The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-12-12

SlDle TO ascertain in each of the Southern
states how many of the voters would have
been disfranchised in 1880 had ability to
write been made condition precedent to
voting, and to apportion them between the
races. Of course writing is severer
test than reading, and undoubtedly larger
number would be disqualified by the former
than by the latter, but not very much larger.
Then too no doubt every man of voting age
who could not write, even though he could
read, would vote against any kind OF edu-
cational qualification, SO that the opposition
TO such a qualification in every Southern
State would certainly be as numerous as the
voters unable to write.
The total voting population of Alabama by
the last census was 259SS4 of which AL 6l
were whites and 11S,42S negroes. OF the
whole number 120,S58 could not write.
96,4Os of these illiterate persons were negroes
and 24,450 whites If therefore ability to
read and write had been a prereQuisit, for
voting in Alabama in 1880 almost one half of
her population of voting age would have
been disfranchised. Had a constitutional
amendment setting up the smallest educ
atlonal lifcation-ability to read-been
submitted to the people that year, as
Stunning that all were permitted to vote as
they desired, the opposition would certainly
have numbered 12O,S5S, less than 5000 short
OF the total voting population of the State.
But among the $4,000 voters who were able
to read, it is safe to assume that there werea
good many more than 5000 of such limited
attalnments that they would not have looked
with favor on any sort Of an educational
test. 1t is clear enough therefore that con-
stitutional amendment creating an education
al test could not have been carried in Ala
bama in 1880, without suppressing a good
deal of the illiterate vote. Alabama has un-
doubtedly made some progress In educating
her population since that time, but not suffi-
cent to materially change the situation.
In Georgia the proportion of illiteracy is
not so great. but still it is large enough to
make the success of an educational amend
ment very doubtful. OF total voting popu-
laton of 321, 438 in 1880, 145047 Q16,5l6 col
ored and 2S,571 white could not write. That
is, the voters who could write exceeded the
voters who could not write by less than
10000.
In South Carolina the illterate voters had
clear majority The voting population
was 205.7S9, and 106,934 of it (93,o20 colored
and 1924 white could not write.
In Mississippi the condition of things was
but little better. The total voting popula-
ton was 2SS,532, of which 11l,541 (99,o6S COL
ored and Il, 473 white) could not write. That
is the voters who could write outnumbered
the voters who could not by only 5000. 1t is
easy to imagine what sort of chance an ed
ucational amendment would stand among
such population as that. The chance of
getting through such an amendment in
Louisiana, where the voters who can't write
number 102,9S2, as compared with 10000
who can, would be poorer even than in Mis-
sissippi. In Texas perhaps such measure
might be ratified, for there the voters who
cannot write number only $1,000 as against
3S0.376 who can. In North Carolina there
would be bare possibility of such an
amendment succeeding, for the illiterates
there are some 10000 In the minority But
there are even in that State 124,702 voters
who cannot write out of total of 294, 700.
In the States of South Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, there
fore, assuming that the proportion Of litter
cy is as large as it was ten years ago, and
there is probably not much difference, an
educational constitutional amendment could
not possibly secure ratification by the peo-
pie unless large per cent. of the illiterate
vote was suppressed, for it is not reasonable
to suppose that it would voluntarily consent
to its own Acknowledgement. In other words
in all the States where the negro vote is
numerous enough to be troublesome to the
whites, this method of Acknowledgement
could not possibly succeed.