Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1890-03-27
THE PROBLEM.
Changes That Should Be Made
in the Present Constitution
Of Mississippi.

W aht hiBo aAohuAthN SV"t1asN
tee, was seen to day by yeur
correspondent, and, in answer
to the question what he thought
Of the Constitutional Couven
ton discussion, said:
There is very little new to be
sait supplemental to the current
on the subject, and yet
there 10 much to consider.
Wan; of time has not enabled
to give full reflection to the
various matters nov undergo.
discussion, and this perhaps,
ought to preclude me from ven
turing opinions Nevertheless,
the time has come for everybody
to speak OUT
"Wbat do You consider the
paramount problem in the con
yentiOn will be."
"If the suffrage be the para
mount problem, d all seem TO
agree that IT IL, then | have not
yet seen any satisfactory solu
ton of it. The differences oil
opinion "a to how the eyIls OF
unrestricted suffrage are TO be
are 50 greatitis doubt
full TO my mind whether the
work of the convention viii
amount to very much On this
Reforms rarely, If ever.
in legislative bodies
Bold refOrmers 6rst agitate
needed reforms. Then comes
discussion and controversy, aud
finally, whom the thought has be
come crystallized by public sen
tinent IL may he after many
yearsk conventions and legisla-
tive bodies come along and
adopt. The ignorant black and
his abuse Of the elective fran
chise in our Southern comm uni.
ties has only recently fairly be
come tie theme of public con.
troyersy. and 1t may lie said the
subject has not yet reached the
white heat of discussion True,
We Southern people all along
have felt the great wrong OF the
fifteenth amendment, bat only
in the past few years have We
found many sympathizers in the
Northern States
But | really see no solution
TO our difficulties IN this matter,
in the face of the 6fteenth
amendment, and certainly there
Is no present hope for its repeal.
The ffteenth amendment pre-
sents IN insurmountable Obsta-
Gle TO any discrimination in fa
vor of white suffrage against
and, after all our talk on
the remedy, it seems TO me, If
you will pardon the expression.
We have about come out of the
same hole we went in at. The
nigger is before US still, and,
Ike Bsnquo's ghost, he will no,
down
Because pubIieists, states
men aud our white citizenship
had not yet reached a conclusion
in regard to the regulation OF
the suffrage | thought the call
for the convention premature
and the time fixed to deal With
the matter inopportune- Blu,
the hour having passed TO 9ues
ton the good a convention will
do, il is manifestIy our duty TO
do the best We can. We should
all unite iE the honest endeavor
TO make the very best Constitu.
ton that can be made with all
the lights before Us after n full
and free interchange of views
With a due regard TO the rights
aud best interests of all.
The man who cannot concede
something of his own views to a
majority equally honest and
equally capable ought not to
a constituency in the
convention"
Are you in favor of . prop.
erty or educational qualifca
ton 2
II am not IL is too late 10
think Of setting up an aristO.
cratic government or the sem
blanes to one This would be a
step back ward in our experiment
of government, unamerican and
undemocrstie Ii a man il com
peteLt TO work the roads, se,vr
on the juries, pay his taxes, fight
for his country in time of war,
and otherwise bear the burdens
of government, then he ought TO
have left 10 him his right 10 vote
With an education or without
one, whether rich or poor Or
the test of ones right
to vote should be good citizen
ship and only thst- And but
for the threatening conditions
which surround US from q heavy
black population, | would listen
10 nothing that might be inter.
posed as an obstruction between
the voter and the baIIOt-bsx. A
qualification like this cuts of too
many white men 10 succeed
what estimate do you place
On the poll tax qualification r
This proposition seems to be
tsk:ng. Some favor il a. a reye
nue. measure. while others look
20 il as a remedy for The evils
Of indiscriminzIe suffrage. As
a ruaaaura ff,a ~.h.-.