Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1900-11-30
Education and Suffrage.
Lvnchblrg News

The idea of requi ing All educa lou
vi uuaIificatioual for suff'ag "a MT
4 new thing in American politics.
That plan has been followed fnry airs
an Massachusetts aud u, her Eastern |
States with bene6cient n. suits. The i
prospect of obtaining the elective
franchise stimulates youns men to
qualify themselves by cquiring the
requisite education Tho disfr,n-
chisement of illiterate negroes in the
Southern States will unquestioaably
stimulate them to greater zeal in &C +
curing education and therefore in
the end it will be benefit rather
than an injury to the race. In no
Southern State does the law perma
uently exclude negroes from the
polls, nor does it violate the federal
constitution by excluding them for
the simple reason that they are ne
groes. The exclusion is only tenn
porary and will continue no longer
than ilhtcraoy continues. At the
same tune every Southern State
makes liberal provision for the edu
cation of negroe children jut as it
does for the educati IN of white chill
dren. Therefore, it cannot be charg-
ed that the negroes are excluded
from the polls by the requirement of
an impossible condition. Northern
Repu blicaus ought to look at the
matter in this light aud realize that
what they regard as injustice to the
negro is a measure we'll calculated to
promote his mental development and
qualify him for the intelligent exer-
else of the elective franchise. 1t is
the evident desire of many Repub-
licans to punish the South for DIS
franchising illiterates by reducing
the representation of the States gull
~ of that objectionable crime Be
fore proceeding to this length it
would be we'll for them to pause and
con slider what might be the effect of
this unfriendly Legislation. Virgin
ia is going to hold a convention next
year for the purpose of framing a
new constitution. If Republicans
execute the threat of reducing
Southern representation that action
may exert serious influence on the
deliberations and conclusions of the
constitutional convention. At pres
emit Virginia impartially fosters free
schools for both races, supported by
the taxes paid chiefly by the whites.
There are already persons in this
State who advocate the division OF
the school fund on races lines and
allowing for the support of the negro
schools only that portion of the
school fund paid by the negroes. If
that policy should be adopted il
would curtail the educational ad-
vantages of the negroes nine-tenths.
Again, the free school 81 stem is gen
orally popular in Virginia, but there
are many persons opposed TO the
whole thing. If the convention
should determine to abolish the
whole free school system, what OPP
portunities wonld the negroes then
have for obtaining an education!
The reduction of Southern repre-
sentation by Congress would have
the effect of revivin9 sectional ami
mostles and creating antipathy be-
tween the races in the South. The
evils of such a measure would far
outweigh any real Or fancied benefits
to the Republican party, to the ne
groes, or to the country at large. 1t
is not intended to predict that the
Virginia convention will adopt either
OF the courses above indicated. Nor
do we believe that Congress will ex-
ecnte the threat to reduce Southern
representation, Our purpose at
present is to point out the danger
that turks in such Legislation, for it
will certainly produce irritation IN
the Sou thern mind and create a
State of feeling that might find ex-
preston in some such action as we