The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1892-09-23
NUMBER 81,
DisrRASCaIsExExT IN MISSISSIPPI,
Review Of Reviews.

To The discerning observer who
Tres 10 note the things of real
significance in our political life, by
far the most important political
event of the season has been the
recent registration in Mississippi
the first registration Of voters un.
der the States new Constitution.
The important part of the Missis.
sippi Constitution is that which
regulates the franchise. II DIS.
qualities those who are unable 10
real and write, and further ex.
cludes from The registration books
all " ho have failed 10 pay a poll
lax. IN practice the limit of time
for payment of this tax is so fixed
as to make necessary a good deal
of forethought on the part Of The
citizen who does not wish to lose
his vote. In order that the educa.
tional requirement might not work
too harshly in The case OF class Of
citizens who, though unlettered,
were not wholly ignorant, it was
prvided that until 1896 an litter.
ate citizen might retain his fran.
chise if he were found able 10 ex.
plain a portion of The Constitution
of the State when read to him.
Such in general are the terms of
the new franchise system. Now,
for the results. There are by the
new census 147,2O5 colored men
in Mississippi who are above the
age of 81, and there are 110,100
white men. All of these men un-
der the old arrangement would be
entitled TO vote. But the new
registration, containing the names
of all the men who will be allowed
to vote this year, includes only 49,
742 men of both races, of whom on.
ly 76,742 men of both races, of
whom only 8,615 are of African
decent, while 6S, 127 are white men.
II has been asserted that the de-
vice for admitting illiterates who
could explain the Constitution was
intended 10 be used unfairly
against colored men; but Of the
three or four thousand voters who
were admitted III tins way, about
one-half were actually negroes.
The census shows that about 100,.
600 white men and $1,000 colored
men can read and write, and could
have been enrolled il they had
paid the somewhat heavy poll tax
at the prescribed time and taken
The necessary steps to secure regis.
tratlon. AS The matter stands, The
result has been the practical elm.
ination OF the majority race from
the politics of The Stale, and this
object has been achieved with mar
velously little disturbance or oppo.
} sition. We are inclined to think
that the State OF Mississippi and
) both races are 10 be congratulad,
The colored race, though numerl.
cally possessed of considerable
majority, is not morally entitled 10
rule in Mississippi, because as yet
it possesses a very small minority
of the men who have the iDtelli.
gence and and capacity 10 rule
property. Under ihe circum-
stances, the test Of literacy be.
comes a fair working rule. No
!, young Mississippi negro who de.
serves the ballot need despair OF
: obtaining 1t. II he is not willing
, to learn to read and write, and
lacks the fore,hought 10 step uI
: and pay his pooll tax, he may well
e be permanently disfrancised. The
system will encourage manly effor,
at self-improvement. and will re.
: ward those who are deserving
As for the white race, this plan
will have relieved them from the
}, fear of ignorant negro domination
that they have felt, so that they
can now afford themselves the un
wonted luxury of disagreeing
: and entering into, differen
! party organizations. It is to bt
: hoped that Mississippi will be
: : encouraged on all sides TO give
! tins new system a fair and faithful
trial, avoiding everything thai
! could be pronounced unjust els
: elimination against colored men
) and holding both races rigidly tt
!! the terms of the law. Any neglect
!, henceforlh of the duty to provide
: elementary education for all the
children OF the State, black as vel
as white, would SUBJECT Mississippi
: to the criticism OF designedly pro
. posing to keep the negroes litter
!, ates in order to keep them from
= attaining the franchise. The Nortl
}! will do we'll TO believe that Missis
! sippi is intending to act for thu
best interests oi the whole popula
. lion, and that under the circum
y stances the Mississippians wer,
the best possible judges Of wha,
. should be done. 10 say that th'
: measure was adopted IN The inter
: = est OF the Democratic party is Il
= view it superficlally. On The con
:. trary it is just the kind Of meas
! ure that can give an opposition
!, party a permanent fo0thold for j
= = removes the principal ground upol
= which the Southern Democratic sol
! idity has rested.