New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-05
NTrLLTTYTNG TIE XVTH AMENDMENT.

The boast about driving coach ana four
through any law that was ever made seems not
10 have been great cXaggcration, after all.
II uust surely be regarded within reasonable
hounds IL the Suffrage Article OF South Caro-
uro,s po,v Constitution stands. For in what re-
s,oct can a law be better than the National Con-
stitution upon which 1t is based and from which
f. derives its validity? This Tillmanmad screed
will drive not merely coach and four. but
whole regiment Of rough riders, through the Con
sr,ution of thc United States. 1t will not do 81
in forms Not even South Carolina is likely to
fry that again But it will do SO none the less
cfrectually because under the veil Of seeming
compliance There is not word about race
co,or or prayjous condition of servtude' In 1t.
There is not a hint in the lines OF race dlscrim-
nation Yet the purport and the potency OF the
thing are perfectly evident. That article VIII
nullify. so far rs South Carolina Is concerned,
thc XVIII Amendment TO the Constitution of the
United States.
LET there be no mistake about it, That article
means negro Acknowledgement, pure and simple.
II was framed for that object 1t will be adopted
for that object. II will be executed for that OBJ
icct And If adopted and executed ii will effect
that object as perfectly as did the old laws be-
fore the XVIII Amendment The leaders of the
white Democracy do not conceal that fact. They
openly proclaim It. and glory in 1t. The Con
stitutlonal Convention was called. according TO
the chief newspaper organ OF the party, The
Charleston News and Courier ito accomplish
"in n constitutional way the overthrow Of negro
suffrage 1t Il intended that every col
"orcd voter who can be disfranchised without
"yioatng the United States Constitution shall
She deprived Of the right o.vote. 1t is
"meant to disfranchise no white man, except for
crime" That Is perfectly plain. South Caro-
lima Democrats are not towards IN words. They
intend. and they avow their intention. to dis
franchise negroes not because they are ignorant
or Otherwise unfit to vote, but simply because
they are negroes, and they intend 10 give every
white man outside of jail a vote, not because he
IS worthy Of H. but simply because he is white.
The article is framed with consummatc skill
70 accomplish that very end. 1t provides certain
educational and property qualifications. These
are not to 20 into force until 1898. Until then
electors will merely be required to be able to
understand and explain clause Of the C0nstitu-
ton Of the State when il is read TO them by the
registration officers All who can do that will
| be registered as legal voters for life How that
will work Is perfectly plain. The registration
| officer will read TO the illiterae white man Il
short and simple clause, on which the applicant
has been carefully coached beforehand, and
which he will thus be able TO explain with the
| cli3ness and intelligence Of parrot. To the
negro he will read some long, involved and
puzzllng clause, and the applicant, not having
| been coached" will be unable to explain it, and
will be disfranchsed. From the adoption Of the
new Constitution until 1905, therefore, we may
| expect TO see all white men. however illlterac,
| .oting freely. and all negroes. except very
small minority. excluded from the polls. After
| 1895 the case of the whites will remain the same,
| because they will all have been registered "a
electors for life. The negroes hitherto disfran-
| chsed will then be- able to secure the right Of
suffrage only by virtue Of owning and paying
| taxes on certain amount Of property. or by
| showing themselves able both TO read and Ia
write any section Of the Constitution. The lat.
ter. in the case Of vast ma jOrty Of the present
illiteratc adults WILL of course. be impossible
| and SO they will he disfrnn shscd for life Nor
| indeed is there much hope Of younger negroes
| growing up to educational fitness for the suf
| frage, since this same precious document we'll