Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-07-24
The Bloody Shirt in Ohio.

The Bloody Shirt in Ohio.
We stated recently in substance what we
construed 10 mean that the bloody shirt was
no longer 10 be waved in Obo-namely,
that the leading Republican organ in that
State had acknowledged that the fifteenth
amendment had destroyed so much OF the
fourteenth rs related 20 the right OF suffrage.
But we were mistaken as To the fact. The
leading organ in question denies that It ever
made such concession. and AYERS thai il
merely stated what our contention was.
We can only reply that the organ In qucs.
tion contends for what no lawyer in OHIO
worthy Of the name would for one momen,
contend for. There is no more doubt that
the fifteenth amendment abrogated the four
tenth SO far rs the latter allowed the negroes
10 be disiranchised than there Is that the
eleventh amendment abrogated SO much OF
the original Constitution os was inconsistent
with il. The language is so plain aud I'M
rnistskable that we feel as IL II were almost
waste of time TO argHe the question.
The Cincinnati Commercial Gazctis, the
paper we refer to. replying TO the Dispatch,
argues as follows;
awe venture 10 believe that the in'erpre-
taiion placed upon the Constitution IL a
great aud ilagrant fraud as appears IN legal
histories, aud the most remarkable OF the
examples OF killing law by a special stick
ling for the letter OF the law.
"Tbere is 10 intelligent person in the
United States who does not know that the
object OF the amendments was TO establish
and secure negro suffrage. and that the South
has the benefit OF an enumeration OF colored
people as citizens; alsO, that In the majority
Of the southern States the voting Is done
where A. counts by the whites alone. one OF
the amendments saws q State shall not do
thing-but the people Of several States DO
that very thing VIGOROUSLY.
1.-THE fifteenth amendment says state
shall not deny or sbridge the right OF citi'
Kens 20 vote on account OF race. coler. OF
previous condition OF servitude. The true
intent aud meaning OF this. fairly construed,
would be that the State should not deny or
abrfdge the right 10 vote by any state law or
official proceeding. A state can act only
through its laws and authorized officers IN
their execution.
:" But the right 10 vote Is denied by the
action OF the people within the states. Thts
action Is contrary TO law-tO the funda'
Kr. HALsTEAD mixes his law with his feel
ings. The law is as We have so often stated
It, and he in one place admits such to he the
fact, but proceeds forthwith to withdraw his
own concession. We admit that the object
OF the fifteenth amendment was TO establish
and secure negro suffrage" but we do not
admit that any person can, within the mean.
ing OF that amendment, "deny" the right Of
suffrage to n negro. This "denal" can be
done only 10y q State. The "action OF the
people" may be "contrary to law-tO the
fundamental law OF the United States"-but
all the same it's moi violation OF the letter OF
the fifteenth amendment. Our Cincinnati
contemporary quotes the fourteenth amend.
msnt as follows:
"Clause 4. The validity Of the public
debt Of The United States, authorized by law,
including debts incurred for the payment oil
pensions and bounties for services In sup
pressing instruction or rebellion, shall not
be questioned. hut neither the United
States nor any other State shall assume or pay
any debt or obligation incurred IN aid OF in
surreeuOn or rebellion against the United
States, or any claim for the loss Of emancipa.
ton Of any slave; but all such debts, obliga.
tions, aud claims shall be held illegal and
void"
II then puts to US the following query:
"Would this have been abrogated II there
had been further amendment iOrbidding
State 10 disobey this clausey Would that
have opened for wholesale popular disObedi-
ence the whole scope Of this clause?"
What q confusion OF ideasi Why the
clause quoted does absolutely forbid a State
TO question the validity OF the public debt.
Can't our contemporary see that 1t would be
preposterous TO construe the inhibition 10
mean, "ihe validity Of the public debt shall
not be questioned by Democratic editors,
nor by the ku klux klans, nor by the moon.
sinners. nor by any class Of persons - so
In the other case II is absolutely preposte.
rous 10 contend that the ku kiux klans eau
"deny" the right OF suffrage TO negroes
within the meaning OF the fourteenth or
that OF the fifteenth amendment.
Note, once more, that the fourteenth amend.
ment, as above quoted, provides that no
"Stote" shall "assume or pay any debt !"
"incurred In aid OF rebellion" Does that
forbid any person or persons who might
choose to do SO from paving such debt! To
ask the question is to answer it. We quote
the fourteenth amendment as it explains
itself:
"Clsuse 9. Representatives shall be spp0r-
tioued among the several States according to
their respective numbers, counting the whole
number OF persons In each State, excluding
Indians not taxed. But when the right 10
denied 10 any OF the male Inhabitants OF such
State, being tweuty.oue years OF age aud
citizens Of the Uniled States. or in any way
abridged, except for participation in re-
bellion or other crime, the basis OF repre-
seDtation therein shall be reduced In the
proportion which the number OF such male
citizens shall bear 20 the whole number Of
male citizens twenty-one years OF age iusuch
State"
Here the power Is conceded 10 somebody
20 deny the right 10 vote TO persons who
have participated in any crime. Now.
wherever the power resides TO disfrapchise
persons for crime there the power resides TO
"deny" the right 10 vote TO negroes.
What shall be said Of the man who seriously
contends that TO persons, even to unlawful
assembages Of persons, Is Entrusted the
power 10 dlsfranchse negroes and crimi-
mails? We trust that even Mr.. HALsTEAD
will acknowledge that our last point is IN.
answerabIe.
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