St. Paul daily globe., 1889-11-01
THE EDUCATIONAL TEST.

THE EDUCATIONAL TEST.
There have been such migratiOns of
colored people from North Carolina and
some other Southern states in recent
periods as to call forth protest and eff
forts to prevent the loss Of needed
labor The singular feature in relation
10 it is that the negroes generally go
South TO states where it is alleged they
are virtually deLarred from the eXer-
else OF the political privileges they are
supposed to place high estimate upon.
Thousands of them have gone to MiSSis-
sippi. A Southern paper says that in
ten years past this has amounted TO
hundreds of thousands. This is per-
haps an exaggeration, but the state
mentS of the cause of the migration
render large figures plausible. Very
large plantations have been opened up
on the YaZOo delta, and these blacks are
secured to operate them. The ownerSo OF
these big plantations are often syndi-
Gates and corporations, or rnon-residents,
who are only concerned for their
own profit. They are needless of the
remOustranceS of the small farmer, and
white residents generally. The con-
tinuance Of this policy. under present
conditions. must result in the complete
possession Of the state by the blacks.
As they are generally of the most ig-
uOrant class, and not in a way to i'm
prove in educational lines or become
land owners, alarm is felt over the Situ-
alton. The Farmers alliance, at re-
cent session, took steps to promote the
calling of constitutional convention,
with view to obtaining relief. Sena-
tor GEORGE strongly fayOrs it.; and the
representative character of the alliance
renders it probable that the course it
urges will be adopted. The chief pur-
pose of this convention will be to pro-
tect the interests of property owners,
and insure stable and equitable govern
ment by preventing the absorption of
the government by the ignorant and
incapable negroes controlled by a few
reckless and unprincipled white men
like CHALMERS. As they view it. it is a
matter of self-preservatiOn. They must
protect themselves from those who, like
the old carpet-baggers, would use the
ignorant and clannish blacks as the
agency to enable them to plunder the
small farmers and property owners.
This is Che prospect that alarms them.
1t is not question of party politics, but
of security to their possessions and
homes. The immediate mode OF relief
proposed is for the new constitution to
require some educational and property
qualification of voters. As this will
apply alike to whites and blacks, it will
not conflict with the constitution. That
instrument only requires that there
shall be no distinction OF race at the
ballot box. Rhode Island has had
until recently a property requirement
and Connecticut and perhaps other
Eastern states have educational stand
ards for voters. This is not move in
the direction of the spirit of the age.
That is toward universal suffrage. Its
advocates look upon it as choice of
evils. Republicans will be shocked. and
denOunce it as an attempt to diSfran-
chise the blacks in Mississippi for
time. 1t would be effective, but tenn
porarily, as the rising generation of col
ored people will generally be able to
read and write. 1t is insisted that the
objection is not TO the race. but to their
present unfitness for the use of the bal
lot, consistent with the welfare of the
state. They will eventually Obviate all
such disabilities. This exaction will,
of course, shut out from the ballot box
q oOncidpra hip white element alSO IF
the Republican spell-binders generally
are good authority, Democrats are
widely iliterate, and any edu-
catiOnal requirement would make
enormous chaSms in their party
fabrics. They should then view with
satisfaction the Inauguration of policy
that may become widely prevalent, If
all prejudices of race and color could be
kept out of the mind it would be easy
to see very grave objections to the eX-
istence of a voting element, comprising
nearly, or quite, a majority in state
that was unable to read the ballots used.
Still, this Mississippi movement is due
to peculiar local conditions. and not
likely to become prevalent. That state
seems destined to become as black as
any West India island. 1t may be
doubted that the general good will be
promoted by the existence of state in
which only negroes could be elected TO
public stations, but the most serious
objection would be obviated when their
interests became identified with the
stability and welfare of the community.