The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-10
TO RESTRICT SUFFRAGE
HOW SOUTHERN WHITES WOULD
SOLVE RACE PROBLEMS.
h Fifteenth Amendment
Views of Others.

MONTGOMERY. Ala. May 9.-The race
problem conference opened it's second ses-
sion here at 10 o'clock this morning with
an unexpectedly large attendance A NJ.
Waddell. of Wilmington, N. c., gave a
thrilling recital OF events in North Caro-
lima which led up to the present movement
to amend the Constitution OF that State
so as to restrict suffrage. He said In part:
Unrestricted negro suffrage i'm the
Southern States. If the right be fully and
freely exercised. means the most ignorant.
corrupt and evil government ever known in
a free country. IL means more than this,
for there can be no social security where
II prevails. Among white men political
party ascendencies is never utilized to af-
feet social order. Social disorder invarf-
ABLY follows negro ponsicat ascenaency;
freedom and citizenship and opportunity
for education. and yet, with many honor
able exceptions, he Is quite as incapable
OF understanding the meaning OF true lib
erty and OF i~ntelligently exercising politi-
cal rights as he was when first emanci-
pated. The Southern people amid all the
calamities that have befallen them hav
expended about 500. 600. 600 for the educa-
ton of the negroes since the year 1870, and
yet with every succeeding year they have
become as a race less fitted for the du-
menace to civilization and good govern
ment. These are not wild and exaggerated
statements but facts capable OF proof.
II unhesitatingly say that unrestricted
negro suffrage Is disastrous to good gov
eminent and TO the peace and welfare of
society, and / go further and denounce
the legislation which accomplished IL as
perpetrated in the history OF this coun-
try. 1t has been and will continue TO be
made of no effect by methods which are
moralizing, and therefore II Is doubly
disastrous. The true remedy for IL Is to be
found in the repeal or modification of the
fifteenth amendment.
proposed constitutional amendment. saying
that If adopted there VIII be about 50.ooJ
negro voters In the State. Probably 10000
negroes will be -disfranchised- II is SUBJ
stantially the same as the Louisiana
amendment. II disfranchises no white man.
educated or illiterate. who registers as a
voter before Dec. i. 1905. but applies an edu-
~cational test after that date. IL disfran-
chises every negro who cannot read and
write any section of the Constitution, ex-
cept such as are descended from the old
North Carolina or such as have come into
the State from other States where negroes
could vote prior TO 1867.
John Temple Graves followed with an
argument for the separation of the races in
distinct localities as a cure for existing
evils. Mr.. Graves was received with en-
thusiasm.
The last speaker Of the morning was ex-
Governor MacCorkle. OF West Virginia. He
opposed the repeal of the fifteenth amend
ment, saying: II assert that the constitu-
tional exercise of the right Of franchise
is the vital and underlying principle of the
life of this free people and that the In
fraction of this principle Is surely attended
with ultimate ruin TO our system OF ie-
thought the better plan would be TO adopt
an honest and infexible educational and
property basis administered fairly for
black and white.
At the night session educational matters
were discussed. the speakers being DIR.
Julius III. Dreher of Virginia, Rev. j. L. ~.
Curry OF Washington. and DIR. Hollis b.
Frissell. president of Hampton institute.
Virginia.