The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-06-19
Congressional
'SUTTLETIES'
The inside on the Washington scene Of
interest to the Car0linas.
BY HOWARD SUBTLE
Star-News Washington Bureau

ii
WASHINGTON, June 10 - Congressional
leaders are considering attempts to execute
the fourteenth amendment to the federal con-
stitution in event there is obvious danger that
action of three so-called 'rebellious south
ern state Democratic conventions may throw
the 1914 presidential election into the house
Of representatives.
The constitution provides that when a can
ddate for president fails to receive clear
ma ority of the votes of the electoral college,
the house shall name the president, with each
state having one vote.
Democratic conventions in Texas and Missis-
sippi have authorized their respective cleo
tors to vote for some Democrat other than the
party nominee in event the national conven-
ton at Chicago, in July, declines to meet GER
tain demands of the party leaders in these
two states. South Carolina Democrats post
poned selection of their presidential electors
until after the Chicago convention, as threat
| to the national group that the Palmetto State
may direct its Democratic electors to take
action authorized by the Texas and Mississippi
groups.
The fourteenth amendment provides that
when the legal right to vote is denied to per-
sons in any state, that states representation
in congress shall be reduced Sin the promotion
which the number of such. citizens shall
bear to the whole number"
| Strangely enough, this amendment has never
been resorted to- although there have been
sporadic attempts since its enactment in 1853
to execute it. Congress has been satisfied to
apportion its house members after each 10
year census, virtually leaving the districtino
! to the respective states.
| Southern states with the poll tax as vot-
ing qualification and those having prerequisites
l to franchise other than the usual citizenship
requirements would lose representation in the
house in event possible attempt to execute
the fourteenth amendment should be success
full
The main reason representatives Of the
| heavily populated states do not like the pros.
poet of presidential election by the house OF
i representatives is that each state, regardless
its total congressional membership would
have one vote.
On the basis of population, this would make
the vote of South Carolina. with six house
members worth more than seven times the
vote of New York with 43 representatives Inc
vote of Nevada with one representative, woulc
be worth 80 times as much as Pennsylvania
which has 80 house members.
The congressman from New York. Pensyl
vania and other heavi1y-2opulated states don
have only one vote in a presidential election
by the house of representatives-the same a:
states with one and two congressman. The Idea
Of punishment by some OF these is exc
cution Of the fourteenth amendment
i To Nominate Farley
i James A. Farley, former chairman OF thu
Democratic National committee, has agreed
that anti-fourth-termers may submit his nam II.
Ito the Democratic convention for presidential
nomination.
It is not believed that Farley has any hop
{ of defeating for the nomination the man NJ
steered into the White House. He has beer
requested to permit some so-called 'insur
GENT to nominate him in order that the IAN
tbs" may have rallyng point in their ct
$ forts to stop the fourth term steam roller :"
. Farley is extremely popular with state part.
leaders throughout the country. They Ike hin
because of the efficient manner in which NJ
operated the national committee from 1857 u
1910, when his method Of continuous persona
contract with all committee members, to
gether with his fine personality and a11aol
manner, made for him many friends
|. Ask Milk Adjustment
Harry B. Caldwell, Of Greensboro, master Q
the state grange, believes the office OF prlc
. administration should stabilize milk price cei
ings in North Carolina to prevent assel.eo u,s
, examination against dalryment oi 'oiife ~
lions and in favor OF others. r.. :.
The price ceilings in Wilmington. Tor IN
stance, is 10 cents per quart; in Greensboro :,
II cents; in Fayetteville and AsneVlne
cents. .a,+a
In Washington this week, Caldwen preseh .s
= n pr;cs ADMINISTRATOR Chester Bowles tn
= picture Of two dairy farmer-neighbors, wit
onlv fence between their properties one r. r.
ceiving $44o cents per hundredWeignt TOT ~ n,
e milk. based on the 17-cent ceiling, ana W
=, other receiving $4.05, based on the i'-'e'
maximum. .;+h.
.sT.conoroic conditions are the same on ei'ne
% eide ~ The fence. too" Caldwell declared.