The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-05-31

Mr.. Josephus Daniels, editor of the
Raleigh News a1d Observer, who has
been in New Orleans making inquiry
as to the working and effect of the
franchise law of Louisiana, has writ
ten his paper some interesting letters
bearing upon that question. In his
letter of the 9th inst, he gives us the
result Of an interview with Hon. H.
G. Gage, eA-Charman of the Demo-
cratic Executive Committee, who in
speaking of the disfranchiscmcnt of
white men, said:
The only white illiterates disfran-
chised in Louisiana are those Foreigners
who were permitted under the Constitu-
ton Of 1879 to vote under Il mere dec
laratiOn of intention to become citizens.
OF this number those who took out
naturalization papers We're very few. but
thousands continued to vote from 1879
to 1898 under their declaration of in
tention. This iliterate foreign born vote
| especially that portion which was Italian,
had gotten under the control Of so-called
political bosses, and prejudice against
it had arisen in the bette element Of the
people, second only in intensity to that
dSdlIlSl lIlt ItSIo woe, anu "HtIl Tue
Constitutional Convention of 1898 un-
dertook TO eliminate the negro vote
there was, especially in the city of New
Orleans, a determined demand that this
iliiterate bOss-cOntrOlIed foreign vote
should also be eliminated and the effect
of the suffrage provision adopted was to
eliminate every iIiiterate foreigner who
had not been naturaiized previous to
January 1st, 1898.
"To-day no foreigner can vote in
Louisiana as an ilIterate, who had not
been naturalized prior to January 1st.
1898, and in the future foreigners can
only vote in Louisiana who are duly
naturaIized and possess either the ed
ucational or property quaIificational.
The elimination OF these thousands
of illiterate foreigners, voting upon dec
laration OF intention only, accounts for
the falling Off of the white registration in
Louisiana.
Every native-bOrn white man in
ta>eH ta1efapa %iftnfr Saeeatea 1r pneou
The bulk of the foreign vote in
Louisiana, especially in the cities, is
composed principally Of Italians,
against whom in recent years strong
feeling of dislike has grown up on
account of the lawlessness of these
people and the murders and other
crimes pcrpetrated by the secret
bands known as the Malta, which had
CARRIED things with such a high hand,
and shown such an utter contempt
for and defiance of the officers Of the
law that the people of the city Of New
Orleans concluded that it was neces-
sary to do something to awe this
element into respect for authority
and visited summary punishment on
several of them a few years ago by
shooting them in Jail, where they
were held charged with conspiring to
assassinatc and killing the chief Of
police, who had incurred their enmity
by too closely pursuing some OF the
malefactors. This feeling does not
extend to all Italians. for there are
people of that nationality in New
Orleans who stand well and are much
respected; nor does it extend to peo-
pie of other nationalities, in which
the distinction is always made be-
tween the rabble and respectable.
No one who has read the accounts
of the atrocities perpetrated by these
secret. oath-bound law transgressors
and detiers and stiletto wielders will
find fault with the people of Louisiana
for depriving them of the franchise
and of the political influence ano
power. especially in the cities, thai
the franchise carries with it, wher
the voters are as numerous as these