Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-02-17
Suffrage and Representation.
Philadelphia Press.l

Philadelphia Press.
The convention called in louisiana TO
frame a new constitution for that State
will meet in that State next Tuesday. The
vote cast few weeks ago on the question
of calling this convention and for delegates
to sit in it has only recently been compiled
and published. 1t SHOWS that total OF
10, 756 votes were cast on the proposition
36. us Of which were in favor and 757S
against, or majority of $4,000 for the
convention. As 2OG,454 votes were
poled in the election for Governor in Lou
isiana in 1886 it will be seen that only
little more than one voter in five took
enough interest in the convention to casta
ballot.
The feature of the convention which will
attract the most attention will be its action
on the suffrage question. Asthe delegates
are all Democrats with the exception OF
one Populist, the Republicans not having
a single representative, there will probably
be no opposition to the adoption Of quail
fcations for voting which will disfranchise
the great majority Of the co!ored voters.
Mississippi and South Carolina have
done the same thing and as no attempt
has been made to show tie Inconsistency
Of these State Constitutions with the
United States Constitution, Louisiana
doubtless concludes that she will be per-
milted to pursue the same course.
There is a clause however, in the United
States Constitution which was intended to
meet Just such efforts as Louisiana is about
to make to disfranchise the colored voters.
Section > of Article NV says: "Repre-
sentatives shall be apportioned among the
several States according to their respective
numbers, counting the whole number Of
people in each State, excludings Indians
not taxed. But when the right to vote at
any election for the choice Of electors for
President and Vice President of the United
States, Representatives in Congress, the
executive and judicial officers in State,
or the members of the Legislature thereof,
is denied to any of the male members Of
such State being Of p years of age and
citizens of the United States, or in any
way abridged except for participation in
rebellion or other crime, Tie basis Of rep
resentation therein shall he reduced in the
proportion which the number Of such
male citizens shall bear to the whole num-
Der of male citizens 81 years of age in such
State"
1t will be seen that this clause exactly
covers the Mississippi and South Caro-
lima cases and the proposed action in
Louisiana, and puts it in the power Of
Congress to lessen the representation Of
those States in the House. In the case of
all three of these States an enforcement of
this provision of the Constitution would
reduce their representation to three men,
bers Of the House each, or total of nine
members. They have now total of
twenty members. When the last appor
tionment was made only Mississippi had
by law DISTINGUISHED its colored voters, but
there was discussion as to the propriety of
enforcing in her case the constitutional
provision as 10 restrictions on the suffrage.
1t resulted in no action, however, But as
there will he at least three States with such
restrictions when the apportionment
under the census Of 19O0is made it can be
taken for granted that the subject will
attract much wide attention. And under
certain conditions public opinion may
compel Congress to enforce the provision
and reduce representation.
There is one way 10 avoid such a result.
If the Louisiana convention adopts an
educational qualification for the suffrage
applicable without partlality to both races
and makes provision for the education Of
the people the provision in the United
States Constitution may be quietly ignored.
But if the new suffrage provisions in
Louisiana are evidently based on race pre-
JUDGE ii will certainly arouse discussion
and perhaps retaliation. To permanently
-disfranchise voters and still claim repre-
sentation for them in Congress and in the
Electoral College will be sure to strike the
country as a clear injustice. Louisiana
can forestall such an impression and pre-
vent the reopening of this suffrage ques-
ton by taking broad and high ground on
the subject and by adopting provision so
fair and so free from trickery that it will
appeal 10 the sense of right and justice Of
the whole country.