The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1897-10-16

contingent which will insure the counting q
their vote, they are in position to dominat
many parishes of the State. Under q Re
publican Federal administration they ar
recognized rs the real and only Republi
cans. and they are rewarded with importan
public Offices in all the Southern States un
der conditions extremely humiliating 10 tn
whites.
AS has been already said, for the good o
the State; for the good of the whites. fo
the highest good of the negroes themselves
the negroes who are illlterate, degraded ,ane
destitute of property must be eliminated
from the political system of Louisiana
How best to accomplish this is the question
An educational qualification for suffrage
| is generally agreed on; but, unfortunately,
there is in the State a large illiterate white
population and an educational Requirement,
| would cut off these white men from the
ballot. It is an outrageous shame that in
Louisiana to-day there should be any consi-
derable number of whites who are conside-
rable number of whites who are unable to
read or write. Possible, with very few
exceptions, this ignorance is the consequence
of the deliberate neglect of parents, or of
shameful Incidence of the illiterates them
selves. The State is not lacking either in
public or private schools, and all the whites
who cannot read and write are ignorant by
their own motion and choice.
But since it is claimed to be necessary to
save the illiterate whites to politics, it is
proposed to add property qualification to
a small amount. A man who cannot read
and write may still vote if he pays taxes on.
say, $500 worth of property, real per-
sonal, or both. OF course, this lets in all
negroes who can answer the demands of
that small property qualification.
But ii appears that there are also whites
who are wholly illiterate and who also have
no property. There are to be devised
methods to let them into politics. These
are matters that will have to be fully dis
cussed.
The imperious necessity for legislating
the great body of the igorant and shiftless
negroes from politics in Louisiana is fully
but vigorous resistance to any
such measure is to be expected from those |
politicians who hope to prosper by buying |
and selling or cheating the negroes out of |
their votes.
AS to the courts, the most promising pro-
position is to reduce the number of circuit |
Judges for the country parishes, and enlarg-
ng their circuits. The district courts are to
De dore away with outside the parish of Or
cans, and in their places country or parish
courts set up, with a judge for each parish.
These courts are to hold monthly sessions
md exercise the same powers as district
ourts now have. In this way there will be
10 long intervals between court sessions, as
5 now the case, and business Of every sort,
scriminal cases, will be prompt
y tried, and the State saved the enormous
ost of maintaining prisoners awaiting trial
or long periods, as at present.
County courts upon the plan now pro-
osed are in operation in other States, and
otably Virginia. The system works we'll
nd gives entire satisfaction there. The
ounty judges are elected by the General
assembly,, after being nominated in party
aucus. Such judges, when it is necessary
, recuse themselves, exchange seats with
lie judges of neighboring counties when the
ases IN which they are interested come up
Or trial. The county judges in Virginia
re good country lawyers and men of high
haracter. There is no reason why this
Ian, which has been recommended by a
invention of Louisiana lawyers at Alex
ndria, should not give satisfaction here.
Only honest, intelligent and patriotic
en shonld be sent to the convention. The
ork to be done is of such vital Importance
lat the people should rise in mass and go
the polls and not leave matters in the
ands of few ward bosses and politicians.
If elections go by default, it is due en-
rely to the neglect of the people who pur-
'sely refrain from voting. But nobody
n vote in the next election unless he first
all register. A new registration is re-
tired to enable voters to participate in the
xt election, and in this city the registra-
IN is going on very slowly. Let all good
izens who have not registered do SO as
on as possible, SO that they may be able
do their whole duty in sending the best
IN to the convention.
Yo' Must Be Edicated.
To keep yo' health an not get sick,