The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-04-30
The Suffrage Ordinance.

'Iayin. given history ofthe ordinance,
lis trials and trihnlations, Jet rs look at
it ;ndrtail. " Re the ordinance as
whole meets my views and III accept II
without reserve believe the educational
qualification sIlouI have been higher,
(but of this latrr) 1t might b6 we'll before
woin. farther to look at the act from
constitutional point Of view, AS. both OF
our representatives in tho United States
Senate have declared it unconstitutional,
Mr.. Cattrry holding that it violates tho
fifteenth amendment to tho Federal Con-
stituio and Mr.. McEnery bccanse IT |
created d privileged claSs,-s'onld both
these gentlemen prove correct it only
knocks out section five. Bnt is section
five unconstitutional Lot us SEE. have
tie report OF the Judiciary Committee of
Mississippi constitutional Convention,
covering thoroughly the Federal Constlfn-
ton and its bearing on State Cor st't'''
lions. and can find nothing in it to justify
the cnstinssapf even doubt Oh section
five, Judge Semes sent up and had read
the opinion of Chief Justice Campbell OF
mississippi declaring it sound Judge
Sclnmcs, one of the first lawyers i'll the
limited States both on civil and constitn-
, ional law, says it will stand, ~ does Cen
cral Bell, Judge Lawrason Mr. Krutschnltt
and other able lawyers, each Of whose
opinion ought to bo as good us Senators
MoEnery and Catfcrys. Last but not least
VIC have tlufavorable opinion oftlie facnl-
! ty of the Chicago law school. The weight
Of opinion seems t. he in its favor, 50 lot
! the Times Democrat rant.
Section 5, or the educational test, Is me
only weak spot in the ordinance (provlded
section 5 comes through jndii,l fire nH'
scathcd. Numbers OF negroes can ana
will pass this test, it should have been
higher, Gas practically speaking all whites
arc let il. by section iiyo.) At least that
the vote, applying for registration should
DC able to read tho suffrage ordinanc, ana
write out in his own hand writing with
out dictation or help from amy one, or any
source except the law. his application for
registration. believe this would practl-
cally eliminate the negro, without work
, inc harm to tho whites. The only fault
, to bc found with section five is that II
does not let III the son of the naturaIIze''
foreigner believe this discrimination
against him unjust. 1t is proper to Tx
time IN which, u foreigner shall have BON;
. idc residence in the luud Of his choice, be
fore he can claim the full rights OF citizen
ship. lou can make it2, 5or 10 years bu
when he has once complied with the resu
lalions required, it is uDjnst to deprive
:. either him or lis children ofall the right
and privileges OF cit zens;;Ir-There is Al
u impression that we are about to be swamp
Y ell by Italian voters, tins is erroucons, SlT
i. Krutscbnitt and MIR. sI;ra,'i both state
, OF, tie iloog of tho convention t'st the
had examined the records Of Ahs Fsatcr'
e and Civil courts of.New Orlca's, forth
: purpose of ascsrtain'ug tire number
foreigners who had naturalizca inftIse las
twenty years, and found but 400. Ih
:. makes The "Dayo voter spnoh" vanish II
'" to thin air. Foreigners have their use
u and arc very handy whom certain poop
\, want to ,,sc them We Owe it 20 iOre's'
y er AMI one Of the dcspised race OF DaSo
too. that we were born in y land whe
~ freedom is u reality, not II name. forcts
y crs and thor SONS played Il prominent pa
III in the foundation of our Covernnlcu
30 Thomas jefferson, the sou Of Welsllma
Of wrote the Declaration of independents
:, Tho son of another foreigner by his clo'l
ence produced tho revolutionary cr's
~ and headed his coantryncn in their tS
~ for freedom. Alexander Hamilton wa
~ foreigner and Andrew Jackson the son
u one. The blood Of foreigners and tn
:, immediate descendants spnrted freely
tho battle fields Of tho South, and TIL
: graves dot the sunny slopes in tho COME
u crate cemeteries Of our Southern land. j
k. sou of foreigner has in verse of liv'
J., lire inmortalize1l the eansy of tho Sou
" and woven halo of impsriSlablo gle
w around its conquered banner! So m'
III for the foreigner and section five
,e Now we come to tho much lanled p
:, tax. 1t is claimed by those advocate
the voluntary form of this tax with p;
- mcnt 6 months prior to elections, that
W would bring about an angelic state of p'
* itical perfection. For this reason alone
C. suppose, this form was not adopted, I'm
a, like to be naughty now and then, a