Evening journal., 1921-01-21
souTnERN VOTES AND REpnEsENrATIoN.

CECTION 2 Article XIV OF the Federal Constitution,
- provides that:
Representatives shall be apporoned among the sew
eral states according TO their respective numbers count
ing the whole number OF persons In each state excluding
Indians taxed But when the right to vote at any
election for the choice for President Vice
President OF the United Sates Representatives in Con
gress the Executive and Judicial officers OF State,
the members OF the Legislature thereof is denied TO any
OF the male inhabitants OF such State being enty-one
OF and citizens OF the United States any
way abridged except for participation in rebellion or
other crime the basis Of representation therein shall be
reduced n the proportion which the number OF such male
citizens shall bear to the whole number OF male citizens
twenty-one years OF age in such State"
Article XIV Section l. The right OF citizens OF the
United States to vote shall not be denied abridged by
the United States by any State account OF race
color previous condition OF seryitude.
Section 2. The Congress shah have power TO enforce
this article by appropriate legislation"
These provisions OF the Constitution are quoted in full
apropos OF the efforts OF Representative George Tnkham
OF Massachusetts, and others to some remedial
legislation that new spportionment bill Is under
consideration which win insure that certain States who
insist keeping Negroes from the polls longer shall
be permitted 10 count them swelling their representa-
tion in the National Legislature.
The Fifteenth Amendment Article XIV was ratified by
Louisiana, South Carolina Arkansas Florida Virginia
Missouri Mississippi Texas and Georgia, in the order
gyen and by twenty others OF the thrtyseven States
existent during the years is697O To all ntents pur
poses Article XIV and Article XIV dead letter in the
Constitution today due mainly to the fact that the power
granted Congress in Section OF Article XIV mas never
been invoked For example, Mississippi which is perhaps
the most agrant yolator the spirit OF these oonsttu
tona provisions In the Congressional elections OF 1918
cast but $1,000 votes out OF population OF over 100000
yet sent eight Representatives to Congress- while Kansas
with about the population, $4,000 votes that
year and sent eight men to Congress.
The seventeen States in which the Negro population
comprises considerable proportion Of teentre popua-
tion cast nearly 100000 votes 1920 out OF population
Of 36OoOOOo or about in six voting The remaining
thrtyone States, with population OF 100000 cast 2i
100000 votes or about in three voiing-twice the
average Of the States having large Negro populations
The South gets 2Ah Representatives for every million
votes while the other States set &c Representatives for
each million votes. II the seventeen Southern States we're
reduced to the basis OF the Others they would have 96
members. As II is they have i47.
With Republican majority OF p in the Senate and 40
in the House, Republican President in the White House.
and reapportionment bill under consideration surely
the time Is ripe to rccty these inequalities in Congress
sonal representation