The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-11-30
a NEW poL1r1CAL PROBLEM.

A new political problem has been
evolved for the country. A Missis-
sippi negro propounds a question
which may make trouble. 1t Is
serious one and involves fundamental
principles of state sovereignty and fed
eral authority, and one which will have
to be answered by some high author
| ity judicial or legislative In short,
we apprehend, that the principles COW
| cred by the case are not only far
reaching but the settlement of which
might cause more trouble than has
been experienced by this country in a
quarter of a century. John r. Lynch,
colored. formerly congressman from
Mississippi, calls the attention Of the
] country 10 the fact that his state
| polled S2.1T5 Republican votes for
Grant in 1872 and but ]. 406 votes for
Harrison in 90, or that 81 900 men of
Mississippi have been disfranchised.
The contention will be that the state
of Mississippi has not Republican
form of government which the consti-
tuition provides that the United States
shall guaranty every state in the
Union. Under the present cOnStitu-
ton of the state of Mississippi no man
is allowed 10 vote who cannot either
read any section of the constitution, or,
in the judgment Of the registration Of
ficiaIs, understand the same when read
to him, Or TO give a reasonable inter
probation thereof. This qualification
was adopted with the avowed purpose
of rendering it possible TO disfranchise
nine out Of ten of all the colored male
adults of the state. 1t has worked
just as it was intended it should work.
The last federal census shows that
Mississippi has 150,4G9 negroes Of vot-
ing age. Lynch claims that large
per cent of these negroes are able to
give a reasonable Interpretation of any
section of the constitution if they were
permitted TO do so, and further that
no black who is unable to read is even |
permitted to register.
Here now comes the problem: Mis-
sissippi was readmitted into the Union |
in the reconstruction period upon the 1
express condition of adopting q con- (
stitution framed in 1868 which declares /
in its bill Of rights that mo property, |
nor educational qualification shall ever
be required for any person to become I
an elector" That constitution was
ratified by the people at
the polls. Mississippi having returned
to the Union as state under such pro-
now in her sovereignty goes
back on her solemn guaranty by de-
multiplying her bill of rights
a large per cent of her citi-
zens are DISTINGUISHED. In other words
under new constitution the state
violates the conditions upon which She
became a state, by eXpunging the
pledge her people made as to an ''edu-
qualification" of the voter
The breach of faith is too evident to
be argued and the constitutional status
Of her statehood is questionable. 1t
for the old one simply by
vote of the convention which made it
All this being true Mr. Lynch has
;aised the important question Of con-
,titutional state sovereignty. which the
highest judicial tribunal of the land
viii be called TO pass upon. 1t is plain
hat Mississippi is how governed in a
way never contemplated when it was
to its old place in the federal
Union, and it becomes a grave ques- :
ion, an important one, whether such
government can permanently stand. j
t is therefore Il very serious problem.
south Carolina is attempting the same
ole in DISTINGUISHING her c0lOred male !
.ftizens, which renders it all the more {
Irgent that the matter be authorita-
lively and finally settled.