The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-08-14
The Messewer.
ROBBING THE SOUTH OF REPRE-
SENTATION

1t is understood by persons who have
paid attention TO the Fourteenth
n Fifteenth amendments to the
constitution of the United States,
6hat the former bears upon con-
ditions that existed prior to the adop-
ton of the 18th, and the latter super
seded the 18th. The talk of 10Y de-
priving certain southern states of
a part of their representation in the
Federal Congress because the unlet-
tered, ignorant negro has been or is to
b. deprived of his vote. has brought up
the meaning and intent of the 14th
amendment. If certain states are re-
duced in their representation in the
electoral college and in the L. S. house
of representatives will be IN contra
vention of the intent of the14th amend
ment and not because any negro is de-
prived of his vote by the 18th amend
ment, for no such deprivation will oc-
cur from the causes stated in that
amendment.
In the Charleston News and Courier
there are some quotations from the
New York Evening Telegram, bearing
on this matter. According to his
northern daily when the 14th amend
ment was adopted every southern state
was cOnstitutiOnally free to deny the
ballot to cOlored voters. But if any
state did SO, then its representation IN
Congress and in the Electoral College
was to be reduced. THE object of the
amendment was to secure equal rights
to all citizens, black as We'll as whites,
and indirectly to prevent the disfran-
chisement of negroes" as it was not
believed that any state would disfran-
chise them at such a cost. The same
object wa directly secured soon af-
ter by the adoption of the 18th amend
ment, prohibiting outright any state
from denying or abridging the right TO
vote on account of race or color. This
does not touch the North Carolina
amendment as no negro will be dis
franchised because he was a slave or
because he is a negro or because he is
black or yellow or ginger-cake, light
or dark. He will be disfranchised if he
does not pay his poll tax-his voluntary
actiOn-and cannot read. The republi-
can Telegram holds up before the
south this rod of chaStisement: But
the agitation that is s%pringing up is
significant. 1t is in effect notice to the
southern democrats that northern re
publicanS have a constitutional eapon
to combat the wholesale d~isfranchise-
ment of colOred voters" M~assachu-
sets has a suffrage educational test.
The North Carolina amendment Will
not disfranchise either a large or small
body of electors ifthey can bear the test
already adopted in parts of the north
The supreme court has made decis-
ions that authorize the belief that it
will not set aside what has been done
in several southern states as To the
negroes. Then the next house may l.
democratic. SelahI
The News and Courier calsl atten-
ton to one phrase of the matter hat
is worthy of attention. 1t says:
"It is an interesting question, at
least, why the Fourteenth amendment,
which was practically and of purpose
abolished by the fifteenth amendment,
should be now regarded as having
more life than its dead supplanter? Or
why, in other words. the republican
party, which itself regards and treats
the one amendment of its own devils
ing and enactment as a dead letter
should hold another. of the same orr
gin, as ~revitalized and rendered of full
force and effect by that fact. If the
authors in the Northern states of the
two amendment a reject and ignore
the one, at their pleasure. certainly the
southern states should have the right
to exercise the same privilege as to the
other Let us have peace-Oa logical
grounds if not on grounds of mere pa
triotiSm.'
While northern editors are casting
stones at the south let them look to
Sulu and its polygamist United States
official and its slavery, and to Hawaii
and the disfranchisement of the ma
tives, and to the District of Columbia
and taking the ballot from Sambo.