The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-10-10
Suffrage in the South.

Suffrage In the South.
The deliberations of the Mississippi
Convention on the subject of restricting
the right of suffrage have been watched
closely by thoughtful persons throughout
this section, since several other States
are similarly situated and must sooner or
later grapple with the problem.
1t is not an easy matter to restrict SUI
frage when it has once been conferred and
abused History furnishes numbcrless in
stances in which the privilege has been
extended, but it has given US few indeed
where it has been restricted without revo-
luton. The tendency of the age seems
to be in the direction of enlargement.
This is particularly true of this country.
The history of Virginia is the his
tory of most of the States of the Union
in this respect. When the Constitution
of l776 was adopted the right of suffrage
was exercised only by freeholders owning
fifty acres Of improved land, or twenty
five acres with dwelling of certain di-
mansions. But the reformed Constitution
of 1929 extended the privilege also to GER
tain leaseholders and housekeepers who
paid taxes. Then came the Constitution
of 1851, which so extended the privilege
as to make it almost universal; and the
Alexandria Constitution of 1864 brushed
away all remaining restrictions, sc far as
whites were concerned. The amendments
to the Constitution of the United States
then gave the right to tho negro. The
spirit of the time has been everywhere
to confer privileges, not to restrict them;
but we have out Hcroded Herod and have
gone beyond all bounds and limitations
which other countries have thought neces-
sary for the preservation Of society. True,
France tried the experiment in lS4S and
the outcome was enormous taxes imposed
upon the rich to sustain the poor i'll idle
ness, threatened partition Of lands and
general spoliation. The result was uni
versal suffrage was supplantcd by des-
potism under which the press was en-
shaved and liberty destroyed. That was
the cost of the experiment to France. The
wiser statesmen of all countries have
extended the right with great caution,
therefore, and not until the class to be
enfranchiscd had acquired II permanent
a1,tno nj
development sufficient to guarantee soc-
city against the power conferred.
That The reckless experiment in this
country has not caused more serious evils
than have vet resulted, is due to the mod
Grafton of those who suffered under it on
the one hand and the inferiority Of the
race OH whom the right was conferred on
the other. But the danger is not yet over
unless other States threatened with the
permanent domination of the ignorant
and corrupt, adopt some such restrictive
policy as that pursued by the Mississippi
convention. There is much to be said in
favor of property qualification.
If the right of property is the corner
stone of civilized society, it should mani
testly be protected against reckless ex-
periments, and particularly against those
experiments which have proved so disas-
trous to other countries. 1t is criminal
folly to wantonly endanger the very fabric
of civilization and social order. Yet this
is Just what was done by those who I'M
posed universal suffrage on the South.
The most pcrilous experiments have been
tried on the body polite by republican
anatomists. We have been the victims of.
cruel viyisection, which Mr.. Brrgh
should have interposed to prevent. 1t
was done, too, at the most critical
period in our history. 1t was done at
time when humanityas we'll as statesman
ship should have stayed the ;nAict;on.
And this is not all. Everything has been
added to aggravate the disease of our
shattered system. One element Of our
society was arraycd against the other, and
fierce war of the members, provoked By
political quacks and clerical fanatics, who
sent among us scuttle-ship crew of land
pirates, covetous and voracious, to engen-
der and embitter race hostility where none
existed before, and to precipitate collisions
for the purpose of affording protcnses for
new exactions and the inaiction Of new
sortures.
Such were the perils to which the South
was exposed; and if there has been a
change for the better, but small thanks
are due to those who exposed us to them.
Nothing short of a miracle has saved us
from the most appalling social convulsion.
The first statesmen of the world stood
aghast at the expected upheaval. ALI
the traditions and lessons which history
I furnishes for the instruction of mankind
we're ignored. The conservatism we get
of England, biased upon the aphorism Of
Lord Bacon, that political changes TO be
safe. should resemble those of nature,