The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-21

members elected, restore the rights of
suffrage to any person disqualified by
reason of crime; but the reasons there
for shall be spread upon the Journals,
and the vote shall be by yeas and nays.
After the Mississippi constitution had
been adopted, there was y great cry all
over the North against II, ana it pro-
voked heated discussion in the United
States Senate. Replying to the criti-
cisms Senator George made an elaborate
and able speech which completely silen-
ced all critics. Among other things, he
said:
1T is true, Mr. President. that the
State of Mississippi has seen proper, II
the exercise OF her reserved +; rh-, To call
a convention of her De)ple for the pGr-
pose of revising her fundamental law.
1t is not complained, as l understand. by
any Senator who has vet expressed HIM
self that. in the exercts, of this right.
she has violated any clause of the Fedc
raj Constitution. So far as | have lis
tened to the debate here it is conceded
that she has but exercised the right
that every other State in the Union has,
and which | will show every other State
has exercised and some of them with the
same objection urged against Mississ-
ippi."
As to the charge that the franchise
clause permitted fraud, Senator George
said:
Il admit that frauds may be perpe-
trated under the franchise clause of the
Constitution of that State, but will you
tell me under what laws, however
framed, frauds may not be perpetrated!
If no man is allowed to vote you have
no trouble about who is allowed to vote.
If only the noble and high born are al
lowed to vote the rule by which it is de-
termined is easy. If only the man of
property is allowed to vote it is easy and
simple. When you go beyond this, UNI
less you have universal suffrage, you
encounter difficulties, you encounter
complexities and perplexities; but states
men laying the frame work of free in
stitutiOns have not been deferred by the
cry that they are complex and can not
be made to work"
DENYING that the franchise law was
contrary to the United States Constitu-
ton, Mr.. George said: 1T is true that
nne tenths of the ignorant suffrage was
in the negro race, nearly all of it; but
is there anything in the Constitution
which prohibits the regulation of the
suffrage merely because it is exercised
by the negro? The fifteenth amendment
says you shall not discriminate between
the white man and the black in refer
ence to the qualification of voters; but
it does not say you shall not disqualify
black man because he is black II you
disqualify Il whiteman under similar
conditions"
Senator Money, in an elaborate and
vigorous speech at the extra session OF
the House in 1893, referring to the
Mississippi Constitutional Convention,
said:
Gentlemen, when Mississippi went
into that convention she swept the whole
North for examples for Il liberal and
enlightened constitution. | want to say
to you that she literally adopted, so far
as she could, the constitution of the
State of Massachusetts prevailing with
in the old commonwealth, except this:
While the Massachusetts, constitution
SAYS that every voter shall read, it also
says he shall write and shall hold GER
tain amount of property. Massachu-
sets stopped at that point. Mississippi
said copying the constitution of Massa-
chusetts. Connecticut and Wyoming that
the voter shall be able to read the con-
stitution Then what-as that would
draw the line too closely and would eX-
clnde from the polls men of acknowl-
edged intelligence and capacity, who
were unable to read-what further?
Then, not in restriction of the franchise,
but in extension and enlargement of the
franchise, it said if a man cannot read,
if he can understand it as it is read to
him he shall be entitled to vote"
Mr.. Money stated in reply to a ques-
ton that if the voter was refused the
right to register by the election board
he could appeal to the courts who would
pass upon his qualifications. Referring
to Northern States that have refused
the negro the right to vote Mr.. Money
pointed out that Ohio did so in 1859 and
again in 1868. He also pointed out that
the fifteenth amendment to the cOnsti-
tuition has never been ratified
in Indiana by the two
thirds vote necessary, though it was GER
tilted to as being ratified. Continuing
Mr.. Money said: "On January 14th.
1857, Kansas adopted Il constitution
which did not allow the negro to vote,
and not until after the fifteenth amend
ment was adopted, when she could no
longer help herself, did she allow suffrage
to the negro. And l appeal to the sage
of Medicine Lodge if that is not the
truth"
Mr. Simpson: '"rhat was before |
went to the State; but that is the truth.
Mr.. Money: Nebraska came into the
Union in 1866 with Il constitution that
prescribed white" as a qualification of
every voter Congress required her to
strike the word white out. In 1863
the people of Wisconsin voted down an
amendment to the constitution permitting
the negro to vote In 1867 Michigan re-
fused to strike the word white out of
the qualifications for electors. Oregon
prohibited negro suffrage by her con
stitution up to 1872"
| may later give quotations from these
two speeches which gave perfect defense
OF the action of the people of Mississippi.
Tomorrow | will give Tennessee
method of regulating suffrage, aud fol-
low that with interviews with SenatoT
Money. Representatives Catchings and
Patrick Henry. of Mississippi, upon the
practical workings of the constitutional
regulation of suffrage in that State.
j. ID.