New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-26
WRONGS OF THE NEGROES IN VIRGINIA
INGENIOUS CoNTRIvANCES BY WHICH THEY
ARE DEPRIVED OF ALL VOICE IN THE
SELECTION OF CoNGREssMEN.

Washington Jan. % Cspecal.-Thc election and
registration laws Of Virginia were discussed TINS morn
ing before Mr.. Lodges Committee on the Election OF
President. Vice President and Members Of Congress
and the committee listened u delegation appointed
bv the conference Of cOorcd voters held al Eic
mond on December Il, while they told Of the IN
eenious contrvances bv which their race is deprived
Of all voice in selection Of Representatives A. W
Harris, Of Fredericksburg, who IS rcputed To- be one
of the leaders of his in the state. announced
briefly the purpose Of the delegations VISIT ana ID
troduced W W Evans who read The Inem)u Il adj pted
by the Richmond conference, synopsis Of which j.
given below Nh Harris then a1dic-.@d the com
mittce explaining more in detail the method, by which
the nasles Of colored voters kept of tie rcei,
traton lists Ills statement developed the fact that
any five citizens Of the state can 20 TO any mem
Der of the Registration Board in precinct at any
time and, without other proof than their uns"on
assertion purge the LIST Of any name, they choose.
The registrar is compelled 10 post the names thus
purged bat there Is no law forbidding such h>t> 10
be torn down. and 30 way IN which examination
Of tile records can be compelled except by order ~
court. Mr.. Harris cited Instances where the lists
had been thus purccd" the middle Of the neht al
the house Of the registrar, the notices po'td a!
: O'Clock in the morning and torn down at p, ana
where cOlocd WHO hal vot regularly for fifteen
years had appeared the polls, only 10 find Their
names stricken from the list tins arbitrary way ana
TO be informed that there was no recourse.
Mr. Tucker, Randolph fuckers son, who represents
Virginia district, and is a member of the committee.
tried 10 show by questions that the law Of the state
provided for impartial registration board, but Mr..
Harris pointed out that, although the law stated that
each board shoud include representative Of the OPP
position party, that provision nulcd by the in
serton Of the phrase whenever possible and that IN
practice IN the rare cases where Republican rep
cratic party ~ caucus, almost Invariably ig-
norant incapable and pIable and WAS ,vcr It any
Re tllg,tTl
thcmselvcs Indeed, any formal expression OF pref.
erencc for any individual their part would insure
The statement the delegation Is given in part be
low. II VIII be noticed that the Virginia ncgroc,
are willing have then representation Congress
down votes 10 be Suppressed In the fat,
they have been IN the past The statement says
that the c0lOred people Of Virginia feel kecnly the u
Just treatment winch they have been subjected and
Take thi, means Of protesting against "a continuance
of the same and of expressing their convictions "A, 10
the relations which should exist between both
in the Commonwealth, with respect their moral
and material advancement. "a well a. 10 Their polt
At ine same time the delegation protest that Che
cOOred people hold 10 idea, neither advance nor cs
pOuse principle which they DO not believe 10 be
Tor the best interest of all the people the state
and conducive to her advancement IN everything
which would go to make her strong and potential IN
the American SIS erhood Of states. They desire. they
say. u circumference the belief idea that they
want to favor any organization which Il antagonist
to the interest Of the white citizens Of the state,
holding, however, now and always, that as colorcd
they have right 10 meet IN conference for their
advancement They declare themselves opposed Ia
mixed schools and Interested in every enterprise
which add, wealth 10 the state. ...
The address contains some statistics concerning
alleged election frauds and outrages said u have been
perpetrated in the state of Virginia in the last elec
ton. II says that on the saturday before me last
election Registration day. 10000 legal voters were
dlsra9ch in virginia. The address earne,y ap
existing National Election law that il shall no longer
s ee 70 'a S%e Si a aSsy ay To-
given the right Of the ballot by the Constitution OF ms
tSey complain Of by reducing the representation ac
ssrded " the House Of Representative 70 the exNht