The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-16

1 elections ana kcpupllcdll 'h'h '''hc-
cratic rule and the rottenness of fraud
Several plans have been proposed but.
so far as we can gather, the following
will receive the most careful considera-
tlon:
l. combined educational and property
qualification. the voter 10 be able 10 read
and write English or French french IL
insisted on I'm all the amendments nut not
German or Italian. although there are
nfty thousand Of the former race and
twenty-five thousand OF the latter In
louisiana. and to possess and pay taxes
on 500 worth Of property. A man can
vote on the property Of his wife or infant
child. This proposition comes from the Re-
actiOnaries who are about equivalent TO
the Legitimists in France.
2 Some plan whereby the illiterate ne
groes will be dsfranchLsed and the Hitter
ate whites allowed TO vote as In Missis-
sippi and South Carolina IL Is argued
that as the purpose OF the convention is TO
get rid OF the negro and not of the white
voters some plan can be devised for the
purpose. The suffrage question IS COM
plcated in Louisiana by the fact that the
State has a large illiterate white popua-
ton In many Of the parishes. including
tllt must prosperous III THO s'Ahhfs - TOT 80
majority OF the white voters can neither
read nor write. An instance OF this is
Acadia. with a large immigration, great
prosperity and wealth. This condition is
due to a cause dating back century and
a half. and the story or which is partly
told by Longrellow in "Evangeline.
When the Acadians were driven out or
Nova Scotia by the British and American
colOnists in the latter half OF the last
century they scattered in all directions,
but the largest proportion came TO Louis
lana. where they found their own Ian
guage and religion. Here they settled and
have lived ever since. increasing with the
remarkable fecundity Of the French-Ca-
nadians. They constitute the bulk OF the
white population IN southwest Louisiana.
The Acadan yields more readily 10 Amer
can influence than the creole. learns TO
speak English and adopts American ideas
and habits. In a dozen parishes the Aca-
dian is the dominant white element. Thus
the bulk Of the population would be dis
franchised by an educational qualifica-
ton similar to that adopted I'm Mississippi
and IL is not desired to disfranchise these
people. Moreover. there Is the sentimen-
tai objection 10 the Acknowledgement OF
some $500 to 10000 white Confederate
veterans
g. The last suffrage clause proposed,
and the one most likely 10 be adopted
avoids the reactiOnary proposition OF
property qualification. and also all ele-
ments Of trickery. Il proposes an edu-
cational qualification, with certain limi-
tations or conditions All voters must be
able 20 read and write English or French.
or. - illiterate. must own and pay taxes
on 5000 worth Of property. The latter
ff.,,ff I..,ft IN - "a
great majority OF the illiterate white vot-
ers. and particularly the Acadians. II
will shut ont the unnaturalized italian
vote. the illiterate pauper vote and the
bulk OF the negro vote. and II Is believed
by nearly all the whites and by n consid-
cradle proportion OF the negroes that this
change would benefit the state.
The main question in all such cases IS
to preserve and maintain suffrage and
not TO discriminate against the negro be-
cause Of his race or previous condition OF
servitude. and yet 70 disfranchse the
negro while giving the white man the
right 10 vote. II is manifestly impossible
to accomplish this without disfranchls-
ing at least a small proportion OF the
whites.
Mississippi was the first State 70 I'M
dertake a solution OF this problem. and
has practically disfranchised the negro
by providing that before registering the
applicant must be able to read. or under
stand when read. any section Of the con-
stitution submitted to him by the regis
tration officer The Mississippi plan has
now been in operation for six years and
has proven itself to be entirely satisfac-
tory.
South Carolina adopted the Mississippi
understand clause" and at the registra-
ton held last fall the great body Of negro
voters were excluded. but that clause has
expired by Limitation. and the law IS now
as follows:
ANY person who shall apply for regis
tration after January /, 1898. II otherwise
qualified. shall be registered: provided
that he can both read and write any sec
ton OF this constitution submitted to him
bv the registration officer or can show
that he owns. and has paid all taxes coll
| lectable during the previous year on prop
erty in this state assessed at $500 or
! more"
In other words. South Carolina still re-
talns the understanding clause with
the alternative Of property qualifica-
ton. Those who were registered prior
to January 1st, 1888. are forever free from
the requirements of the provision above
| quoted.
The state Of Tennessee has a similar
provision and Georgia proposes as 4
means Of relief the institution Of the
white primary. 1t is said, however that
this is but a step towards the position
taken by the other States named and the
belief is growing that it is only ques-
ton Of time when all Southern States
viii have eliminated the negro question
from politics by boldly DISTINGUISHING the
negro voters.
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PREMATURE REPENTANCE.