe land Hughes would have been elected
,y about that majority.
This is question which has not been agitated as it
should be.
The war the nght over the treaty, and labor troubles
have temporarily obscured t in the public mind but it
Is safe to say that will be.reyNed before many years
snd receive tho attention 1t deserves