The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-01-21
suFFRAGElN MISSISSIPPI
lGaaiaai.Iam First Aa4

in reference 10 it,
Th8tit may and probably #ljl aa
pat into operation az to preclude the
negro from voting while his equally
Ignor8ni white neigbh9r isaIlowed faa
privilege appears from the fact lbat
the inability toread does not constitute
an absolute basis OF exclusion lef Ehe
inspectors may allow q person TO gata
who can understand or givaa reason
able Interpretation Of section gf tits
constitution when read to him Isis
apparent that an Inspector maF 9=H
easily reject az unreasonable abb inter
probation from a coI5re1 man aal ae
cept one no whit better from a while
man such discrimination ina practice
would be very hard to discover
And Mr. John F Dillon one aflaa
most distinguished Of American law
yers in his address Bs President of Eha
American Bar Az5ciatton of Saratoga.
August 1sga paakipg @. tbts section gl
the Mississippi Constitution of l~aa
says
1T has been supposed that ths r0tH
was a concession made iA thaiutGasa Of
illihrata whites bag whether this 9 a
or not a general and iuaisermInaEe ro-
quirancnt that all voters shall BIG a#a
TO read and write Fl in mg judgement
not contrary to the fundamental Gr.H
cipit= q American government aaz IL
accordance with the principles aa Hl..aa
such government must securely Ease
namely. the intelligence and giuaa O..
the people
have heard attributed 10 asas.a-
Ruished United States senator #Hs
would have been glad Ia have come EaH
different conclusion that This caHsttsa
tion demonstrated thar Augla.s89aH in
geHaiB could accomplish anything
that the provisions Of iton the sHn5ass
Of the suffrage was a practical repeal at
the fifteenth amendment of the eansH
tuition Of the United States and Ees The
ne nit was effected in such a way taas
its Legality could not Do neea fully
denied
The truth IS without reference 70 tbs
higns of ifs authors that we have au
Il itin the state toall intents and pur
mes an educational qualification paa
th simple More negroes, the Amer.
Oh, Law Review and the Atlantic
teHthlg to the contrary notwithsand
ing have registered under the alternate
on understanding clause than whit.
men Only 2,012 ilIiterate both whit.
and black had mp to 1893 registered nm
derit have not seen the figures since
TheHegroes who have taken advantage
Of 1t exceed the white men who har.
done SO in majority Of the couulies %
the state
1t seems that the illitemte wditomm
shunks from an application to be regis
tered underthe understanding clause.
d refusal adyertises his iucapaciay
while the negroes as q rule have llttlct
loose but another truth is that will
scarcely an exception, The negroes az
thoroughly content with the consdtu
ton and are satisfied to be measureO
for registration and voting by its stan
dards The writer as O member Of tb
convention which adopted the c0uztita
tion voted against the understanding
clause butt now that he has seen 81
practical workings he is prepared TO sa
that the convention did the very bea
thing that 81 could have done under ia
circumstances surrounding it,
This understanding clause is no
without a parallel in the constitution
Of other states Us was pointed ont b
Senator George Of this state IN th
United States senate it Il no more diff
cult Of honest administration than ar
the provisions Of the constitutions &
other states for example. tho ronstitr
ton Of Vermont Of tJJi provided cha
un elector should be Of quiet, peac.
able behavior and the constitution q
Connecticut requires at this day tina
the voter shall sustain "a good NOR,
character and numerous other like il
stances that might be mentioned
The constitutional provision that
person shall not register rs vote
within four months Of an election
believed to be wise measure the ia
norant, the Indifferent and the sordi
voter fails to register political excite
meut never exists to any considerabI
extent so long before the election. cher
is no such thing as hiring men to rcgi
ter, for those who can be hired cannc
be trusted for so long time to vote /
the promised or expected way 1t
believed that the provision is worthy {
adoption everywhere,
The legislature Of Mississippi uadl
tine constitution Of is00conforms TO tina
instrument
by section 562l to $3.50 of the Cod
tis92l ample provision Is made for an
pgals from adverse rulings Of registrg
ton officers and the humblest ctige
Of the land the humblest negro ii yo
please. can invoke the courts Of til
country even the supreme Court. fJ
protection in case he be improperly d,
MED The right to register and vote. an
be Is also provided with ample remed
before the courts ia every case whol
the right Is improperly grantad