The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1890-12-27
TIE ELECTION BILL.


IN. Y. Herald
The only solution of tie dIfienltv
they mud is to continue the debata
uatil their debate until their various
legislatures have acted. Afler that
with certainty Of six years before
Them, they will feel free to vote As
Their eUnsclenees dictate. All this will
tend TO lengthen the discussion bevoud
what the Democrats had originally
planned. The effect of course is very
gratifying to them, but il will not
influence the result. 1t Is
very probable that the bill will mass
although the Democrats are not pre-
pared as yet to say so.
One thing, however, may be pre-
dleted with absolute confidence. The
bill, when passed, will be a radically
different measure from that which
passed the House. 1t has already been
shorn in the Senate Elections Cou.mit-
tee OF many of its Objectionable
features. But it will be pruned even
more. The bill carries a permanent
appropriation. This will be stricken
out IN the Senate. Senator Allison
fsvors this course. So does Senator
ingalls,. So too do all the other Re
publicans who dislike the measure.
These will be enough of them, with
the aid Of the Democrats, to carry
their point and by so doing they win
practically kill the DILL.
The next House will be Democratic
and all il will have to do will be to re-
fuse to vote the appropriation neees.
sary to carry the bill into effect. The
objection the Southern people find to
the bill is the disquieting effect it VIII
have upon their dense negro popula-
tion.
A THREAT TO GOOD ORDER.
| have the authority of leading
Republican Senator that the more
progressive and intelligent negroes
South do not want the bill passed. He
was speaking Of those who have the
best interest Of their race at heart, and
not the smart negro whose animating
purpose is to use his people at what
ever cost for the Advancement of his
selfish purposes. He repeated to me
conversation which he had recently
with a colored preacher from Alabama.
The latter told him that the bill would
80 arouse the whites that long before
an election was held they would in
augurate reign of terror which
would be so effective that a negro
would scarce show himself ON election
day. 1t would lead, he said, to a
degree of trouble between the two
races which no amount Of political
protection would compensate for.
These are not Democratic utterances.
have never heard Democrat make
use of them. They were, as have
SAID, repeated to me by prominent
Republican Senator, who had them in
turn from a colored Methodist min
ister
Aside from this the Democrats are
fully prepared to make the law dead
letter. The recent constitutional
Convention in the State of Mississippi
blazed the way for this purpose, and
it is not improbable that before another
Congressional election shall be held all
the States south of Mason and Dixon's
line will have profitcd by this example.
The Mississippi Convention did its
work thus early believing that tho
Force bill would pass at the present
session of Congress. They so amended
their Constitution that all persons are
required to live two years in the State
aud one year in the election precinct
before they shall be permitted to vote.
Another condition precedent to ex-
ercising the right of suffrage is the
payment of two dollar poll tax for
school purposes, leaving to the counties
the privilege of adding an additional
poll tax II desired.
Still another provision was an educa-
tional clause. This requires that the
applicant shall either be able to read
or, at least, intelligcntly to interpret a
section of the Constitution Of the
United States when II shall be repeated
to him. There are other provisions
equally stringent, but 1t is believed that
the foregoing will be sufficient to dis
franchise q large percentage ofthe COL
ored population as against a small per
centage of the whites. tmay be argued
that this is unjust. Perhaps 1t is, but
II Is much needed measure of protec-
ton and It is no moro arbitrary IN Its
effect than is the present law in a
number of safe Republican States in
the North.