The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-10
AGAINST THE HARDWICK BILL.
NEGROES OF ATLANTA HAVE MADE
A SOLEMN PROTEST.

BOOKER T. Washington Takes n Hand
in Behalf of His Rnce-WiIIIns
That Ignorance and Crime Shall
BE barred, Hut Wants No Discrim-
inntion on Account Of Color Alone
Protest of Negroes VIII Go Before
the Legislature.
Atlanta. Nov. 9.-Representative negroes
of Atlanta to-day prepared a protest
against the HaIdwick bill which will be
sent to the Legislature by Representative
Harrison Of Quitman who is leading the
opposition to that measure.
Booker r. Washington. the negro leader
of Alabama. was here during the day and
added his voice agains1 the Hardwick bill
The protest says:
"There are TWO features Of the propose
law against which we desire hereby TO en-
ger solemn and emphatic protest. These
are:
First The so-caMed grandfather
clause, which provides that no male per-
son who was. on Jan. I, 1851 or any time
Y1ior thereto. entitled TO vote under the
laws of the state wherein he then resided
and no HneaI descendant Of such persons
shall be denied the right to register or
vote at any election in this state by rea-
son of his failure 10 possess the education
al qualification provided for in this para
graph.
Second. We protest against the clause
which restricts the right TO vote to those
who can read and understand clause in
the constitution, and which allows the To-
cal election officers to be the final judges
o. this understandable
I'VE firmly believe that the receptions in
the first mentioned clause are wrong in
principle unfair in application and in fiat
contradiction 10 those very principles Of
reform upon which the whole propo al Is
based while the second clause is a direct
invitation TO injustice and fraud
when race discrimination in political
affairs is grounded on a real difference in
civilization and intelligence, then it Is de-
feasible. for in such cases fl is not really
discrimination against color, but aeains,
ignorance, poverty and vice. II IS for mis-
reason that the nation. the civil zed world
and the neEro himself have acquiesced
Silently in much of the discrlrmnat on
against this race. But when race proscrip-
ton has no such excuse back of it, It
NNAAANas'NNA
wrong.
If ignorance is dangerous to Democrat
&c institut ons, then prescribe ignorance
and moi color.
1T is ignorance and crime that men
aces decent government in Georgia, and
no. the color of its citizens. Away then
with ignorance and crime, but let the rule
that regulates the restrictions apply TO
white and back alike.
las Gov. Gambler himself said in mes
sage TO this Legislature, the man who is
virtuous and intelligent, however hum
BILE, or of whatever race or color, may
safely be entrusted with the ballot and the
plain implication is that the unintelligent
and vicious of whatever race or color
are unfit for such ballot"
The understanding clause Of the pro
posed bill is an open door to manipulation
and dishonesty. In a free and just govern
ment no local election officer ought TO be
clothed with discretionary or judicial func-
ton. Wherever this has been done. fraud
and chicanery have been the inevitable
result II this clause should become a
law the registrars and election managers
would virtually have the power of saying
who should vote"