The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1899-03-04
RACE PROBLEM IN THE
SOUTH.

amendment to the State constitu-
tion is about 10 be made in that
State. The proposition Is to i'm
pose property, educational and poll
tax qualifications upon voters.
There are similar lipitations In
South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana
and Mississippi.
If the object Of the Law were
merely TO keep form the polls the
ignorant and the irresponsible Of
al classes, there would not be much
10 say about it BY way of criticism.
It il believed, however, that the real
intention 10 to discriminate in favor
of one class against another on &C
count Of difference in race. It r.
not doubted that the amendment.
which has been adopted By both
branches of the Legislature, viii be
approved by the voters when sub
mitted 70 them at the August cleo
tions.
Public opinion will, or course, be
divided on this measure, which is
certainly of great importance. 1t
ID no doubt intended to operate
chiefly against colored citizens so
e to keep control of political affairs
IN the hands of the whites. This
il viewed by the majority of the lat
ter a. perfectly legitimate. Indeed
they think that almost any legisla-
ton il justifable for that purpose.
Tie intensity of this feeling can
scarcely be appreciated by those
who have not mingled with the
people of the South.
Outside of those States and to q
limited extent within them, there is
an opposite sentiment, supported
BY the spirit if not the letter of the
Fourteenth amendment to the Con-
stitution of the United States. They
view the movement in North Caro-
lima as hostile to that amendment
and viii no doubt contest it on that
ground.
But while the effects of the change
In the North Carolina constitution
may be of the nature objected to,
it conforms IN form and letter to
the National Constitution and thus
may pass muster in any litigation
that may arise over its adoption or
execution. The provisions apply
to al citizens white or colored. Ii
there are more of the latter than
the former who are illiterate and
impecunious, that, it will be argued,
ID not the fault of the law and will
not be bar to Its operations.
There Is one provision in it which
may open the way to contest Its
validity. That is, the restrictions
named are not to apply to persons
entitled to vote In 1867 OF to their
descendants. The intent of this is
apparent. Poor and ignorant whites
who voted then and also their pos.
terity, can vote under the new rule,
while colored persons unable to
conform to it viii be. deprived of
the franchise.
This does not appear in 80 many
words, yet, it must be admitted by
unbiased observers, the chief pur-
pose of the measure Is to shut out
the great body of the colored race
from the polls and therefore in its
spirit, If not in its letter, it is OBJ
n0xious to the object In view In the
adoption of the Fourteenth Amend
ment. No doubt the matter will
some time, come mp before the Sup
RENE Court of the Unites States.
Meanwhile there will be trouble
in the South and many whites viii
JOIN with the negroes In opposition
to the laW.-Deseref Evening NesOs.
Editor Penrose has here voiced
our sentiments and we desire TO re-
mind him and the Perusers of this
article, that they cannot form the
slightest conception of the degrad-
ing influence, which slavery exerted
over the minds of the Southern
people. For example, the negro
served his cruel and avanicious task
master for two hundred and fifty
years without compensation and
during that time, he titled the soil,
cleared the forest, and all the large
cities and towns throughout the |
South we're built from capital de- |
rived from his labor.
When his master desired to
purchase . nsw silk dress, diamonds |
and other fnery- for his vie and