The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1889-11-01

The people Of this State will soon
have to vote for convention or no
conYention'-that is in favor of or
against assembling the sovereignty of
OF the State for the purpose of making
new organic laws. We are now and
have ever been opposed to this move
ment as equivocal if not dangerous in
Its results. Yet, if it IL resolved Oh, we
shall at tie bailot box give it our Sane
ton as the best method of its contin-
gencies. That the leading idea of its
advocates is to abridge the political
rights of the negro, will not be denied,
and how to do that without doing the
same for a large number of free-born
white men, and democrats at that, we
scarcely know. We see but two ways
to effect that end, and one is by prop
erty or educational qualifications. In
other words, for Il white man or negro
to vote, he mast be able to read, write
and cipher, and probably added some
knowledge of physical geography and
grammar. How many good, honest
white men would that exclude from
exercising the birth-right of voting +?
Perhaps at least 10 per cent. of our
white voting population. 1t might cut
OIL fifty per cent. Of the negro vote, and
this 10 per cent. Of steady, upright
white ,-ntn rrn,,ld ha ,ron+h =
our political interests than the 50 per
ceut. of negroes declared. Take it on
property qualifications, and will that
better our conditions? How many in
telligent white voters have not a foot
of real estate, Or are worth two hun
dred and fifty dollars in personally?
Take this town as a test. How many
white men have we who are respected
for their intelligence, industry, social
and political worth who would be de-
prived of the inestimable privilege ?
Perhaps 20 per cent. ormore. Ofcourse
this would debar three, four or five
times that number of colored men from
voting. This would virtually turn
over the State to an oligarchy of land
holders and bOnd-holders. How many
young men in this town, and every
where in Mississippi, now our depend
ence on election day, and not only
that, but our protection in times of
danger, be silent lockers on the scenes
which they had with pleasure antici-
pated from boyhoOd-the activity of
election day? How many of them
would feel like rushing to the front
when clouds of blackness hung over
the social horizon? Senator George
says that the white people Ofthis State
can be trusted at any time to assemble
in meeting on any subject without
fearing bad results. That is very true
when they assemble at their own ex-
pense, but when they gather together
vt an expense ofseventy-iive thousand
dollars Of the peoples money, they
gray horse is of another color.
We had the pleasure of calling al
The Chamherlin House on Mrs sCatha-
irine Cole the intelligent correspondent
IF the New Orleans Picavune. Having
been familiar with her writings, unti,
she "waked up IN morning and found
herself famous for life, we had a desire
20 see q lady who had contributed sc
much to the newspaper literature o
the South, we alphabetically desired
to see and talk with her. Seemingly
along the highways of her European
trip, we immagined that she was rath
er of masculine build. What "a on.
establishment, when a petite, graceful
lady approached, extending her sof
little hand, with a clear articulation o
our name. We had to ask, despite evel
Of courtesy, is this Mrs. Catharine Col
of the Picayune? With the ease of
beautiful phantom, she replied in tone
gentle as the touch of an aeolian harp
+ the same. Wefound her atthe very star
P the very embodiment ofease and grace
/ AFTER more than half an hours CONVEX
, sation on personal and general topics
, we We're satitied that she was worth
= of all the praise she ever received
whether as a lady of pure sentiment
extensive knowledge in newspaper Iii
erature.
G Death, the universal conqueror, an
q yet humanity's best friend, sweeps $
lently in his pathway of wreck all