St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-17
The Mississippi Constitution
Tinkerers Are in a Jolly
Tangle. z
The All-Absorbing Matter Be-
fore Them Is the Suf-
frage Question.
Many Want the Marsupial
Method Others Strong
ly Oppose It.
Anything That Will Insure
Supremacy Of the Whites
Will Do.

JACKSON, Miss, Aug. 16.-Such OF
the constitutional convention commit
tee as had business before them
have been in session all day, and
those having no business to
dispose of have discussed the
laI-absorbing suffrage question and the
disposition the convention is likely to
make Of it. A large number of the
delegates, the eastern or white portion
of the state, it develops, are little con-
cerned over the suffrage question. This
section is so largely white that it has
never felt the danger of negro suprem-
acy that SO constantly menaces the
western or black portion of the
state. This is not the case with
all the delegates from that section, there
beng some who feel the necessity OF
effectually settling the question. A
delegate from that section to-day said
he felt that some heroic remedy should
be adopted, but his people were OPP
posed to anything stronger than the
Australian system, and in request to
their wishes, he would oppose any kind
of educational or property qualification.
Many delegates here say they are more
interested in securing constitution
that will give them an elective Judic-
larry than to secure any change In the
suffrage laws. just how far this Sentl-
ment exists cannot be told until the
convention goes further. There is
strong element here, however, that
favorS
An Elective Judiciary.
and. in order to secure the changes in
the suffrage laws desired. some COM
promise may have to be made by those
opposed. Senator holland, prominent
delegate, said to your correspondent to-
day that he very much doubted the
practicabiIity of the Australian system,
and he doubted if the convention would
adopt it; that it would encourage the
establishment of negro schools all over
the country, organized just for the pur-
pose of teaching the negroes enough to
enable them to vote. A prominent del
egate from the heavy negro section SAID
that no change in the ballot laws was
desired or would be accepted by
his section that did not in
sure white supremacy for all time
to come; that no makeshift or expedi-
ency would answer. His section ia
vored a strong educational or property
qualification. and anything short of this
he did not believe would do the work.
Nuarly all of the large counties Ill the
state have black majoritieS while the
small ones with only one representa-
tive nave white majorities. Both the
plans of Senator George and Prof.
Mayes propose to cut down the repre-
~ Ill II II
it to the white counties, thus securing
the legislature to the whites and per-
hitting it OF some state body so cOnStl-
tuted to elect the state Off
GERS. Neither of these plans
propose any regulation whatever
for suffrage, but leave the laws as they
now are. The counties losing their
representation will bitterly fight both
plans. The large counties may consent
to surrender some of their representa-
ton, if the suffrage laws are so ar
ranged as to give the whites
The Power to Control
the internal affairs of their counties as
well as of the state. Another prominent
delegate said: sit looks to me like our
biggest men have gone mad. Some of
them have advanced the biggest fool
schemes l ever heard of. All we need
is something like the Australian system.
This will secure white supremacy,
which is all that is wanted, and
is as strong measure as can
be adopted" Another delegate said:
Il was always opposed to calling the
convention, believing there was no
necessity for it. am more convinced
now that was right than ever and
don't think from the way things look
that the work of the convention will
continued, s'that the majority of the
elective franchise committee favors
like the George or Mayes
plan, which is worth nothing in my
opinion. The present system is much
better" The elective franchise COM
mittee has been in session all day with
closed doors, aid members of it are put
under secrecy to say nothing about any
thing that transpires in the committee.
1t is quite as difficult now as ever to de-
fine the resulting shape of all
the opinions advanced, although there
has been a very free inter-
dhapge of views. The question. it
seems to be realized, Notwithstanding
the most earnest and honest effort to
accomplish what will be the gaeatest
good to the greatest number, is as
vexed. puzzling and complicated as it is
important and all-absorbing. Whatever
the clash af different views may amount
to,i will bring out in the discussion the
most interesting dramatic episodes of
the convention, fer there are here many
stalwart, earnest men, who are. some of
them, passionately bent on doing some
thing which will be a certain settler to
this thing of negro suffrage. They seem
to realize that, while the attention of
the whole country is drawn to this con-
vention, the South is particularly inter-
ested, and if anything which carries in
it worthy features of improvement is
adopted. the Mississippi constitutional
l,a fnIs sIr1,