The sun., 1900-12-23
NEGRO DIsFRANCHISEuENT.
Views Of Representative Crumrsckcr. who
Has Introduced . Biii to Remedy It.

visws Of Representative Crumracker. who
Has Introduced . Biii to Remedy u.
WAsBTSoToN. Dec. TO- -- Representative
Crumpacker Rep Of Indiana. yesterday
expressed the folio wing views on the subieot
Of negro disfr anc chisement and the correct
methods Of dealing with II:
| Senator Chandler OF New Hampshire
published In The Sun on the 10th day Of
August last. n letter In relation to the sup
preston OF tho colored vote in the Southern
States and the duty Of Congress in applying
remedy The fact that tho CO ored vote.
In most Of the Southern States, Ia practica ally
suppressed Is no longer an open question.
| The political subJugation OF the colored
race Ia well nigh complete. and this. OF course.
| will Inevitably be followed by the social and
Industrial subjeotion Of that people. Tho
| existing policy involves the withdrawal
| from the negro of the means Of education.
In order that his subjectlon may become
absolute. The argument Ia. that II the negro
10 educated. he becomes ambitious for poliu-
cal and Industrial preferment and discon-
tented with his condition and II he does not
! succeed. he resorts to crime. Many innu-
| entail champions OF the present policy in
| Southern States. now advocate the with
| drawal OF opportunity for education from
| the negro. This would make his condition
| practically "a bad as In the days OF slavery
| Tho situation. In my opinion, calls for
vigorous and immediate action. senator
Chandler seemed TO be in doubt bout what
policy should be pursued whether Congress
| should reduce representation under the
Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution,
or whether legislation should be had to pre-
vent the practical nullifcaton OF the FIJI
teenth Amendment. II should be kept In
mind that the States have unlimited power
A. a -.
the right to vote shall not be denied on ac-
Of servtude. A State may fix a property
qualification or a literary standard so high
that not one male citizen 81 years OF age.
In twenty-five would be qualified TO vote
and yet 1t would violate no Federal law 1t
is the theory OF the Fourteenth Amendment
and part OF the Constitutional scheme of
apportionment, that II a State In the valid
exercise OF It's power. should dis.ranchlse
any considerable number OF its male citizens
over 81 years Of age. It's representation should
be reduced in the proportion that the dis
franchsed citizens bear TO the whole number
OF male citizens 2i years old In that state.
At the time Of the adoption of the Four
teenth Amendment this was the only check
upon arbitrary acknowledgements by the
exercise of state authority II ia the policy
of the Constitution to encourage universal
manhood suffrage. hut the States have au-
thority greatly 10 limit manhood suffrage
bv accepting the consequences that would
ensne in the reduction Of representation.
he reduction Of representation provided
In the Fourteenth amendment is ha2ed upon
the assumption that disfranch soments are
%"ae s,hnriy IN ST INV ysd Ss,c
state constitutions or statutes an attempt
is maze " dsIrapchise cltl ems the subject
by. !hN Fifteenth Amendment
Carolina educational standards are fixed
by c,nstitutional provisions IN Mississippi |
~ %yGr = cen CHp q" h ana aa IL STda r"Pa
n0e. are unlettered and disfranchiscd by the !
literary standard Those provisions do not
or previous condition Of s"rvitude. and. |
therefore they are valid exercise %, state |
81 arporiSn,""nt % .he basis Il re"resorta i,"'. t
ton in IN" state Of Mississippi should te |
reduced ~ per cont and that in south Caro-
Ina - rer cen as nearly ms practicable |
The requirement. Of the Constitution in |
this PARTICULAR is wandn'or7
-, In the States Of L9nieans and Worth Caro-
o1nsttutiHral provisions, hu' II Is also pro-
yid"d in both Of ,hoeo Stats that he re-
any one who was votcr IN, The 0r7t day Of
January. is17. or - any, of, his descendants
voters on that date ard no co!orcd cliacn
was Those provisions do nor undertake.,
"f race color or prov;n,,s "ondii"n "r snr,
vltudc. hut every one familiar with the strq-
ton knows that they are Jdlpabp eVl-lUns
Of The Fifteenth Amendment | have no
crimlnation 70 be invalid Whether tho
whole constitutional provision respecting
the quAliHCatlOn OF voters will 60 down. |
or whether the courts will uphold the rro-
visions fixing qualifications and declare |
invalid III" feature that discrimirltes against
tho colored man. is a question thqt i o'cn
to debate In my Judgment. the courts
will hold the discriminating feature, only.
invalid and make the standard of uualiNCa-
tions aprly TO nll persons and races alilie
~ per cent and In North Carolina over 3.
per cent of all tho rnaIc citizens Of ?l years
OF age are illitNrato and unqualified TO vote !
and the representation OF those two states !
ought 10 be reduced in that proportion. as
nearly os practicable
This legislation will not operate ne nm In
T led condnnation of any invalid provisions |
In S'at" crn7titItions and laws II viii |
not aanction, in any degree. the larro sun
pressinn Of votes by the malndministratiGn |
crimes against citizenship is by legislation |
under the Fifteenth Amendment and prose- |
cutions in the courts
Il am in favor Of reducing the representa-
tion Of tho States that have so di.francNisod |
American citizens. and I am nl-o in favor
of vigorous md effective legislation under
the Fifteenth Amendment believe tho |
time will come whom the whole country will |
recognize the imperative necessity of enact |
lnS and ENFORCING fair and jus, Federal |
FOR that Kind Of action at this time but il
will be before the ugly ASPECT Of the situatior !
= fully developei Tho prejudice in .hc |
South against the colorcd race is 90 intense |
hat do not believe y possible for tho coored
,itizen to ho accorded tho ordinary AMI usual !
rights OF citizens hin. which are indspensa-
Die TO his proper development
|