Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-09-20
WHY DISFRANcEIISE ANYBODY IN
VIRGINIA.

ing the number Of voters is not at all
likely to give US poorer politics, more
honest elections. or better government.
1t is the fashion of some men OF a GER
tain class and culture to talk as If to
beneficial to these, elevating to the re-
mainder and promotive Of q wiser rule.
But our fathers did not talk nor reason
in that way. and no prophet of human
freedom has so spoken. "All men are
politically equal" is the American
doctrine. "and the broader the basis of
human rights, the safer they are"
And there are Amendments. XIV. and
XIV. Of the Constitution. How about
them? All. but the reply is, we can
frame DISTINGUISHING measure. fixing
qualifications that will exclude most Of
the blacks. with only n few of the poor
and ignorant whites. Still the question
remains: What right have we to gov
ern anybody, black or white, rich or
poor, educated or ignorant. without his
consent? His vote may not be wise nor
pure, but 1t is his consent; and IL he has
no vote. he has not even the privilege
OF consent.
It is not to be forgotten in this mat
ter. that. attempt to conceal 1t as we
may, the chief motive and feeling are
raciai-a deep seated repugnance to the
equality, political and every other of
the negro We may frame the exclud-
ing law so as to embrace both whites
and blacks. and thus cvade both the
Amendments XIV. and Nv; but we do
not cvadc the negro! No. gentlemen!
and In saying this we speak for all
free and equal white men. For, mark.
those of us who do not so with the
DISTINGUISHED negroes. will still remain
with the negroes who are not dlsfran-
chised! Think of that!
1t has been thirty-flve years since the
emancipation proclamation and the end
Of the war. or whereabouts. During
that period great efforts have been
made to educate the negroes, and not
without success. especially in the bor-
der States and some others. including
Virginia and North Carolina, The poor
and ignorant whites, particularly those
remote from the centres of enllghten-
ment and progress. have not had the
attention bestowed upon them that the
colored have; and it Is very astonish-
Ing how little these white "outlanders'
care for education and the refnements
of life: and it Is precisely In the coun-
Ties and districts where these ignorant
and mostly poor white people abound
that there are no colored people, or very
few. and In these regions thousands OF
white men would be dlsfranchised
without any compensatIng disfranchise-
ment among the negroes.
In fact. if this movement Of disfran-
chisement is racial, as pretended, 1t Is
a question as to which race would be
most affected by educational and prom
erty qualifications. Certainly this Is SO
MS TO large portions OF the State, in
Guiding two or more Congressional dis
tricts. It may turn out to be a case
of ''biter-bitten." And what Is there
in the present condition of Virginia. or
In the relations Of its races, to raise
and press this matter Of electoral quail
fcations? Nothing! Nothing obvious,
white majority in this Commonwealth
Is SO great that its supremacy can
never be overthrown, or menaced, un-
less unwise tampering with the suff-
rage may create lamentable dissen-
sions. divisions and antagonisms among
the white inhabitants.
7 AS far as the negro Is concerned. Vir-
ginia occupies q safe position, and the
relations Of the races are neither
strained nor unfrendly. The only dam
ger lies in the contentious OF the whites
and Democrats that some INSCRIPTIONS
men are provoking and fomenting by
their nefarlous schemes to dominate
and misrule Virginia through q vile
usurpation.