The Petal paper. [volume] (Petal, Miss.) 1953-19??, 1959-04-16

October 1858, there has been a
growth in the United States of
Is per cent in population. Only
two Southern states have reached
the national average: Florida
with SIG per cent and Virginia
with 15.4 per cent, the increase
in Virginia mostly government
workers in suburbs of Washing
ton. Three Southern states have
actually lost population, keeping
company with Vermont, the only
other state in the Union to lose
They are West Virginia, Arkan-
sas and Mississippi. Only big
birthrates have kept Kentucky,
Alabama and Tennessee from los
ing.
Had Kentucky kept the 256,000
skilled mechanics and factory
workers she exported, her growth
would have been near the ma
tional average. But even SO, she
was lowest in her export of skill
and brains, as well as poverty and
disease: Arkansas led with $685.
900 exportees; Mississippi was
second with $4,000; Alabama
was third with 100000. If Florida
were left out of calculation, the
South's population growth since
1850 would be about half the ma
tional average, while the Far
West exactly doubles the nation
al average. Only the Northeastern
states are below us in rate of pop
ulation growth.
The movement of peoples with
in a country is bound to have po-
litical effect. The shift of popula-
ton within this decade, plus the
election last November, will have
profound bearing upon the
favored position which the South
has held in Congress through the
operation of the seniority rule.
Mr.. Truman proved in 1913 that
he could do without the South in
the electoral college. I suggest
that that will be even easier in
subsequent presidential elections.
The Bureau of tn eCensus esti-
mates that after the 1860. census.
when Congress is reapportioned,
the II states of the West will
gain IL House seats, the North
will lose 7 and the South 4.
With Alaska's two senators,
the West has SO out of SO senators
and If Hawaii comes in next year,
the West will have 80 out of 100.
The West will have IA more sena-
tors than the Il Southern states.
.Q am not including border states,
whose representatives do not
generally vote with the South)
The political challenge to the
South's domination that is inher-
ent in the situation is apparent.
Because of the operation of the
seniority rule, seven Southern
states - Louisiana, Georgia, Ar
kansas, Virginia Mississippi, Ala
bama, South Carolina - control
10 out Of Is standing committees
Of the Senate, including all the
powerful committees save one.
Those seven states have IA Dem
ocratic senators out of "a in the
Senate. In addition, Southern
Democrats are presently chair
men of IL out of IL Congressional
Joint committees, commissions
and boards. They represent six
Southern states.
In the House the situation is no
different. Again, because of the
operation of seniority, in
Southern states with IS members
of the House out of 1876 in the
Congress, control 10 out of 10
standing committees and one Sc
lect committee With a fraction
of the representation of the rest
of the country, the South has
been able in recent congresses to
bottle up or defeat, with the help
of Republicans, legislation it did
not like.
But, in the last election, South
ern Democrats gained only one
member of the House from the