The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-12-02
Shall the Negro be Disfranchiseds
(Richmond Times.)

remarks In these cOlufnHS Win refer
ence to the Virginia election law, n
the contests in congress that are con-
stantly growing up out OF 1t. The
Montgomery Advertiser, a sound DEM
ocratic paper and 4 very conservative
contemporary, rep. )duces The Times
remarks with thes- comments:
The same situa ion exists in Ala
bama. There are two districts from
which contests are pretty sure to be
filed, and they are likely to be consid-
cred by the republican house, with
more or less favor or account Of the
census figures, and because contests
from them have been made before.
such facts should have an import
ant bearing upon the consideration OF
the question Of ordering Il constitution
al convention. The existing order OF
things in some Of our counties must
be brought to an end, and only a
change in the organic law can bring
about a permanent, safe change. Tenn
porary e~xpedients have been tried suf-
ficiently, here and elsewhere.
There are arguments, Of course,
against a constitutional convention, for
there are always two sides to Ques-
tons, but we are sure the weight OF ar
gument is on the side Of Alabama's
acting in the matter once and for all.
II mas Deem put OIL d lOlS lliJlc, IlOll
one cause and another, but the logic Of
events in and out of the state, in the
past and in the present point to early
action as the wisest thing"
The Times has heretofore fought the
proposition to hold a constitutional
convention in Virginia. We were OPP
posed and but for resistless reasons
for the sacrifice, would now be op-
posed to DISTINGUISHING any whites of
Virginia now allowed to vote, for we
believe in manhood suffrage for white
men. We had hoped and believed that
the dangers of negro rule in any part
Of this state, as well as the debasins
and cOrrupting influence of frauds and
perjuries in elections could be averted
without any changes Of our constiu-
ton.
But in the light Of recent develop
ments in North Carolina we have mod
flied our views and we have come to
the conclusion that some of the whites
must make a sacrifice for the general
good. Negro rule in the south is sim
ply out of the question and any at
tempt to enforce it means revolution.
The whites are going to prevent it eth
er by force of arms, which is bad
enough, or by ballot box stuffing,
which is far worse.
Either is demoralizing and revolu-
tiOnary, and it is better for all in
terests concerned for whites and
blacks, and especially for the morale
of the commonwealth that the ignorant
and thriftleSS negro vote be eliminated
by law, even though some whites are
also deprived of their votes. But we
are opposed to all sorts Of trickerv and
Jugglery in dealing with this question:.
We believe in meeting the question
squarely and fairly and honestly. If a
change must be made let us nave an
educational and property qualification,
let it be applied honestly and fairly to
all classes Of citizens and under that
provision let every man, black as we'll
white, vote who is legally emitted to
vote, let him vote without intimidation
ana let his ballot be honestly returned.
The Times is first Of all for an honest
ballot, knowing that that lies at the
foundation of all constitutional gov
eminent.
In this connection the following sig
nificant utterance is from The New
York Sun, an administration republi-
can paper:
THE North Carolina race conflict has
aroused a strong sentiment in those
states of what is known as the black
belt which have not already adopted
methods of excluding the negroes from
the suffrage, in favor of proceeding
promptly to make similar constitutions
al changes to produce the result. Alb
solute protection against the possible
danger of negro rule as says The New
Orleans TimeS-DemOcrat. has been Sc
cured thus in Mississippi, South Caro-
lima and Louisiana, but Georgia, Ala
bama and Virginia are three other
states in more or less political danger,
in the event of a division of the
whites
I'm Georgia a movement has already
been started toward calling a onven
ton for the urpOs of changing the
suffrage clauses of the present cOnsti-
tuition, with a view of shutting out the
ulk of the negro vote AS there is no
opposition to it, the New Orleans journ-
al seems to be justified in predicting,
with absoute certainty. that the
change will be made at just as early
a day as it can be done A bill !, to
be offered in the Alabama Legislature.
now in session, calling for a constitu-
tiOnal convention, the principal purpose
of which will be to extend the method
TO that state. We shall be recreant to
our duty if we tempOriZe with condi-
tons that are pregnant with evil said
the governor in his message to the leg
1slature. Virginia, then, will sOOn be
the only state in which the negro vote
can pay an important part and when
1T has been eliminated there the negro
question will have disappeared alto
gether from southern politics.
CIT CANNOT BE DOUBTED THAT
WITH SUCH A DISAPPEARANCE
WOULD COME A GREAT GAIN TO
SOUTHERN POLITICS. AND CON
SEQUENTLY TO AMERICAN POLL
TICS GENERALLY. Normal political
division and discussion woul succeed
the dull uniformity which has made a
solid south of the secession states n
endangered the political welfare of
the whole number Of states. for all the
parts of this republic are ~interdepend-
ent, and such a condition as has eX-
listed in those particular states has
involved injustice. and even peril. for
the rest of the union. 1t is a morbid
political situation.
IF, however, the states Of the black
belt unite in practically disfranchis-
ing the negroes. how is ii to be about
their representation in congress and in
the electoral vote? Are they to be left
free to exclude their negro citizens
from the franchise. vet to retain thei"