The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1888-12-29
An Educational Qualification ana white
Supremacy.

A0o EeS0it Ot toe election has Obvt
ously again directed public attentio,
Ia the Southern States to the questio,
OF the suffrage. The feeling which MI
Charles Dudley Wsroee describes IL
his delightful s.On Horseback In Viz
glnia, North Carolina and Tennessee, ,
end which 10 knows through myriad
Of private chauoeis. aud In publt
speeches like that of Mr.. 0sady /,
Texas, aud generally In the press o
the Southern States, 10 uudoubtedl,
The dominant sentiment Of the lntelli
gent and aaiufally contfolling society
In that part OF the coaatry. It Il uoi
uofelsnday to the coiorsd race. II fAv,
on education aud industrial opportu.
ntttes for colored citizens, but i,s fun.
damental conviction and purpose Il
white supremacy, To secure this fairly
b the problem; that 10, how to divide
the colored vote % that Il will aid this
supremacy, or how to reduce 1t equtt.
aoly below q threatening point. De-
vtces like the eIeht-box system, which
laoels every box as the polls, and re-
qulres all votes to b deposited Ia the
right boz without hints or aids to the
voter, and which, Of course, practi-
caily dlsfranchises the voter who can.
not Rad, are now felt to be uuw worthy
methods, and the proposition OF al
educational qualification 10 openly adj
vocated by some Of the leading South.
ern Journals, even at the cost OF some
Representatives, Ia Congress. But II
does not seem tn as that this would
necessarily follow, because II IL very
questionable whether . qualification
applicable to oil voters could be re-
9arded as an abridgment OF the right
in the sense OF the Consultation. The
doubt Of the wisdom Of 40 sducationa
qualification under the circumstances
sprtngs from different consideration.
The larger part Of the colored voters
and . considerable number of white yo-
ters In the Southern States cannot read.
aud the qualification would dtsfrauchlse
both classes 90 long 40 the disability
should cOutinue. But II would have
another result. 1t would probably re-
tard education In those States where
education 10 OF the most vital luipor.
tapce. II the main object be white su-
premacy, whatever menaced that gu.
premacy would be Instantly covered
with suspiciop. But education. by
practically enfrsnchistng the colored
voters, would increase the chance Of
colored supremacy In such States ~
South Caroline, Mississippi, and Lout-
slsna. To encourage education, there
fore, would be to foster that chance,
aud under such circumstances an hon.
est and resolute policy of Instruction for
the c0lored people could not be antici-
pated. Thus this simple and legal So
lu,ion OF the problem, even accom- pain,
ed BY surrender Ia some States OF q
degree Of representation In Congress,
and honestly sought ~ q fair measure
of relief, would probably paraiyzs tho
movement which 10 essential to the
general and peaceful prosperity OF that
part Of the country, which is the move-
ment for education. It 10 alleged, aud
We believe with good reasons, that
since the war tho mulatto 10 disappear.
Ing and the distinctive color line 10
while tho black population
inereasss decidedly faster than the
white. Under ehess circumstances an
qualification for the suffrage
(u the States where the colored papula-
tion is iu the majority would tend not
only to disfranchlse. but TO keep In ig-
norance, the large majority OF the peo-
pie Of those States.
An educational qualification 10 nj.
ways desirable, but always upon the
condition that there Is not only ample |
provision of FREQ Instruction, II not
laws, bot also that general !
perception Of the value OF education |
which will keep the schools full. Now
10 community where tho two races
live together, but at great disadvantage
10 the coiored race because of It's pre-
vtous enslavement, because its color IL !
, perpetual ban, and because the white |
race proposes to maintain supremacy
1t any cost. Il Is evident that the white |
race, which Is undoubtedly in the act |
aaf situation the msster race, would |
not favor any change In the conditions !
which menaced its supremacy. The !
real solution Of the problem lies, OF
course, In tho simple aad natural rela-
lion among all citizens In the Southern |
States which prevails in general fu the |
States. But the method of
tho solutlon-that Is, how to
produce that solution--is not clser. II
what we have said be correct, u would !
not be produced by al educational
qualification for the sufYrage. That
would be justly regarded as . measure
inimical to the colored
race, and that belief would Of itself
deepen the sense Of uniriendliness.
One OF tue surest methods OF dis
pelling that feeling would he a care
fuf abstention from any policy plainly
hostile to equality Of political or civil