The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-24

shall have registered in accordance with
the terms of this article prior II Sep
TENDER j. 1898: and no person shall he
entitled to register under this section
after said date
NEGRO NOT EXCLUDED.
The inclusion of this class does not
exclude the negro from voting. IliE
HAS THE RIGHT IN CON NON
WITH TIE WHITE PEOPLE on
THE CONDITIONS ALIKE APPLE
CABLE TO BOTH RACES. THAT
HE CAN READ AND WRITE or
that he owns certain amount of real
or personal property. He is deprived
of no right of suffrage by the comforting
of it upon another class. If the suffrage
amendmen.. because it conferred the
right To vote upon certain citizens, is to
be interpreted as Il discrimination against
the negro, then no privilege could lie
granted to any white citizen by a State
unless negro was granted the same
The fourteenth amendment declares that
the privileges or immunities Of citizens
of the United States shall not he abridg.
ed by any State This amendment was
intended to protect the negro. so that he
public places of amusement ana Oh pub
lie conveyances and in the courts. Sun
pose State should for some reason or
other provide for the free transporta.
ton of some Of its citizens on Il pubnc
conveyance. then, according 10 ;he views
of those who complain of thu suffrage
amendment in the constitution of Louis
lana. the State would be bound to gram
the same privilege to an equal number
of negroes.
Amendment fifteen of the Constitution
of the United States says:
The right of citizens of the United
States to vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States or by
any State on account of race. color, or
previous condition of servitude"
Wherein is the denial or the ahrilg-
ment of the negro's right no vote by the
inclusion of one class into the electorate?
The right 10 vote still remains To lilm
unimpaired No one will say that the
educational or property qualification pro-
vided for both races denies or abridycS
his right TO vote under the fifteenth
amendment. The gravamen of the COM
plant is that the same exemption firm
the educational or property qualitlcatlCn
was not accorded the negro. If this had
been done. the constitutional and prop
crty qualification would have been use
less for the suffrage would have been
in the same condition as it was before
the adoption of the Constitution.
THE POWER OF THE STATE.
The Constitution of the United States
does not confer the right TO vote on any
one This is left exclusively ID the
States. | am not aware of any restrlo-
ton upon the State as TO the persons it
may admit to the electorate. Its power
is unlimited. The only restriction JIM
posed by the Constitution Of the United
States is that the right to vote shall not
be denied or abridged on account of
race. color. or previous condition Cf
seryituCle. As | have stated the state,
in the exercise Of lis exclusive power -
confer the right to vote does not Geny %
abridge or deny the right Of orhct cit!-
zens to vote by eXempting certain class
from the qualification provided for The
great body Of electors.
There is nothing in the text of the
suffrage clause quored to show that
there is any denial or abridgmcnt of the
right To vote on account of race. color.
or previous condition. The State, being
the sole judge Of the qualifications Of
electors. can discriminate among the IL
literate as to electoral capacity. This
is what the State of Louisiana has
done. THERE WERE CERTAIN PER-
SONS LIVING IN THE COUNTRY
PARISHES WHO SERVED THE
STATE WITH FIDELITY WHO
COULD NOT READ OR WRITE
AND WHO DID NOT OWN PROP
ERTY. THE DESCENDANTS OF
THESE PEOPLE HAD no OPPOR-
TUNITY IMMEDIATELY AFTER
TIE WAR TO OBTAIN AN EDU
CATION. AS THE STRU GGLE FOR
AN EXISTENCE WAS HARD.
THEY Had BEEN VOTERS. THEY
ATTENDED PUBLIC MEETINGS
PUNCTIALLY AND HEARD DIS
CUSSIONS ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
THEY KNEW WHO WAS PRESI-
DENT. GOVERNOR OF THE STATE,
AND HOW THEY WERE ELECT
ED. AND HAD A VERY GOOD COM
PREHENSION OF THE PRINCI-
PIES OF THE GOVERNMENT AND
THE DUTIES OF PUBLIC OFF,
GERS. THEY WERE INCORRUPTI-
BILE.
INCORRUPTIBLE VOTERS.
no MONEY OR OTHER CONSID-
GRAFTON AKIN TO BRIBERY
COULD INFLUENC THEM. THEY
HAD \ PERSONALITY. THEY
DID NOT VOTE EN- MASSE AT
THE DICTATION OF ANYONE. IT
WAS RIGHT, TT WAS JUST. THAT
THEY SHOULD BE CONTINUED
AS VOTERS. THE EXEMPTION is
NOT PARTIAL TO THE WHITE
RACE. IT DEPRIVED y GREAT
MANY PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF
NEW ORLEANS OF THE RIGHT
TO VOTE. SINCE THE CLOSE OF
TIE WAR BETWEEN THE
STATES LARGE NUMBERS OF
FOREIGNERS HAVE COME TO
NEW ORLEANS AND MANY HAVE
GONE INTO THE SUGAR DIS
TRICT WHO CAN NOT READ AND
WRITE AND WHO HAVE NOT THE
PROPERTY QUALIFICATIONS Prior
TO the constitution of 1898 they were vo-
tiers, even after they had filed decla-