Daily Republican., 1890-06-23
Tho sllssissippl Plan.

The State OF Mississippi, that has an
admitted Republican majority OF rs, 600
If her voters were permitted to vote,
but which always Tor the last fifteen
years or more sends Q solid Demo-
cratic delegation OF free.traders to
Congress, will hold = constitutional
convention in August. The main
purpose OF the convention is to devise
and adopt some measure by which the
Republicans can be prevented from
voting without resort to the butcher.
ings, whippings and intimidations that
were necessary every election 10 keep
the Republicans away from the polls.
The colored voters, which outnumber
the whites, are represented to be in q
high state oil excitement over the com
ing convention. as they know 1t 10 for
the purpose Of entirely dlsiranchising &
them that 1t is 10 be held. They have
Rot. II 10 true. been permitted to vote
for many years past but as the case
now stands they have as coed right
to vote as white voters, and they want
that right to remain, In the hope that
time may modify and change the feel
ings Of the Democrats, that they may
b. permitted to vote by and by. This,
however, seems to be what the Demo.
crats themselves are afraid Of, and to
guard against this modification that
might take place In their minds at any
time In the future, they want to lot an
amended constitution do the work Of
dislrsnchIsement instead Of Winchester
rifles. midnight rulings, and whip
pings.
II 10 not SO pleasant to be compelled
TO kill a hundred or two Republicans
every election to intlmidate aud scare
all the rest, whereas II the law was
made to prevent them from voting
they would simply point to that law
and tell the Republican voter that had
q black tkin that II was against the
law for him 10 vote and the Republi
cans with black skins, being law abid.
ing cilizcns, would desist IRON voting
and that would be the cod OF it.
In this connection 1t is worth while
to look at some OF the schemes pro.
posed TO be brought before the conven-
ton. Here is Judge j. A. p. Camp
bell OF the Supreme Court OF Missis.
s'ppi, who proposes the very efieclual
and simple plan of giving extra votes
TO land holders, say one vote TO every
nifty or eighty acres owned by the
voters. A man owning thousand
acres would be entitled TO twelve or
twenty votes, True, few OF the
negroes are land owners, but the pro
portion is not large enough to over
come the vote of the white lard owner
In setting forth his plan he says tina
the whites would always have NOR,
than enough land 10 offset the surplu
OF black voters.
Another plan is set forth by Cap
tain B. +. Jones, o leading planter
He says he has studied over this ques
tlon and has come to the conclusion
that the old men OF the present gen
Grafton cannot afford to die and leav
the election To their children viii
shotguns in their hands, lie in thei
mouths and perjury on their lips i
order to defeat the negroes. He b,
lieves that o constitution can be mad
10 make this all unnecessary. ii
plan is 10 apportion Senators and Re-
sesentatives in the Legislature accord
Ing to the white population, paying r
attention whatever 10 the black popl
lation. This would insure the whit
the Legislature always. Then Ii
Legislature would elect the Unite
States Senators, Governor and q
btate officers and Presidential elector
The Gov ,rnor could appoint all judge
and b0aIds OF elections. He wou
make three years residence in Il
State necessary qualification to vo
and place poll tax OF 50 on eve
voter. After doing all this n
Jones says they can let every negro
the State vote withOu' hildrsnce
fear, and he concludes by saying;
''If the constitution is adopted as abo
n can never be changed except by
white Legislature. Let there be 100. 0
negro majority. yet Mississippi will
IN the hands OF Mississippi aus. -
We would recommend to these NJ
sissippl statesmen that they send
delegation to Delaware to sec /
merits of ex-Secretary Bayard's
~ Bessment laws as one OF the best rnes
Of cheating Republicans out of til
votes before they proceed tar W
their convention work. Assessor \
Closkey, Levy CouItman Wier /
Collectors Dougherty and Mckee CO
explain 10 the delegation all about l.
70 work the machine.