The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1920-12-18
LEADING NORTHERN PA
PER ENDORSES BILL TO RE-
DUCE SOUTH'S REPRESEN-
TATION.
Says Congressional InVestiga-I
lion Needed Badly in SOuth;'
Would Destroy Grandfather
Clauses.
Especial to The Expressly


Washington, D. c., Dec. 1S.-Repre-
sentative George Holden Tinkham,
Republican, of Massachusetts,. would
compel the South to permit Negro
men and women to vote or reduce its
representation in Congress. He will
ask for in investigation Of conditions
and population in Southern States
with a view to "a reappointment OF
Representatives in Cor rress, to the
end that such reappointment shall
be constitutional in form and fact
Mr. Tinkham will not have easy
going with his proposition, for many
Republican leaders in Congress are
opposed to string up the race issue
in politics in the South. They be-
lieve that the gains in Tennessee.
Fexas and Kentucky in recent cleo
tions indicate a breaking up Of the
solid South" and that the Republi-
can Party will make steady Leadway
Il Athe, Negroes are allowed TO rest.
Many Are DisfraEciIised.
t.'Many States have notoriously dis
franchised large numbers of their
citizens, and yet unconstitutionally
retain the same number of Represen-
tatives in Congress as " no disfran-
chisement existed, thus Giving to the
voters who are not DISTINGUISHED in
these States a political power far in
excess Of that given to those voters
in States where disfranchisement does
not exist said Mr.. Tinkham in de .
Tending his contemplated action,
But the day has come when cleo
tions in the United States can no
longer be half constitutional and half
unconstitutional. These can be no
double standard Of constitutional en-
forcement."
Mr.. Tinkham cites figures to show
the inequality of the vote in Southern
States compared with States in the
North and the West. Among these
comparisons he pointed out the fol-
lowing:
"The total vote for Representatives
in Alabama, which has ten Represen-
tatives, was 62,345, whereas the total
vote for Representatives in Congress
in Minnesota which has ten Repre-
sentatives, was 299,127 and the total
vote in Iowa, which has ten Repre-
sentatives, was 316,377, and the total
vote in California, which has eleven
Representatives, was 644,790. The
total vote for Representatives in Con-
gress in Georgia, which ehes. twelve
Representatives, was 59.1yg Whereas
the total vote for Representatives. in
Congress in New Jersey. which has
twelve Representatives, was 33S,461. =
Louisiana, Florida and South Caro-
lima statistics were also compared
with Northern and Western States
within an equal number Of Represen-
tatives
Could Avoid Increase.
The House Of Representatives
under the resent apportionment con-
sists Of 43S members, each member
representing 211,S77 inhabitants. II
the present base of representation
were used there would be an addition
to the membership OF the House OF
Representatives of 65 members. This
addition could be nearly entirely
avoided by having the same unit as
the base of representation and by en-
forcing the Fourteenth Amendment
in accordance with the Constitution.
"If the House pass reapportion-
ment bill, which is plainly unconsti-
tutional. by avoiding the enforcement
of the Fourteenth Amendment. 1t is
now my intention to question the con-
stitutionality Of the election OF the
nevt House bv legal process and ap-
peal to the Supreme Court for do
termination Of these great questions"