Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-10
THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 10, 1885.
Worse and Worse.

Worse and Worse.
"whom the gods would destroy
thew first make mad" JOHN SHEER
MANS last speech--his attempt to re-
MY to Judge HoADLy's indictment
against him--provss that he is an igno-
rsmus posing in the character OF a
statesman, or else that he deliberately
endesyored to deceive the people Of
Ohio.
Mr.. SHERMAN pretends to believe
that il is in the power OF Congress 70
depriye the southern States OF part OF
their representation in Congress because
Of the alleged acts Of private persons in
ono or more Of the southern States.
What could justify anybody in utterlng
such a falsehoods Nothing. And his
crime can be palliated only by pleading
gross csrelessnsss in preparing his
speech, or gross ignorance Of the Fed
eral Constitution.
The clause of the fourteenth amend
ment to which Mr.. SHERMAN refers
does not operate upon persons at all.
1t is directed against the action Of
States. 1t reads
"When the right to vote at any
eIection is denied to any OF the
male inhabitants Of such State, or in
any way abridged, : the basis of
representation therein shall be reduced
in the proportion which the number of
such male citizens shall bear to the
whole number of male citizens twenty
one years Of age"
That language needs DO explanation.
The fourteenth amendment was Of
course ratified before the fifteenth,
which latter makes voters Of the negroes.
When the fourteenth was proposed for
ratification the States had the right to
prescribe such qualifications for voters
as would have excluded the negro from
the right to vote. The fourteenth
amendment, therefore, provided, first,
that representation should be appor-
toned amongst the several States ac-
cording to population with an excep-
toni, but, secondly, that if any State
should deny the right to vote to ne
eroes, or abridge that right, such State
should be entitled to no Repre-
sentatives in Congress based upon
those Of the population whose
males were not allowed to vote.
1t will be seen at once that the fifteenth
amendment has in effect abolished that
feature Of the fourteenth. Virginia
cannot now deny to the negro the right
to vote, and consequently Congress can
not now reduce her representation in
Congress because she has denied to him
that right. And yet this double inn
possibility is what 0hio's favorite
statesman 70 threatens the South
with.
What will the negroes Of the South
say to Mr.. SHERMAN's proposition
To reduce the representation of the
southern States in Congress upon the
ground that the negro was denied the
right to vote would be to concede that
the States have the power to deny that
right to him. The negroes could Of
course not claim the right to vote after
the South had been deprived Of all the
Representatives based upon negro popu-
lation. In other words, Mr.. SHERMAN
proposes to legalize by congressional
action the denial of the right to vote to
negroes. lie threatens the South that
the "northern States" will attemp,
this act Of folly. Listen to his auda
cious proposal to array the North against
She South. He said
"If the policy Of the past is to b,
pursued, and there is no redress for tn
coiored people of the South for thes,
offences committed under color o
State law, then under the fourteenth
amendment to the Constitution we maj
fairly appeal to all the northern States t
stand together TO reduce the represen
tation based upon the colored VOTE"
ave may fairly appeal to all tn
northern States" There's = patrio
for you. There is the man with whor
JOHN S. WISE is in alliance, as is evi
denced by Mr.. SHERMAN's next words
lie said that "a contest was now goinI
on in Virginia, led by prominent leader
in the rebel army, to secure the equs
political rights Of oil citizens"
Again: This Ohio statesman
threatened the Democrats, as follows
IAN injustice so gross and palpabl
viii not be submitted to by the colore,
people Of the South, nor by fair-mindes
white men Of the South who hat,
wrong and injustice, nor by the grea
body ef the northern people,"
Mr.. SHERMAN knows that hi
threats ere but idle words. A ma
jority Of the northern voters would
side with the South in q contest of tia,
sort. And whether they would or not
the national House Of Representatives
is Democratic. and is going to remain
Democratic. There Is scarcely . pos.
sibility that it can ever get into the
hands Of the Republicans again. Again
and again have the Democrats carried II
when they had al the influence
81 the Administration arrsysd against
thsm. They have carried Il against
Federal deputy marshals and supsrvi-
sors--agsinst assessments Of money
and tins levied upon the Federal Office
heldsFs. They hare carried Il against
sse6 innumces - can never BE- brought
= ~ against thsn again - long =