The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1921-01-08

The namber of representatives
which a state can have in Congress
ana the number of votes which it can
cast for president, is based on the
population of the state,--one repre-
sentative or vote for each specified
number of people, provided, however,
that each state shall have at least one.
As a basis for this representation all
the potential citizenship is counted,
men, women and children, even the
disfranchised portion of the popula-
ton. THIS gives the South, with the
disfran9hising arrangements against
Colore9 people, great advantage in
the relative strength of its white
demofraqc population.
TaHo for example, South Carolina
Mississippi and Georgia. In these three
ColoCed. That is, half of the repre-
scntation of these states in Congress
nnd half of the votes which they
cast for president in the electoral
ulation. If they disftanchise their
Colored people, each white man in
these states has the voting strength OF
two men, even If every White man in
the state should vote. Dut If, as il
usually the case, some of the white
people are also disfranchised or grow
indifferent as a result of the oustine
Of the Negro, then each voting white
may have the power of three, four
The South has always enjoyed such
advantage, Before the Civil Wal
amendments the constitution gave
slave. The tragedy of this is plain
the slaves gave the master class In
congress extra power to use against
the freeing of the slave. The dis.
rranehised nTigSi. free Negro is in worse
. and this whole vote is in the hands
of those who wish to keep him dis,
franchised.
II
seeing this effort to disfranchise the
freed Negro. decreed that any STATE
which disfranchised any of its people
should in proportion to such disfran.
and in presidential Alections. The Fif,
teenth Amendment, foreseeing tha
some very rebellious state might de,
eide to ,disfranchise its Negroes anC
accept the loss, went further and de-
elared that it shall be unlawful fol
any state to discriminate against it!
citizens on account of race or color
Both amendments give Congress power
to enforce them by appropriate legis'
Practically the whole colored popu
lation in a number of Souther states 1.
today disfranchised And the ques
tion now among Colored. people. ant
others who favor their citizenship, /.
whether Congress should reduce Sou.
thern representation in accordance
with the law of the land and whether
SuCH IeQucllOn Will react Tor good t(
the Colored man and his CITIZENSHIP
rights. There is naturally some diff
ference of opinion even among Color.
ed people, Mr.. Du Bois, editor of tn,
Crisis. has been for a number of year.
a consistent advocate of reduction
The writer of this article has alway!
agreed with DIR. Dubois in this, but Il
our purpose here to state all tn,
argument from the Colored American
viewpoint, both for and against re.
duction.
In favor of reduction it must b,
conceded:
/. That it would lesson the nation
| al power of the state which disfran
chises its Colored people, And 81
lessen its power to perpetuate tha
dfsfranchisement.
2. That 1t would make 1t more diff
ficult to extend disfranchisement t,
any other state, inasmuch as sucl
state would have to consider the yer,
interesting question of its prosperity,
loss of power as a state.
3. That is would put premium OF
the -enfranchising of the already
disfranchised Negro; for a state coulC
increase. its votes in Congress and tn,
| electoral college by increasing the vo
ting strength of its population.
4. That is would revive those al
most devitalized amendments to tn,
constitution, and give a recognition t.