The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-06-13
LAW AND PKACTIUE IN ALABAMA

From the New York Times, Dem.
The governor of Alabama, Joseph T.
Johnston, does not mince matters in his
communications to his fellow citizens of
the north, which he makes, through the
current number of The Independent, on the
subject of Negro Suffrage in Alabama"
The article is constructed on the plan
of the famous chapter on Snakes in Ire
land" as a matter of cold fact, there Is
no negro suffrage worth speaking of in
Alabama. ''The white people In Alabama"
says the governor, ARE unanimously re-
SOY ed in regard to one important matter
there Stall be no negro donf.nc ,h)n any,
where throughout the state" 1.-THE laws OF
Alabama" he admits confer unlimited
suffrage upon all men, but I'VE have had
no trouble for long time on account of
the suppression of the negro VOTE I'm
most parts of the state" he states, white
domination is secured by the character of
the population the whites being In the
majority" THE only section where this is
not the case is in the Black Belt of Ala
bama, which includes the thirteen central
counties of the state. 1t is the cotton rails
ing district, and the field hands are all me-
groes, there being in the belt about four
negroes to one white man. Nevertheless
all the offices are filled with white men,
The governor does not explain how the
laws comforting suffrage are "evaded or
nullified or violated. 1t might be unpleas-
ant, it would certainly be tedious for him,
and, moreover, it is unnecessary. The on
ly possible object would be to influence
public opinion in the north on the subject
and this, he frankly admits, does not seem
worth while. We of the north cannot I'M
derstand such peculiar matters and more
than the inhabitants of the earth can un-
derstand lunar affairs" Mr.. Johnston
seems to think that he and his "All-White"
friends are as Independent of the rest Of
the~country as the man in the moon is of
the silly astronomers who go prying into
his business with telescopes.
Yet Governor Johnston cannot conceal
from himself that the situation leaves
something to be desired. The effort to
have a constitutional convention to try to
disfranchse the negroes according to forms
of law broke down, as he confesses, be-
cause there was danger that the convention
would be under the control of gentlemen
who had bolted the democratic ticket at
the last national election" As long as there
is an open conflict between the law and
the practice of the "All-White'' party,
there is danger of some agitators stirring
up the negroes to make trouble, so that a
change is much to be desired" This does
not agree with the governors statement
that under the 'All-White' government
negroes are living happily and contented,"
and that "they understand the situa ton
and acquiesce in it," But it is quite proba-
BILE that the governors fears are more rea-
sonable than his pleasing confidence in the
contented acquiescence of the negroes in
the theft of their rights.
For our part, if We may be allowed to
have an opinion as to the affairs of our
fellow citizens of Alabama, We should say
that it would be we'll for them to take the
0StitntiOnal Sta IN Of ho no Of
the suffrage as soon as they conveniently
can. If they can do 1t by a provision that
bears equally on blacks and whites of the
same degree of unfitness, that will be
manly, intelligent, and decent thing to do,
but if they cannot rise to that level at
least let them act under the forms of law
as other southern states have done. A
steady pretense of loyalty to the American
: idea may in the fullness of time be follow
ed by the reality.