The Washington bee., 1898-04-16
THE ELIMINATING POLITI-
CAL ATROCITY OF THE AGE.

Louisiana Admits that her Civil
ization is not endangered by lguo-
rance so long as Black Voters are
Elimlnated--Any Naturalized
European Criminal can Vote,
whether or not he possesses the
Requisite Property or Mental
Qualifications.
While our country is at the
present hour all absorbed In Con-
slderat;on of the Cuoan crisis-or
rather the Hispano-American
question, as some prefer to call it,
and the greatest of our common
wealths are voting IN their State
legislatures millions OF money,
with which to arm, equip and mob
ilize State troops. III the event Of
war and while Il great wave ot
sympathy is sweeping across the
entire pnical confines Of the
Republic for Cuba Llbre' IN a
great southern State, also swept by
this same wave for free cuba, po-
lii ical chains are being forged for
black men, the like of which have
caused even South Carolina and
Mississippi to blush with envy.
This State is known ON the map as
Louisiana, and was at one time the
home of black men, who sat III
gubernatorial chairs, wore legisla
i've togas, and, through Governor
Kellogg, dictated and dominated
largely it's fiscal policy.
Some days ago, Mr.. Booker L
Washington, of Tuskegee fame.
wrote a very earnest letter to the
Louisiana State Convention, which
had assembled, ostenslbly, to form
new constitution but, In reality,
to check, curtail and destroy the
constitutional right to vote of
many thousands of black men.
This letter vas published broad
cast throughout the country by the
associated press and received the
favorable comment Of the best sen
timeut of the nation. Mr.. Wash
ington suggested in his letter that
he was distinctly aware of the fact,
that Louisiana had evils with
. which to contend i'll large body
of illiierate voters; that it had ever
Y been his aim to discourage political
agitation, and to stimulate his peo-
! pie to acquire education and prop
E erty as the "sine qua nom Of good
r citizenship He therefore earnestly
hoped that Louisiana would adopt
: a suffrage qualification for Its vo-
+ ters which would not discriminate
its white and black citizens and
which would also enable illterates
=. and paupers of both races to ac-
e quire the right to vote under It's
S provisions, by making themselves,
in course of time, mentally or ma
n n terIally qualified. Reference is
e made to the letter of Mr.. Wash
e Ington only because of his promi-
d n nee in the south as an educator,
= aud because of the sequel to the
r letter, which having been read to
$ the members of the Convention,
. they forthwith proceeded to enact
e a suffrage qualification for voters
r that will lot onl y not restrict the
). right to vote of any white man,
u Americ rn born or naturalized prior
e to January lst, 1898, but that will
: cut down over two-thlrds of the
). voting strength of the black voters
u In the State.
= The substance Of the law is, that
: every voter IN the ate must be
:. able to read and write, "r demon
;, strate that he is the owner of over
$500 worth of property, and that
S this clause does not apply 10 those,
o who voted prior to 1867, their
q q children or grand children, nor to
any citizen naturallzed prior to
r January 1st, 1st, 1898.
AS there Were n negro voters in
Louisiana prior to 1867, nor, per-
haps, one doz n naturslized black
men 1t is clearly seen that the
clause is Only an Infamous subter-
fuge to break up the growing nu-
merical political strength of the
V black voter, without curtailing or
/ ieprlving the right to vote of a
single wnite man in the State, and
= does not possess even the merit of
y attempting to conceal its real
t motive.
The constitution of the United
States expressly declares that "no
citizen shall be deprived of the
right to vote on account of race,
color or previous condition of St \.
: vltude." This law is easily seen
: to be one which discriminates be-
tween It's white and black citizens,