The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-15

and the manner OF expressing it, can be
directed only by reason and conviction
tnot by force or vio.ence), and, therefore,
all men are equally entitled to the free
exercise OF Religion according to the dictates
or conscience, and that it is the duty OF
ali to practice Christian forbearance, love
and chastity towards each other: that the
legislative and executive powers of the
State should be separate and distinct from
the judiciary, and that the members of
the two first may be restrained from
oppression by feeling and participating in
the burdens of the people, they should at
fixed periods be reduced to private sta
ton, returned INTO tho body from which
they were originally taken. and the
vacancy supplied by frequent, certain,
and regular elections.
The present Constitution embodies this
Bill of Rights, but to it adds provisions
making this State forever a member of
the United States of America, and pro-
Viding that the Constitution of the United
States is supreme. and that slavery or
involuntary servitUde shall not exist in
this State, and that all citizens possess
equal civil and political rights and public
privileges.
THE ELECTIVE FRANCHISE.
In the writer's opinion the great task
before the coming convention will be the
elimination Of the corrupting influences
OF the negro vote, which has sapped the
public conscience and destroyed the
sanctity of the balot-box. This maiig-
nant cancer must be removed from our
BODY polite. 1t is reliably stated that
in one-third of the counties of the State
the negroes have sufficient numerical
strength to get control of the county
government. For the negro to rule in
these localities is out of the question.
, Wherever and whenever the experiment
| has been tried it has. without exception
led to lawlcssness, crime, and bloodshed
| The plain, unvarnished truth is that in
many sections of Virginia it is an absolute
! political necessity to cheat the negro or
| to kill him. This alternative was forced
! upon US by others, and it will be our own
! shame if, having the opportunity. we fail
to rid Virginia of the curse.
Unrestricted suffrage was something en-
tirely unknown to the founders Of our
government. The early constitutions adj
provide property, educational or religious
qualifications. but these tests were i'll
nearly all the States one by one swept
away, except in some of the older New
England States. Rhode Island still re-
quires property qualification, and Massa
chttsetts still clings to an educational
qualification. The tendency towards I'M
limited suffrage. so evident in the period
Immediately following the war between
The States, has within the last decade
'NSii FSiiSShtt anu lI!c Dtllui!uiii Is SNiIlE
ing back towards at least an educational
restriction, and number of the States
have recently made the payment of taxes
prerequisite to voting. The elimination
OF the negro vote has been a problem which
seems TO have been to some extent solved
in Louisiana. Mississippi and South Caro-
lima In the two last named States, they
have educational qualihcat ton wnich
excludes from voting ignorant white men,
as well as negroes. The new Louisiana
constitution and the constitution soon to
be in force In North Carolina have the
following ingenious provisions. intended to
dSfranchise the ignorant negro. without
affecting the ignorant white man:
Section 4. Every person presenting him
self for registration shall be able to read
and write any section of the Constitution
in the English language; and, before he
shall be entitled to vote, he shall have
paid. on before the first day of March
of the year in which he proposes to vote
his poll-taN, as prescribed by law for the
previous year.
Section s. No male person who was on
January i. 1867. or at any time prior there
to, entitled to vote under the laws Of any
State in the United States wherein he
then resided. and no lneal descendent
Of any such person shall be denied the
right to register and vote at any election
in this State by reason OF his failure to
possess the educational qualification pre-
scribed in Section / of this article: Pro
vided. he shall have registered in accord
ance with the terms OF this section prior
to December /, 1908. The General Assembly
shall provide for permanent record OF all
persons who register under this section, on
OF before November 1st, one thousand. nine
hundc7 and eight: and all such persons
shall be entitled to register and vote in
all elections by the people in this State
H..
ring to dsfranchisement on account Of
crime) of this article: Provided such per-
sons shall have paid their pcll-tax as re-
quired by law
These provisions. which some contend are
in violation of the fifteenth amendment of
the United States Constitution. were pre-
pared by Judges Foster and Semmes, of
Louisiana. after long study and
investigation. The Legislatures. both
submitted them to select COM
mittee of the ablest lawyers in the Two
States. who declared that in their opinion
the provisions We're constitutional. Sena-
tor McEnnery. of Louisiana. said. in a
speech in the United States Senate that
all parties in louisiana were satisfied with
the provisions: and Senator Morgan, of
Alabama. recognized TO be a, great consti-
tutional lawyer. declared that he had care
fully investigated both the Louisiana and
North Carolina amendments and that they
were clearly constitutional.
it is & significant fact that, although
the city of New Orleans has held an cleo
ton under the provisions of the new Louis
lana constitution, yet no question as to
their validity has been raised in the courts.
The action of the Democrats al their recent
convention at Norfolk seems to commit
the PARTY to the adoption of provisions
similar TO those above Cuotei
JNO. GARLAND POLLARD.