The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27
THE SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT
The Question of Alleged Dis
elimination Discussed by
Chairman Simmons.

stft,tional amendment diScrlmlnateS
against the negro, and is therefore
vioIatiye of the Fifteenth Amendment.
Now. the Fifteenth Amendment no.
where uses the word ''discrlmlnate;
# simply provides that no State shall
"deny or abridge'' the right OF a c't-
zen TO vote, ION account of race, color
or previous condition of servitude."
Subject to this limitation, 1t is well
settled and admitted by every one
that the State can prescribe any con-
dition or qualification, however dis
criminative, to the suffrage it may see
lit to impose.
The constitutional amendment upon
which the people are to vote does not
In any legal sense either deny or
abridge' the right of the black man
to vote; it simply establishes a quail
fication OF suffrage. This qualitica-
ton is that the voter shall have
DUE UNDERSTANDING OF THE
NATURE OF HIS ACT, and THE
EFFECT THEREOF upon HIMSELF
and HIS FELLOW MAN, and it pre-
scribes TWO WAYS in which the vo-
ter may SHOW that he POSSESSES
this REQUIRED DEGREE Of UN-
DERSTANDING.
FIRST. If he can read and write, it
Is conclusively presumed from that
fact that he possesses the required de-
gree Of understanding.
Second. If he or his ancestors be-
gan to exercise the right of suffrage
proir to 1867, it is conclusively pre-
sumed from that fact that he pos
sesses the required degree Of under
standing.
The reasoning in the latter case be-
ing that the voter having been thus
dong accustomed to exercise the func-
ton of suffrage, and to participate
in the affairs Of government, or hay
ing been in parental relationship and
association with those who have thus
participated, has come both to un>
derstand and appreciate the full sig
nificance and import of the suffrage.
and that it is as safe to presume the
possession by the voter of the required
degree of understanding from the
knowledge and training thus acquired
as it is to presume it from a knowl-
edge by him OF the art of reading and
writing. OF course, all qualifications
r,6 nj Of no
voter must necessarily be based upon
presumption there being no scales in
which you may weigh mind and IN
Outstanding.
THE STATES RIGHT OVER SUF-
FRAGE.
This is the qualification and the
manner OF proving the possession of it
by the voter, and every negro who can
show either in the ONE or the 9TH
Err of these TWO WAYS that he POS
SESSES it, is entitled to VOTE un-
der the AMENDMENT.
Certainly, there can be no success
full denial of the right of the State to
base the right of suffrage upon the vo-
tiers ability to understand the nature
and effect of the exercise of the suit
frage. This right of the State is equal
ly as clear as is its right to impose
what is commonly known as an edu-
cational qualification by requiring the
voter to be able to read and write, for
this is itself in effect nothing but an
understanding qualification. The OBJ
ject of requiring the voter to show
that he can read and write is solely
to prove his capacity to understand,
and certainly this may be proved just
as well and just as satisfactorily in
other ways.
The Mississippi constitution, which
has recently been upheld by the Su-
preme Court of the United States. not
only imposes an understanding quail
fication, but even goes to the extent
of permitting the registrar Of elections
to decide arbitrarily whether the vo-
ter sufficiently understands.
II the negro, when he comes to vote
cannot qualify himself under the
amendment by showing that he is
able to read and write, certainly nc
one will contend for a moment that
the amendment, in refusing his ballot
for that reason, either "denies or
abridges" his right Of suffrage within
the meaning of the Fifteenth Amend
ment. If failing to come up to this
test (reading and writing) he cannot
qualify himself under the other test
prescribed by the amendment, to-wit
The test Of presumed understanding
from long participation in government
or descent from and intimate associa,
ton with those who have been Iona
accustomed to such participation, nc
wrong is done him, nor is his right to
vote denied or abridged because some
body else is able to qualify himself
under the test.
The master said that the Lord oil