The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-11
SUFFRAGE In LOUISIANA.
MANY FAULTS FOUND WITH THE NEW
LIZ INVENTED SYSTEM.

suffrage roll invented by the lnte Louisiana
Constitutional Convention was completed son
Sept, 1 and contains the names OF some $4,000
voters. of whom exactly q are colored. On
Sept. i the educational and property qualih-
cations Tor the suffrage went into operation.
and hereafter no negro can vote who is unable
to pass an educational examination or Is not a
taxpayer to a considerable amount. Some
10000 negroes will have TO stand this test.
Il Is doubtful II 15.0 300 can pass.
The Constitution framed by Louisiana this
year was intended-so It was openly admitted
Ito get rid Of as large a proportion Of the negro
vote as possible. The convention. after work
ing at this problem for several months, gave
up the job OF finding an honest. legal and con-
stitutional way OF suppressinE the negroes, and
In o spirit OF desperation. after considering
and abandoning the Mississippi and South
Carolina plans. invented what Is known as
section 8. A proposition to restrict the suf-
fraRe to those who could read or write or
owned property was voted down.. because 1t
shut out some 10000 or $4,000 white voters as
wsE as the negroes. Section 5 admits to the
suffrage every white voter. however ignorant
he mai be. and however poor-and. indeed.
under It the white inmates OF the Shakespeare
almshouse have been put on the permanent
registration rolls to be voters in Louisiana as
long as they live, without the formality Of reg
i~stration. It provides that any man who can
trace his descent from a person who was q
voter in any State Of the Union prior to 1857.
when the suffrage was granted to the negro.
or who emigrated to this country from any
foreign land. is entitled to register himself on
GToll to be known as the permanent roll OF the
State. and will be forever tn sreafter a voter.
whether illiterate or not. and whether a prop
erty holder or not. For all other persons, that
is, for those who are not descendants Of the
voters OF 1867 or emigrants. o very rigid edu-
cational or property qualification is demand
ed. They must be able to read and write.
must write out their own applications for reg
i~stration in the presence OF the registrar or
must have paid taxes on so much property.
1t will be seen that section 5 gives the suf-
frage to all the white voters without condition,
but requires onerous conditions from the
negroes. 1t is the general belief in Louis
itna that it is unconstitutional. and it is I'M
popular among the better class Of whites.
Both Louisiana Senators, Mc5nery and Caff-
cry declared 1t unconstitutional when it
was submitted to them for approval. and Sem
ators Vest aud Jones and all the other leading
Democrats in Congress also advised against its
adoption. The convention. upon receiving
this advice. defeated the section. but. find
ing no other way out Of the dilemma. recon-
stdered 1t and finally passed it.
The new suffrage plan works badly in n
ACKNOWLEDGMENT ways. 1t shuts out not only
the negro, but also. after Sept. ]. all whites
who are not able TO pass the tests 1t provides.
All white voters who came Of age before Sept.
!. 1888. received the right to vote uncondi-
t~ionally. All those coming of age after that
ditions and organizations.
II would MT do. OF course. to leave the gate
On which that gate should close down, not to
s e alPenf the af FIN. q al t RssEsoP tSs sth L, ri males PRis;
more than n years of age, had until Sept. l TO
When The registration ofiees we're opened TN In
New Orleans they did not meet with popular
tie tSeo total apq n1 a9a e le enrolled % 3 Wo lSGfe not as ex seSs9fa a
i fey hSp %Site vo Thstd diS not IL T fRs to that Ssvs The sbd II
stss Stn 81. i The fact act Was was s sVide SS thas the hsr roll f GIS
tra age pl GG11b' because T tRsy f bsIie ssSGf that t e would sud
carry. and saw that a desperate remedy was
WethsTsoftho look and began regisserins them
s~elyessas illiterates. Instead Of writing out the
saSEpl On f sRs SsfSan saSy r SRlPli ssll fSF t fSsssif tRs1
tRssiC Ter soc sS's Seet tal5t Z SEeSIhi5osWa ara fFsud The a Fssis;
those who applied for registration on the illit-
crate crate 6 GSIIs, S SsskIinS Ed The ss sg = 81 not 9 I be eDcssso Of
W. W. = e s!:PSsSsr q & lie sRs &$eelSsa Bar AZ A.
registrar was a iittle' puzzled and protested
against men placing their names On the rolls
t Gs'Sss fhaadd' t the desired Fl tp Sheet Roi! Hike Rfiiit asSsss
rolls. When they found tSsiT that Il fhe she n Rsqear were
inscribed alongside OF men known through
no I lone sPu Bstyyaiy Sap hHaI re egs1p rhi1tsr t6sy w no
There were registered in all $500 persons
New OfieanH. and aa far "a can he KfDRyn
$4,000 in the. whole State. It Is ddIinicGlt to say
6 o t t%s1 Hol +, th TSs are Tss REsf9Psri Sst aRd fhSne fSay
fsa Of the class for whom the section was
YSo Ave gone N%Sst on the I Tcil 4.4f7 & have seg no o! risft
there. but can read and write. and only plead
viii be made 70 clear The roll 81 ali names aSss1 ime
properly, on 1t, but 1t Is difficult TO see how this
liahed and a careful investigation made Of
In the total Of $3.50 on the permanent roll
Just six are negroes. There are no returns from
shs Spsh pTob s15Isn fhe a only 70 meg : 81 t Rsf tn rsse
lana Lama c fSs snIrsse These Grs negroes S,, WHO de;
E R' r. Holland ief sddnf SoSfR u 3~f states "a; sU s@pfoys sse
those v father ,s TSs a y ySttedF n Ohio; 9; F%Ee-
sSdd waiter Cohen. A. '1Deiois, and John II.
Mlpor 1.-THE last editor Of the New Orleans Re
Sotsd IN Louisiana ~aHss la'p pTeSl y Sas to p4i \ neA Al Hn %
these negroes save one are able To read and
write and have no more right on the Hitter
ate roll than those educated white men who
have, put their names there.
IL cannot be said that the working Of the new
Suffrage law meets. with popular satisfaction
even, among, the whites. save, the. politicians.
Section .. always extremely Objectionable, has
been made more 50 and. highly, absurd by
letting In q favored few who say that they are
nov nermanent voters q the state and Peed
made by the whites to seize the rolls. and by
the negroes To have IT declared unconstitu-
the object Of many attacks and be anything
but permanent.