The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-01-18

ABDUL dS Il " tuC oOuNh
Baltimore Sun, Jan. 1O)
senator Morgan'- speech in the
Senate Monday, in regard to the
restriction Of negro suffrage, will stir
up the old abolition element, and
those who brought about the en-
franchiscmcnt Of the negro as a pun
i-hmrnt for the South. Mr.. Nor
gan'- remarks. a stated in the SIM
Yesterday, were based upon a rcso-
luton introduced bv Senator Pritch
ard. Of North Carolina. aS follows:
THAT an enactment by constitution
or otherwise bv any State which con-
fer~ the right Of vote upon any Of its
citizens because Of their descent from
certain persons or classes Of persons,
aud excludes other citizens because
they are not descended from such
persons on CLASSES of persons having
all other qualifications prescribed by
/ law, Is, in the opinion Of the Senate,
in violation to the Fourteenth and
.titution Of the United States, and Of
fundamental princi pie of our Re-
publican form of governments
4 proposed amendment to the Con-
stitution Of North Crrolina, after pre-
>crbimg an educational qualification
for voters in that State, provides
that mo male person who was, on
January lst. 1861. entitled to vote
under the laws Of any State in the
7 l.,
sided, and no lineal descendant of any
such person. shall be denied to regis
| ter and vote at any election in the
Stat" by reason Of his failure to
possess the educational 1ualifica
| ton" In North Carolina, the uues-
ton before the people as to the pur-
| pose Of the proposed amendment of
| the Constitution is the same in sub
stance if it is not Identical with that
which is embodied in the Constitution
OF Louisiana.
In general belief as to the purpose
of those who ordained the Louisiana
| Constitution is hat it was intended
| to LiSfranchiSc Il large number of
negro voters in that State. Ii Con-
grcsS should declare that Louisiana
| has no government, that is Repub-
| lican in form, the consequence of
such a declaration might be. says
| Senator Morgon. the reduction Of the
State to a territorial government.
| If that were not done, then Louis lana
might be placed under military
supervision (as Georgia. Alabama,
| Louisiana. Texas and other States
were under the reconstruction laws
of 1869 and held in that grasp of
power until the people have formed
such Constitution as will meet the
approval of Congress. While Mr.
Morgan does not think Congress
would adopt either plan. he regards
th" situation as one Of ''dread signif-
icanre," and ''appeals to the forbcar-
ancc, wisdom and patriotism of Con-
Trrss and the people for dispassion-
at" consideration of the subject"
Mr.. Morgan denies that legal in
depreciation Of the Louisiana Consti-
tuition disclo>es a purpose to dis
rriminatc against any person claim
ing the right to vote at any election
on the ground of race. color or pre-
vious conditions of slavery. In a re-
cent case involving the validity of
the Mississippi election law. the
Supreme Court of the United States
held that the discrimination which
| is vi0latiye of the Constitution as
amended must appear on the face Of
the state law, or by a necessary in
tcndmcnt from it. and not from the
| manner in which the State law is
administered. The Supreme Court
has declared in several cases, accord
| Ing 10 Mr. Morgan. that neither the
| Fourteenth nor Fifteenth Amendment
gives the negro any vested right to
the ballot. 1t is. therefore. not a
right. but a policy, he says. that is
established, and Congress is the sole
| Judge as to the time and the occaS-
ion for enforcing that policy.
Mr.. Morgan contends that since the
Fifteenth Amendment to the Federal
Constitution was proclaimed on
| March 3oth. 1870, a a part Of the
! Constitution. new generation OF
voters has come into existence
| This generation of Americans" he
declares. ARE free thinkers and bold
actors. within the limits Of their
rightfuI authority, on all matters that
concern them and their poSteritv; and
questions will Toe answered by them
according to the passions and pre-
! iudice> of the former times in which
they originated"
1t is the experiences of the
Younger men,. says Mr.. Morgan,
ARISING out of the effort 10 work
negro suffrage into our political syys-
tenn as a harmonious element, and
not the prejudieeS or resentmentS OF
the former Shareholders that hav,
prompted Il strong and decisive move
mcnt in the Southern States. 1t ".
never cease unleS. ii is held down b.
military power 1t is social evil Us
well Is political. and the cost of its
suppression will not be counted "
this or succeeding generations n
connection with questions Of ma t.
rial prosperity. No great body of
white people in the world could be
expected to quietly accept >ituat on
50 distressing and demoralizing a is
created by negro suffrage in he
South. 1t is 4 thorn in the flesh and
will irritate and rankle in the body
| polite until it is removed as a factor
i'll government. There are
some propositions that are undenia-
bic. which prove that perfect aotord
between the former warning sections
OF the Union that can never bt at
tanned so long as the negroes are
forced upon the white people @: the
Southern States As full and equal par
| tlcipants in the ballot box"
Mr.. Morgan believes that the resl