San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-12-16
THE LIGHT SEES 1T.

The Waco Day Of Saturday last re-
ferring to the recent criticism of this
journal upon Puckett's solution of the
race problem in politics, says:
"The San Antonio LIGHT makes a
fair but adverse criticism of the $50
luton" OF the race problem lately
published in The Day. 1t cannot
bear the thought of making a three
fifths citizen of the colored brother,
and adding the other two-fitths of his
political entity to the power of the
white people of the South. The
LIGHT, however, is informed that the
plan proposes remodeling of the
national constitution and is not sug-
gested as being possible of accom-
plshment under the present provis-
ions of that instrument. In other
words, it is new reconstruction
which must take the place of the old
reconstruction of 1868, in an adjust
ment that gives the negroes less than
they have now got in law, but more
than they have got in fact"
The LIGHT has not misunderstood
in any sense the plan proposed. 1t
fully recognizes in it radical depar-
ture from the reconstruction methods
and principles of 1868, and also a
leaning to the nte-bellum ideas
which made the colored man an ex-
cuse for swelling the preponderance
of southern representation in con-
gress beyond all equitable grounds.
If the negro was property, by what
right was he made to increase the
representation of his owner in con-
gress, while property of another kind
equally valuable, held by the northern
voter, did not incaease his political
representation? To this question
there can 0e bnt one answer. The
amendments to the constitution did
away with that injustice, and this
solution" OF Mr.. Puckette's restores
the old injustice in fact though not in
form. If made operative today it
would merely give the solid democrat
ic south the representation in con-
gress to which the white population
of the south is entitled, and also two
fifths of that to which the colored
population is entitled. Concerning
this the Day most honestly remarks
that the adjustment proposed would
give "the negroes less than they have
now got in law, but more than they
have got in fact.n This however is a
condition that may be remedied and
will be remedied. The democratic
party have had the benefit of negro
representation so long that it may be
a hard thing for them to see it taken
away, but taken away it will be before
this congress closes its sessions. Ma
tional elections will be so hedged
around that the colored voter will
have what the law gives him hereafter
and this will be just two-tifths more
than the solution" proposed would
pretend to give him.
But there is another side to this
question, The Day says the plan
proposes remodeling of the constitu-
tion, and seems to think that the
LIGHT has missed this idea in its
review. Not at all, but the LIGHT
did not consider this obvious inten-
tion at all practical ole, and so passed
it by for the consideration of the
other and less palpable matters in
volved. TheIIGHT does not pretend
to a critical knowledge of constitu-
tional law, but it ventures the as
sertion that it is not in the power of
the remodeling experts to so reno
del the constitution as to deprive
citizens of rights under that cOnsti-
tuition without cause. 1t certainly
cannot be done without violating the
principles and pledges of the dem
Ocratic party as set forth from year
to year in its national platforms. AS
a fact it cannot be done at all, legal
ly. The rights given negroes and
all others under the constitution can
not be taken away. These rights
may be forfeited for cause, but the
mere will of party is not cause.
The forfeiture must work by reason
of some act on the part of him who
forfeits his rights, and cannot exist
as against innocent parties. 1t is an
individual forfeiture for individu-
al cause and no class forfeit
may be imposed setting forth,
limiting or restricting the exercise of
the electoral franchise. but these linn
its must be within the constitution
and must apply to all alike. The $50
lutionn is impossible, says the Day,
without remodeling of the con titu-
ton, and the LIGHT affirms that such
remodeling of the constitution is i'm
possible because no ex post facto law
is admissible in equity. Revolutions
may go forward, and they do, but
they do not go backward and the con-
stitutional rights once given cannot
be withdrawn save for cause, and that