The colored American., 1900-09-01
CONSTITUTIONAL LAWS.
A Series OF Questions Propoundfd oy a
Louisiana Subs crher.

Will YOU please answer the ie" ioiioe
i1o nnesiioDs. en q settle col ucVefs.
be tween several II emt ttrs OF tne cur
sen's Progressive RepublicaD Cub.
lat. L it IN pos sibfe for cur govern
nant 20 eDscI O law or set OF iaWf
FOR the protection Of ita cl;izeDs II thel
regDgcliye states, Il mean tie eoioIe'
Amer:ea1 SIS well as 10 erset law
for their protection tICm the Bcxers II
chin a CT Anarchists, or oiher erlml
Dsls atSpsd. n,d =
done to q rtpublicdn tenaie sLo eoE
eress If il would enact laws 10 that I'll
feet
3rd. Has cor greEs II 6 rIgLt 10 ensc
lsws to regulate msihGd Dy Whlch
Neglo should be lUbFhed lor ciim
com mite III hls state?
4sh. Since il becsme a neoestliy 10
goveInm enls to Jay, lsId by scts
congress } an Indemnify 10 = 1Cre,gi
mower for obstruction CT life 81 d pIop
eItv of their tutje ctr, do ycu not be
ifeye The same conditions sre sX1snnl
today in the UIiied Stats; eendittous
gkich demand just such lava?
5th. With The present construction
placed On stsles' rights, hts coIgresI
the power to regulate or change tf'
suffrage laws of the several SoutE Ell
States az now in 1u ! force?
9th. De yCu relieve if such STEPS
W Guild be taken ty iht q D. 7. Ii WouIC
lose prestige or Ceeay?
1 contend that the laws could be en-
acted and enforced and not The ieas'
harm done to tie party 7. l.. Z.
DonaldsC nville, La.
The foregoing que stious are answered
az follows, which answers We hope VIII
dify our apparently perturbed d frle DIS
As TO the first interIogatory, Is 1t I'M
possible for our eoverDment to enact
law or set of laws Ior the protection OF
its citizens in their respective states, as
we'll as to ensct laws for their pro.
lection from Boxers in China. CT an
archists or other criminals abroao"'
We answer: No. it is not impossible for
our government 10 enact such laws as
are indicated therein. Indeed, the na-
tIonal legislature Las long since en-
acted such laws; nor hsYe they been
declared unconstitutional by the United
States Supreme Court, (See the Four
teenth and Fifteenth Amendments TO
the Constitution but they have BEEN
declared dIstastfUI by The supremer
court Of public opinion, and hence are
more honnIed in the breach than III the
observance. Laws are put on the
statute books to be invoked and sued
under whenever the rig hts they guaran'
tee are enfringed. Colored Americans
seldom test their rights in courts of
law. They resort to indignation meet
ings. If they would pile up suits in
courts of law to recover damages for
the denial Of their manhood sights, the
trial of such causes would tend to create
favorable public sentiment in favor of
the colored citizen, which would greatly
offset the prevailing public sentiment
AS to the second interiogatOTy, What
harm, il any, would be done to re
publican Senate and Congress. if it
would ensct laws to that effecl?" We
answer, no real harm weuld cume, ex'
cept in 80 far as the tue spiiis of re.
publican1sm has been sacrificed to win
the favor of the Negro hating element
in this country, who would resent any
attempt to enforce or enact laws com.
peilipg fair treatment of the brother in
black.
AS to the third interrogatory, "Has
Cengre:s s the Eight to enset laws, to
regulate the method by which Negro
should be punisl ed for crime COM
mitted in his stat.?" We answer, no.
that is enc OF the rights, unless the
crimes be il direct violation of the laws
the United of States which Congress
reserved to the states; but that no state
has right to pass law which, in its
provisions for the punishment OF
crimes or for any other pprpose shall