Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-01
An Interest,ne subject.

--------
An Interesting subject
The reports from the majority and mi
nority OF the Judiciary Committee OF the
national House Of Representatives on the
resolution authorizing that committee TO
inquire and report whether the Constitu.
ton or laws of any State distranchised
persons in violation Of the second section
of the fourteenth article Of amendments
10 the Federal Constitution ought 20 DO
considered without reference to tneH
party bearing and passed upon as II there
| were no party lines visible when crimes
against the elective franchise are the SUD
ject of proposed legislation. The whole
country is interested in this SUBJECT
Such Republican or northern STATES
a. Massachusetts are charged Win
being in company with such Demo.
cratic or southern States as Mississippi
| in the effort to render the section men
toned Of none effect. The letter oil heV.
| LYMAN ABBOTT, HENRY WARD BEEchEhs
brother-in-law. and his successor IN Ily-
mouth church, to THOMAS NELsoS fAet'
ESQ.,, of this city, published by us frl-
day, shows that there is widespread IN
terest felt in the negro problem or rstnvi
the ignorant-sufrage problem, and ind'-
Gates that there are thousandsof northern
people OF the best class who sympathize
with the southern people in their enort 10
| disfranchise unintelligent voters wlthou'
depriving them Of any of the rights 80
| 4 u. l.. ha law OF IuO
land. Massachusetts,, Connecticut 'ei-
mont, and Idaho think they are 81 lnuon
interested in this question as are any u
the southern States.
The language of the second section Oh
the fourteenth amendment IS so oIear' uH-
ambiguous, and comprehensive tna. !"
NAV well be contended that any sort OF re-
striction of the right to vote comes III
conflict with that section. IL VIII ToqulIo
a good deal of judge-msds law 10 cohs'iuo
anv DISTINGUISHING legislation so as 70
make il consist with the plain requirements
Of old THIp. SrEyExs's pet section' Which
reads as follows:
| "section q. But when the rignt
| IN vote Is denied to any OF the maze
| inhabitants of said State, beng tMoAtyI
one wears of age and citizens OF tue Uniteo
| States, or in any way dbr'a5ed, eAcept Loi
partioipation in rebellion or otheI cIiiIe'
| the basis Of representation therein shalI 10
reduced in the proportion wnIch tno n. ~
| her OF said male citizens shall bear 10 the
whole number Of male citizens tWehVy-one
years Of age in said State"
No ouestion can be raised as to the
power of the State to disfranchise women
under the section quoted. And yet the
words which are construed as plainly per-
mitting-indeed inviting-their distran-
chisement are not more unambigupus than
thewords We have placed in italics, and
which are applicable to male citizens. These
latter words provide that the penalty for
Acknowledgement shall be enforced If the
right to vote is " in any way abridged"
The Ignorant voters" in the northern
States whom Mr.. ABBOTT and so many other
persons in the North would disfranchise
are white men. That is to say, these ere
the voters whom those persons have IN
mind. The ignorant foreign population
are the people against whom restrictive
measures are proposed. The ballot-bo1
has ceased to voice the will Of the intelli-
gent property-holders and elections have
become a farce, say the "reformers" OF
whom We arc speaking. And yet even In
number Of northern States the negro voters
hold the balance of power, and have for
years so cast their votes as to keep those
States in the hands of the Republican
party. 1t would be an exhibition of in
gratitude on the part of Mr.. ABBOTT and
his co-workers to disfranchise these negro
voters. In fact, nobody can imagine who
has not studied the matter how many COM
plications are involved in the proposition
Mr.. ABBOTT advocates to purify the ballot
box without unconstitutionally keeping
the ignorant balloters away from the polls.
What constitutes, or would be held by
the courts to constitute, an abridgment
of the right to vote? Is it such an abridg-
ment for a State to provide by law that no
person shall vote whose name has not
been registered as voter? Is it such an
abridgment for State to provide by law
that no person shall vote who cannot read
and write? Is it such en- abridgment for a
| State to require the payment of a capita
tion-tax as prerequisite to voting P
especially when this tax is required to be
paid twelve months before the election?
Perhaps the shortest way out Of the
strait in which we find ourselves would be
TO add to the Federal Constitution a new
amendment doing away with the second
section of the fourteenth amendment. But
the northern people have not yet been edu-
Gated up to this point. Let us add that, as
we think we once proved, the fourteenth
amendment was never ratified in the
manner provided for in the Constitution
itself.