The sun., 1900-07-25
. A PERN|C|O|JS ISSUE
Trying to Disfranchise the
Negro in North
Carolina.
VIRGINIA TO FOLLOW SUIT
Politics of Very Low and Mean
Order --Should the Plan Garry
Educated Negroes Will
Hold Balance OF
Power.
VIRGINIA TO FOLLOW SUIT
From tho New york Evening sun.

From the New lOrk bFeIlLg -lHl.
The chief issue in the present cam.
paian in North Carolina Is negro dis
ranchisemeAt, and competent observers
predict that the Democrats will win by
sweeping majority. Virginia viii Ce the
next Southern state 70 follow the PERM
cious example set by South Carolina,
Mississippi and Louisiana, but in Nlr-
ginia the elimination Vi the negro vote is
attended with peculiar difficulties. There
i. OF course, the difficulty common to
al the Southern ststes-how to preserve
the franchise for illiterate whites, while
d privibg illiterate negroes of it, In Nir-
ginia it is proposed TO obviate this by
giving vote to all those men, white
aud black, who fought in the Conieder-
ate army and their sOns-a queer propO-
sition, by the way, in this period Of
reconciliation and harmony, since it in
vests with political distinction the act
of secession. Comparatively few negroes
were Confederate soldiers, SO that to
give such franchise would not contri-
butte many votes to the total. Excluding
negro soldiers would, Of course, inyal-
idate the law. The grandfather" clause
is not in favor, simply because its con-
etitutionaity is doubted by eminent law
yers. Hence the ex Confederate idea.
But that, too, has an aspect of uncon-
Etiirtiouaitv
In most Southern States property
condition would rnle out heavy per-
cont,ge of negroes 1t has been proposed
in Virginia, bat the Democratic poll
ticians Iook dnuious when the subject is
mentioned. For the reason why let US
quote the Baltimore Sun dem !: the
coiored people in this State (Nirginia)
already own one-twenty sixth of all the
lands. In some OF the counties this
class has acquired one-sixth and in some
few Others almost oHe-thrd of tine farm
property. TIL s estimate, too does not
inclnde the farms bought by negroes and
upon which only partial payments have
been made. When these purchases are
considered, il would no doubt run the
list ZIP verv mucn higher. These facts,
which we're fret called to public atten
tion about year ago, are exciting uc
little interest. They are not only an im
portant consideration in dealing with tht
question of franchise, but are interesting
from a material standpoint. The time il
not far distant, it may be. when The
negro NAV own very considerable por
tion of the landed property Of the STATE
In some few sections members Of thli
race already own large farms, which
they are conducting in systematic wa!
with profit to themselves"
Nor would it be wise for the Demo
Gratis to attempt the elimination Of tbs
negro vote by an educational qua!ifica
tion, for the Virginia negroes would b
in greater voting strength than the &C
elsewhere in the South; and it is viii.
pered that if an illiterate provision coulC
be generally enforced the number 0
whites unable to vote would be YER
high But this is one Of the snags tha
the politicians are trying to avoid. Negr
education in Virginia is in forwart
condition for the South, and improving
The negroes appreciate their opportun
ity, and il is to the credit Of Virgini
tnat the opportunity exists, as it is t
the discredit Of the State that the al
tempt is developing to deprive the negr
Of the ballot by hook or by crook. Tna
such thing should be is, indeed, anna;
ing. Il can only be attributed to polite
Of very low and mean order. Shoul
the plan carry, a sequel would not in
probably be the division Of the whit,
into parties almost numerically equa
with the educated negroes holding tt
balance Of power.