The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-05
THAT FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT.

The Galveston News recently called
attention to the decrease in the vote of
the states of Mississippi and South
Carolina under their constitutions pre-
scribing educational qualifications, and
made it the basis of an argument for
the decrease in the congressional rep
resentation of those states under the
fourteenth amendment. That provides
that whenever in any state the right
to vote shall be in any way abridged
except for crime or rebellion, it's rep
resentation shall be reduced in the pro-
portion those excluded bear to the
whole. This suggestion has been made
the topic of comment by Republican
papers generally, and their common
conclusion is that the case is one that
calls for the immediate action Of
congress on the line suggested by the
News.
There are but two other states in the
Union, Massachusetts, and Connecticut
that prescribe educational quaIifica-
lions for voters, each requiring the
voter to be able to read from the con-
stitution in English, and Massachu-
setts adding the ability to write Mis-
sissippi and South Carolina are more
lenient, requiring voters to be able to
read, or, if they cannot read-appre-
ciating the fact that frequently such
illiterates have ability sufficient-they
are required to show that they UNDER
stand what of tho constitution Sc roo Il
to them. Each one Of these states
was moved by the purpose Of Kidding
the franchise Of illiterates, assuming
that such could not vote intelligently.
A step in the same direction is that
taken by Minnesota this year in adopt
ing the amendment making citizen
ship of the United States a Qualifica-
ton, the assumption being that in the
1--WE years Of residence educational in
fuences will have made the voter ia
miliar with our institutions
But If representation can be abridged
because it is assumed that an educa-
tional test bars voters from the fran
chise, there will be some serious ques-
lions to be settled before action can
be taken. 1t will not do to assume that
all those who neglect their duty at the
polls as citizens do it because their
right is abridged by the law of the
state. We have on several occasions
commented on the number of stay-at-
homes in our state, where the widest
latitude has been given to the suffrage.
Even in this exciting contest over rs
600 voters in Minnesota did not go to
the polls; and in Ohio, where state
pride alone should have been sufficient
spur, 115,000 persons capable of voting
neglected to do so. There is no way
by which those who did not vote in
Mississippi or South Carolina, because
they lacked the educational qualifica-
tons, can be distinguished from those
who were eligible but voluntarily alb
stained from voting. Before a decrease
can be made in their representation in
congress such a classification would be
necessary.
But while our Republican contempt
raries have accepted quite gleefully the
proposition as it affects the two South
ern states, we apprehend they have not
applied it to the two Northern states
that impose similar bar. The sauce
they prescribe for the Southern goose
must also be taken by the Northern
gander. Those of voting age in Mas
sachusetts in 1890 numbered 665. O09.
The treasury estimate of increase of
population from 1890 to 1896 is lis per
cent. Take 10 per cent, and the
number Of voting age in that state this
year is 1900. The presidential vote
was S81,952. Forty-eight per cent of
those who could did not vote, even in
this exciting campaign. Connecticut's
potential vote, increased the same. is
246,5O1. The vote was 171,956, showing
30.5 per cent not voting. 1t is quite as
correct to assume that the 48 per cent
in Massachusetts and the 305 per cent
in Connecticut did not vote because
their right was abridged by the edu-
cational qualification required as it is
to assume that the loss in the two
Southern states was similarly caused.
If the fourteenth amendment is applied