during his tenure, white worked for african-american civil rights and consistently highlighted issues of justice, relating discussions on the economy, foreign policy and colonization to the treatment of blacks in the south. he supported an effort for reduction legislation derived from the 14th amendment, to reduce apportionment of congressional delegations in proportion to the voting population that states were illegally disenfranchising. he challenged the house in 1899 and again after the 1900 census to proceed with reduction legislation.