The sun., 1900-08-05
NOlUTESFOR NEGROES.
DisfralchEhg Movement Nov 81.
Drsne in The South.
THE STORY OF ITS GROWTH.

Arc Iuht Wttntn Two hearo SioshAeS ~sss~.
VIII Bs Taken By Two Other statss-His-
tory Of This sixnracsnt Movsmsst-Plass
Adopted BY Mlssisslppi. Losisisns and
North Csrstisa--Prasa n the Msvemsas
The movement in favor OF such changes
In the suffrage as will in effect. repeal the Four
teenth and Fifteenth Amendments TO the Fed
erA Constitution has spread so rapidly
through the Southern States that there now
seernr every reason TO believe that within
the next three or four years more than three
fourtbs Of the negro voters in the United States
will be defranohised. Already four States have
acted. Mississippi. Louisiana. and North and
South Carolina DISTINGUISHING 10000 negroes
while two. Virginia and Alabama, have taken
the initial steps TO dpsir rsnchisement The voters
Of North Carolina adopted a constitutional
amendment on Aug 3 which will shut out
5000 OF the negroes from the suffrage. The
people Of Virginia have voted ia favor Of call
ing q constitutional convention that will frame
q new organic law for the State. 1t being dis
tinctly understood. and indeed openly avowed
that this new constitution is for the specific
purpose of so changn the suffrage that very
few negroes will be able to vote.
In Alabama the Legislature voted similarly
In favor Of a constitutional convention for the
same purpose and there seemedevery certainty
that Alabama. would disfranchise the negro
this year; and SO IL would have done but for
the interference of Gov, Johnston. Calling
the Legislature together IN extra session after
Il had voted for a convention. he succeeded in
arranging a combination with the opposition
elements and in inducing the General Assem-
bly, 70 undo its former action and repeal lie
call for a convention that Il. for change IN
the suffrage on the ground that the agta-
ton would disturb the political peace Of tho
State and would divide the Democracy. The
question became at once n Leading issue In the
ranks OF the Alabama Democracy and the
delegates TO the Democratic Convention we're
elected largely on the issue of a constitu-
honal convention or no constitutional con-
eentionthat H. the disiranchisement or nom
nisfranchisement Of the negroes. Gov John
hton was Overwhelmingly defeated In the
primaries that followed The Democracy Of
Alabama declared in convention IN favor OF q
new constitution, new suffrage system and
the elimination OF the negro from the politics
Of the State; but II will take some little time
70 carry out its purpose
Although only the initial steps In the dreo-
tlon Of disfranchisement have been taken
IN Alabama. the result there can he considered d
certain. The Democracy is all-powerful in Ala
bama and without organized opposition II oan
do whatever II chooses. whereas in North
Carolina the opposition % the Democracy
was strong and carried the last general State
election. The Alabama Democracy has declared
In favor Of the Acknowledgement " the negro
and will have little difficulty or opposition
In carrying through this measure. Thus all
the indications are that Virginia and Ala
bama will have joined Mississippi, Louisiana
and North and South Carolina In the disfran-
chisement of the negro by 1909. This will add
some 100 to the disfranchlsed negro voters,
bringing up the total for these six States to
7s5.OOO
MOVEMENTS ONLY SETBACK
In only one Southern State has the movement
In favor Of negro disfranchisemelt received
any setback-n Georgia aud there the setback
Is more apparent than real At the last session
OF the Georgia Legislature several measures
looking TO eliminating or cutting down the
negro vote were introduced The most prom
isng Of those was voted down by an overwhelnl-
Ing majority and this was interpreted by the
Northern press as an indication that Georgia
did not want repeal OF the fourteenth aud ilf-
teenth amendments 4 study Of tho Georgia
press will show that this Interpretation Of the
act Of the legislature is an error, and that, al
though there is a strong element opposed TO
changing the present suffrage laws OF the State
on the same grounds as Gov Johnston opposed
the movement in Alabama, there is also an ele-
n,ent anx ous to get rid Of the negro In politics,
and they are not satisfied with the restrictions
placed on the negro voO by the poll tax. 1t has
been clearly shown since the action OF the Georgia
Legislature In rejecting the proposed plan TO
dlsfranchise tho negro that the sentiment In
favor of doing so has grown stronger The
repulse, therefore, may be regarded a
merely temporary.
STATES WHERE THB QUESTION IA sLrMBHRINo.
In no other State has the disfranchisement
OF the negro aroused any discussion as yet II
has been mentioned In Tennessee. but only
mentioned. The negro vote there is small and
limited to part only Of the State. but Tennessee
Is close politically, and the negro plays an I'M
portant part in determining the result Strange
20 say. the Acknowledgement Of the negroes
would benefit the Republicans In Tennessee;
and not few Of the Republican papers have
pointed out that the Democratic majorities are
obtained by manipulating the negro vote in the
southwestern counties, East Tennessee which
Il overwhelmingly white, is overwhelmingly
Republican In the southwestern counties.
along the Mississippi border. Is concentrated
large negro population which. the Republican
papers charge, is voted or counted for the
Democratic ticket, swapping the votes and
maiorites Of the white Republicans OF east
Tennessee.
Florida has not taken m tho question Of negro
ohisoment and W Ill probably not do so
until Georgia acts; but II would be likely 10
initiate the example Of that State. should 1t
disfranchise the negroes,
Texas has declared It's purpose TO do nothing
In this matter Its negro population s 80 small
a. to call for no political consideration. 1t
would not pay Texas to 20 to the trouble Of
Constitutional Convention in order to get rid
q the negro voters The same is ativey true
Of Arkansas.
These are the only States In which the negro
element Is sufficiently large TO cause any dis
turhancs In politics There Is majority Of
5000 male negroes Of voting age over tho
whites In Mississippi, which maJority is growing
larger every year. The negro ma ority in South
Carolina Is $1,000 and Is also growing on the
whites In louisiana thsre was negro
majority in population In 1900 bur white ma
jority in voters, and the latter majority is prob
ably growing larger annually
In the other Southern State, there Is a large
majority OF white voters. but the negroes have
the balance Of power whenever tho whites
divide.