The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-15
CURB THE NEGRO VOTE.
h1T0RW nv IoUxsLANA M MEANS
or OOEsTITUT1oNAE A1rENDMENTs.

TT. A' |
ezsSer nsarssy. Eaitsr or '.The states " Of view
orleanr. Talks ef the HeGre In Psiities-
mo People Are Tired sr Eiccusn Frnuas
and naiist-Bon stunlnE ana Will Resort 70
legal Disrrnnchisa,ent-The YeIiow Fever
Scare ana Hts Serious RTsct On Buslness.
Major Henry J. Hearsey. the editor Of the
States Of New Orleans and one OF the best In.
formed mon in all tho South, 10 at tho Empire
Hotel, Boulevard and Sixty-third street. Talk
ing OF the effect Of the yellow fever scare In
New Orleans, Major Hearsey said yesterday to
Q reporter OF THE SuN:
"Thero 10 no question but that IL has been
most serious TO tho business of our city. The
ecare has not been In the city. It has boon In
che country districts. But, of course. the dam
ago 10 the business interests has fallen heavily
IN tho city. It appears now to DO abating. and I
think It is practically over"
Major Hearsey vonturod the opinion that New
Orleans had suffered In money damage to bust
ness interests not less than S25, 200, 900. He
talked OF the sensoless shotgun guarantees that
had been established in every village and overy
parish and Of the damage they had done. He
said that as guarantees they were most effect
I've. Only men who would shoot had been put
ON guard. and they had been faithful to their
t~rust-so faithful that they had at times oven
toAN Ny - Aoeoo va ~ -
was that the people. intelligent though they
were, did not understand the scientific advances
that had been made in dealing with pestilcnce
They had in mind the last pestilence Of yellow
fever, that Of nineteen years ago, and they were
literally terror stricken and hardly accountable
for their actions. This phase was ono
with which tho Federal Government could
not deal any moro than the State,
unless an army had been sent there and had
N-,.-I -.-A ---f M -L-A
gun quarantine had renewed tho talk Of the
establishment Of an extensive national quaran.
tine, but he did not see what tho national Gov.
eminent could do that would be effective. He
recalled the old National Board of Health that
followed tho pestilence of 1875, and of the
damage wrought by tho ignorant popinjays
VIII held office as inspectors under that board.
Regarding the fever in New Orleans itself, he
said there had unquestionabiy been cases of tho
fever there, but most Of the deaths that had
been attributed to the fever were due to com.
plications. and in nearly every case death would
have ensued IL there had been no fever at all.
"The record shows" he said. that up to Oct.
rs, when I left the city. the death rate had been
lower than It had been at any time in eight
years. Tho death rate this year 10 actually
lower than 1t was in any OF the eight preceding
years. In none Of these years was there any
yellow fever scare. nor was there q case of yell
low fever in the city. The death rate In those
yearsAwas low. As I say. this year it was low or.
Foolish, however. though the scare has been, IL
has certainly been disastrous to business"
Responding to q question about the present
political situation in his State. Major Hearsey
said: "We are going to have q constitutional
convention and We are going to stop the negro
voting. l speak frankly. Tie condition Of az
fairs has reached that stage whore this Is neces-
Oary. and 1t will be DONE"
Major Hearsey went on giving reasons why It
was necessary in Louisiana to adopt some meas
ure that would remove the negro from politics.
He said that 1t was simply q question Of contin-
uing the present system Of ballot-box stufing
and election frauds or Of legally restricting the
suffrage in such a manner that tho negro would
NO longer hold the balance of power in State
politics. Tho convention, he said, would restrict
the franchise in three ways. 1t would adopt
the Australian ballot system and 1t would i'm
pose an educational qualification and q prop
erty qualification. The laws would DO
made sufficiently severe to make 1t Inn
possible for any person to exercise the
right of suffrage who was not qualified
Ia be an elector and to have o part In the carry.
ing on of tho government. The property quail
Hcation, tho Major said. would probably DO fixed
at $3.50. He thought personally that It should
be higher, in order that it might shut out all
persons who were not qualified to exercise tho
franchise. but that was impossible. and $3.50
would very likely be tho figure. The people of
Louisiana, tho Major said, were friends of the
negro. They doubted his ability to rise. but
their hands were continually extended to aid
him, II he had the ability.
I've want no lynching," he said. ave want
him protected In every way civilized govern
nent can protect q people. We will guarantees
20 him n white mans rights and a white man.
protection in the courts. We will protect him
in his property right, in his family and homt
circle. We will educate him. In everything HI
shall have, and we are bound that he shall have
all the protection that the highest civilization
can give to man, but he 10 not At to rule. H
cannot himself do the things that 1t Is n~ecessar!
to do to bring to him the highest enjoyment o
life; We are determined that he shall not domi
nate the State. Such domination means simpl.
the States ruin"
OF the advantage s that would come from tn
removal Of tho negro from politics the Msjo
said It would bring about independence Il
politics. At present. he said. there was n
Independent thought. The State was rule
by a machine, the edicts of which must b
obeyed. This was necessary to maintain tn
supremacy of white government. The whit
voter now obeyed the machine for the purpos
Of self-preservation. But take tho negro GU
of politics, he said, and remove the danger Q
bCkIo Illumination j" II hiuOh
and the people would resume their independence
An politics: they would divide on party lines.
And I dislike to say it." he said. "but I fea
that then Louisiana would become a Republ
can State. The feeling for protection there
very strong"
Would the ballot-box stuflng and electio
frauds continue If the danger of negro dominl
tion was removed :" the reporter asked.
They would not, said Major Hearsey. 18th
people do not countenance them. except as
means to an end. Election frauds are abhorren
to them-abhorrent to tho men who engage 1
them. As I SAID before. the Constitution
amendment will do away with all that. I do nc
mean to say that there will be no fraud q
all. for wherever there is an election theI
IL some fraud. The question Is simpl
the continuation Of the ballot-box stunning an
general election frauds. or such amendmeI
TO tho Constitution as will take the negro frol
= politics. The people are heartily sick OF Ii