Salt Lake Telegram | 1904-12-08 | Page 2 | Cuts down the South

CUTS DOWN THESOUTH Piatt Explains His Bill to Reduce Congressional Membership. WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 Senator Piatt of New York yesterday introduced a bill, prepared under the direction of the. committee com-mittee on National affairs of the Republican Re-publican club of the cltyof New York, having as its purpose the reduction of the representation in Congress of Southern South-ern States that have disfranchised the negro vote. The measure. If enacted in Its present form, would lessen the membership mem-bership In Congress by nineteen, according accord-ing to the estimate that has been made by the Republican club, which organized it. The bill and an explanatory statement issued by Senator Plaft were referred to the committee on the census. The bill provides for the reduction ot representation In the House of Representatives Represen-tatives as follows: Alabama from nine to seven; Arkansas, sever, to six; Florida, three to two; Georgia, Geor-gia, eleven to eight; Louisiana, ssven to five; Mississippi, eight to six; North Carolina, ten to eight; 8outh Carolina, seven to five; Tennessee, ten to nine; Texas, sixteen to fifteen;-Virginia, ten t0The h statement says: "This bill is framed on the lowest limitation possible and treats as excluded from the suffrage only the male negro citizen over 21 years of age, classed bv the Twelfth census na Illiterate under the 1&00 census tables, published since the appointment act of January J6. 1901. The aggregates actually excluded from the suffrage In each of the States mentioned men-tioned ar In truth larger than those used as the basis for this act. If all negro votables (I. e. mala citizens over 21), regardless of Illiteracy, should be deemed t be excluded, the reduction in representation, figured, from tho same tables, would be nearly twice as great as ttated In this bill. . "It requires no evidence beyr.nd the notorious no-torious historical fact for Congress to adjudge what can njt be denied, that the class of negro Illiterates, to the extent Fisted, la practically excluded from tho suffrage in the States mentioned In the bill, no matter what may be nominal provisions pro-visions of their respective constitution or election laws. The bill, therefore, presents pre-sents the smallest reduction practicable and is -ery conservative. "The 'apportionment' remains as fixed In lf-01, and the 'reduction' Is to cease when the facts sball worant t. "The bill has been prepared under the direction of the committee of National affairs of the Republican club of the city of New York, the club having at lu first meeting after the Presidential election elec-tion unanimously voted to request Con-gvt-6s to take immediate action, pursuant to the representation plank in the National Na-tional Republican platform."