The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-22
THE SOUTH AND THE NEGRO.
(New York Tribune.)
"a Ed;+or of Tho Trihu,,o

70 the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: My attention has been called to
the editorial in your issue of the 18th
instant, under the title, The South and
Negro Suffrage in which you say:
1t would be equally fortunate for all
sections of the country il schemes TO
abolish negro suffrage, such as that in
contemplation in North Carolina, or that
in actual operation in Louisiana, Miss
issippi and South Carolina, could be
brought in the near future TO a deliber-
ate and thorough constitutional test.
You have no doubt overlooked the case
of Williams VS.. State Of Mississippi. re-
ported in 10 e. $. Supreme Court Re
ports, page 213 ct seq, wherein the va
lidity Of the suffrage provisions of the
Mississippi Constitution was expressly
affirmed. 1hoSe provisions may be
briefly stated Every male inhabitant
is il qualified voter who is Il citizen of
the United States twenty -one years old
and upward; who has resided in the
State two years and in the election dis
trict, or i'll the Incorporated city or
town in which he offers to vote one
year; who has never been convicted of
certain designated crimes; who has paid
on or before the first day of February
of the year in which he offers to vote
all taxes which may have been legally
required of him, and which he has had
an opportunity of paying according to
law, for the two preceding years, and
who shall produce 10 the officers hold
ing the election satisfactory evidence
that he has paid such taxes; who is
able to read any section of the Consti-
tuition Of the State, or understand the
same when read to him, or give a
reasonable Interpretation thereof, and
who has been duly registered more than
four months before any election al
which he offers to vote by an officer
of the State legally authorized to regis
ter the voters thereof. The Constitu-
ton of the State provides that no per-
son shall Ee IA grand or petit Juror un-
less he is qualified elector. Henry
Williams. the plaintiff in error in the
case cited was indicted for murder and
convicted The suffrage provisions OF
the Constitution of Mississippi were
drawn into his case through the require
ment that grand and petit jurors must
be qualified electors.
The court. speaking by Mr. Justice
Mckenna, said:
Besides, the operation or the Consti- 4
tuition and laws is not limited by their
nature of effects to one race. They
reach weak and vicious white men, MS
well as weak and vicious black men,
and whatever is sinister in their inten-
ton. if anything, can be prevented by
both races by the eXertion of that duty
which voluntarily pays taxes and re-
Trains from crime. 1t canom be said
therefore, that the denial of the equal
protection of the laws ARISES primarily
from the Constitution and laws of Miss
iSsippi. There is an allegation of the |
purpose of the convention to diSfranchSe |
citizens of the colored race, but with |
this we have no concern, unless the |
purpose is executed by the Constitution |
or laws or those who administer them"
In the case of Ratliff vs.. Beale, I4th |
Miss, page 247, the Supreme Court OF |
in passing upon the question |
as TO whether property exempt from tax |
alton could be diStrained to cOerce pay |
mont OF Il poll tax due from the owner, |
for the purpose of discovering the sense |
III which the word lien" was used in |
the Constitution, felt called upon to dis
cusS the conditions under which the |
Constitutional Convention of 1890 as
sembled and framed the Constitution |
in that year. Among other
things. it said:
Not only in this State, but through.
out our sister States, thoughtful and
anxious men turned upon the solution
Of the question all the light D be gather
ed from history or speculation Our
unhappy State had passed in rapid sue
cession from Civil War through pc
riod of military occupancy, followed by
another in which the control of public
affairs had passed to a recently enfran
chispd race, untitled by education and
experience for the responsibilities thrust
mon it, This was succeeded by semi
semi-civil. uprising under
which the white race, inferior in num-
Der, but superior In spirit, in govern
Mental instinct and intelligence, was re-