The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-03
WITHOUT CONSENT OF THE Gov
ERNED.

The New Orleans Times-Democrat of
recent date printed very significant ar
ticle pointing out the extension of the
movement to disfranchise the colored
voters in the Southern States II Is sig
nificant because it discloses a purpose on
colored race of a right TO which most of
them were born-the right to vote. 1t calls
attention to the election in Louisiana last
week. There were no riots, no murders,
and, 1t could have added, not much voting.
The regular Democratic ticket had a ma
jority in every parish. the opposition in
most parishes making little or no show.
The New Orleans paper calls attention TO
the campaign now going on in North Caro-
lima to disfranchise the colored voters. In
all but one congressional district the whites
are large majority Of the voters, and the
blacks cannot elect one of their number to
Office. Referring to the election last fall
in the black section of North Carolina.
the Times-Democrat says that there was
difficulty in which the whites prevailed.
as they always do in case of that kind
and that there would have been no dis
turbance whatever eff mark the world
the negroes had been DISTINGUISHED" 1t
calls further attention to the efforts in
other States to ''get rid of the niger vote"
Governor Johnston defeated it in Alabama,
but the people, that is, the Democrats,
desire the Acknowledgement and will have
1t. 1t also notes the movement in Virginia
'disfranchisement'' is not necessary in
Maryland. so it will scarcely be attempted.
No one who reads the article of the
Times-Democrat can deny that it is the
purpose of the Democratic leaders In the
Southern States to disfranchise the colored
voters in defiance of the constitutional
amendment. This being the case, the next
apportionment of representatives should
be made on the basis that the right of suf-
frage has been abridged on account of race.
1t is hoped that Congress will undertake
to apportion representatives on the basis of
the entire suppression of the colored vote.
Should such action be taken what a howl
would go up from the Democratic leaders
and press that are having so much to say
now about the consent of the governed.
The Democratic orators in Indiana have
suddenly become enamored with the Dec
claration of independence, and indulge
in bathos regarding the consent of the
governed in Porto Rico and the Philip
pines, yet each of them is silent while
a majority of the voters in Mississippi and
South Carolina have been deprived of
all participation in government and been
disfranchised without their consent. In
Louisiana nearly half of the voters, simply
because they are negroes. have been de-
prived of the right arm of citizenship. No
Democrat protests. yet this half million of
men who have been disfranchised are
natives of the country. Indiana Democrats
applauded the high-handed outrage The
stripping of these men of all participation in
the government over them. except to pay
taxes. calls forth no fervent protest for
1.-The consent of the governed" They are
concerned about "the consent of the gov
erned'' only when it affects Aguinaldo and
his guerrillas who are assailing the SOW
ereignty of the United States.