The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-03-05
THE SUFFRAGE COMMITTEE.

hoped that it will be settled as soon
as possible, SO that the other i'm
portant work before the convention
can receive theft attention. Moth
ing can be done until the suffrage is
settled:
At late hour last night the. Sub
committee on the suffrage agreed
upon plan, which will be submit
ted to the full committee, and by it
10 the convention. This plan is
practically on the lines urged by
The Times Democrat, an education
al or property qualification, with
provision for the patriarchal condi-
tons prevailing in Southwest Louis
lana, the only addition being a
clause granting the suffrage to those
who were voters Jan. /, 1868, that
is before the fifteenth amendment
was adopted. This last proposition
was urged in South Carolina, but
rejected by the Constitutional Con-
vention of that State. 1t is senti-
mental suggestion intended to pre-
vent any Confederate veteran from
being disfranchIsed because of illit-
eracy or poverty. 1t amounts to
very little practically, and will
affect the suffrage only insignifi-
cantly. We do not imagine that
more than a few hundred persons
will secure right to vote under
this clause who would not enjoy
that right under the property or
educational conditions, and for that
reason it would have been better, we
think, if the committee had not
weighted down the ordinance with
this additional provision. How
ever, the desire to do something for
the Confederate veterans and the old
voters brought about this clause,
which creates a new class of voters
those who are TO enjoy The suf-
frage to-day because they enjoyed
1t thirty years ago. We do not
know why the South Carolina con-
ven,ion declined to accept this
proposition. As the committee con-
suited number of eminent lawyers
on the matter We presume that it
was satisfied on the question of con-
stltutionality. 1t would be well,
however, to place this condition in a
separate clause of the ordinance, so
that if it is attacked or declared un-
constitutional, it will not affect the
other provisions of our suffrage.
1t is to be hoped that the entire
committee and the convention will
accept the report of the snb-commit-
tee, which is trying to do all it can
for the white voters of the State,
but which will not lend itself to any
plan of fraud 10 reach that end.
Let us say here that we are equal
ly opposed to the plan which called
for the acceptance of the registra.
ton of 1897 as the basis of the suf-
frage as we are to the Boatner plan,
and hope to see the convention kill
both measures should they be
brought up when the question is
finally voted on.
The TimesDemocrat is opposed
to the Boatner suffrage plan because
at its foundation lies the element of
fraud manipulated through the un-
derstanding clause; because it makes
a registration list the basis of suf-
frage, and places under the control
of the registrars the right to deter
mine who shall and who shall not
vote. The same reasons which in
duce us to oppose this plan must
make us oppose the similar one
the proposition to accept the regis
tration of 1897 as the basis of suf-
frage and to give the permanent
right to vote to all those borne upon
that roll, whether or not they fill
the other requirements Of the suf.
frage.
The Times. Democrat has already
pointed out the reasons why this
proposition should not be accepted.
We know that the registration of
1897 is not only unequal, but full of
fraud; that it contains large rum
Der of illiterate negroes; that many
persons are fraudulently borne on the
rolls who should not be allowed to
vote under any circumstances. In
number of parishes illilerate negroes
were registered either to help local
leaders, or to give these parishes
greater power in district conventions
and elections. No careful examina.
ton has been made of the registra.
ton, but the most casual inyesiiga-
ton of it has disclosed so many
frauds as to cast suspicion on the en-.
tire roll, and 10 warn US against &C.
ceptlng any list tainted with fraud,
as 1t is, as the roll of honor and suf-
frage upon which the political hon.
esty of Louisiana is to be built up.
We could not make worse be-
ginning in the great work before us
than to start with registration lis,
full of fraud. A suffrage system
built upon corrupt foundation can.