The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-08
SUNDAY. SEPTEMBER s. 1895.
THE OLD ABOLITIONIsT Is INExO
RABLE.

RABLE.
scme time back we stated that MT.
Thorne. the editor Of the Globe ReV'c"'
of NV York city. had stated in tha' re
view. that though an old-time aoohuot-
list. he was now convinced Ivy per'oha'
observation In the South that It was I'M
pessible to do anything with the negro
and that We must either re-enslave him'
LII him, or drive him out OF the country
We sent Mr. Thorne copy OF our edi-
torial article of August Sth. In which we
argued that If the fifteenth amehunen'
10 the Constitution OF the United states
were repealed so that each state woui'
have as II ought 20 have. complete con-
troll of the question of suffrage. we shouid
never hear again Of the negro question:
and we asked him 10 jJin us in advocat-
ing the repeal of that amendment.
Mr.. Thorne IL evidently one or those
men who do nothing by halves. lie is
MAINLY a radical of the radicals He
writes us IN reply that he to"s nor De-
lieye the repeal of the fifteenth amend
rnent would cure the evil-that 1t requires
much more radical treatment.
We know, nevertheless, that If the mr.
teenth amendment did not exist, and II
the Southern States had that control over
the suffrage OF their citizens that every
true conception of government accords
10 the State, they would never again
know there was negro question. There
would not, indeed. be any more negro
question
The fifteenth amendment to the con-
stiSe!on of the United States forbids
any state 10 deprive any person OF the
right TO vote on account of race, color,
or previous condition of servitude. That
is all it does. 1t does not undertake TO
interfere with the right Of the States to
regulate the suffrage ~ they please.
provided only that a particular class Is
not singled out as one TO be disfran-
chised for the reason that 1t Is of a
certain color or a certain race, or has
been I'm servitude That is to say, state
law which forbade certain negroes 10
vote would be perfectly valid If IT for
babe the same class Of white men 10
vote The present law Is, for instance,
that no person. white or black, shall vote
unless he s. twenty-one years Of age.
But a law providing that no person
should vote unless he was twenty-five
years of age would be valid law, al
though a law providing that negro
should not vote under twenty-five, while
white man might vote at twenty-one,
would be clearly void.
Now. II the fifteenth amendment were
repealed so that the States might make
the qualifications for voting what they
pleased, Il is would be done. The state
law would allow all white men 10 vote.
because white men. having been always
freemen. all OF them may be fairly
supposed to have the necessary qualifica-
lions for voting. But the negro could
not possibly have acquired the guallfca-
tions necessary for voting either While
they were I'm their condition OF savagery
or afterwards while they were In their
state of slavery Negroes. therefore.
should not have been admitted TO thu
privilege of voting until and except as
the individuals qualified themselves for
the exercise OF the privilege. If the
fifteenth amendment were repealed,
therefore, the state law would allow ell
white men TO vote and Individual ne
groes as those individuals proved that
tLey had reached up to certain qualih-
cations for voting that the law would re-
quire OF them. 1t might require that
they should have learned TO read. or
should have acquired certain amount
OF property. but it would impose eondi-
tons which would rescue the State from
the peril OF the solid cohorts OF ignorant,
brutal negroes. and would, at the same
time. open to the negroes all the avenues
OF citizenship as they qualified them
selves to walk In those avenues. This.
OF course. is the common sense Of the
case and this Is the condition which that
blessed principle of local self rule, which
must be at the foundation of all good
and Just government. demands as the
rule.
The best test OF what conditions would
arise II the fifteenth amendment were
repealed, ID 10 conslder whdt would nave
happened II II had never been enacted
All the suffering and distress OF the
South since the war has arisen from the
fact that the negroes were voters. II
there had been no negro voters. II the
sufrrsge had been confined To- the white
POPULATION. there would never have been
a disturbance OF any sort in the South.
the people would have divided very soon
after the war upon the economic qnes-
tons that divided other parts OF the
country. and the South. instead Of be-
lrs the land OF constant turmoil and tur-
buIcnce, would have been pre-eminentiy
the land Of conservatism. where arsu-
c,ent and discussion would have told
.,th greater eject than In any part OF
the Union. whoever will reflect for
moment WIN ~ compelled 20 ao"" vac
U~~.x ~vAN ~ that WOOI0