The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-04
Eliminating Negro Votes.

ana and other states OF the darkest
South, in passing a constitutional
amendment designed to eliminate the
negro vote. Following what has been
the uniform practice in the South, the
negroes themselves were excluded from
voting on this proposition. by familiar
methods and have been compelled to
sit quietly and see the rights which
the constitution Of the United States
attempted to give them taken away by
q transparent evasion of the supreme
law OF the land. This is the most biting
practical comment on the shallow hy-
pocrisy OF the Democratic cutlery about
''the consent OF the governed as APP
plicable to the semi-savages of the Phil
ippines.
1t Is also bitter commentary on the
criminal eutrages which have become
the uniform rule In the conduct Of cleo
tons in some Of the Southern states,
that the strongest argument advanced
to secure votes for the North Carolina
amendment was that 1t would permit
elections to be conducted honestly here
after. 1t was admitted freely and
frankly by newspapers and public
speakers that the Democrats of North
Carolina did not propose to permit the
negroes to vote, and that they had not
permitted them to vote generally for
many years. 1t really marks an adj
vance in public deceney and public SEN
timent that they have determined to do
under the forms of the law what they
have heretofore done by the strong
hand OF violence or by the coarsest and
most ruthless frauds upon the ballot.
The Democrats OF the South assert
that II the negro vote is eliminated they
will conduct their elections with some
pretense Of honesty in the future. as
they have not In the past. IT is possi-
Bile; but doubtful. The negro vote In
Kentucky 10 not and has not been an
important item. In no county In that
state has there ever been any threat OF
negro supremacy and control OF public
Office; threat which southern men
think Ia sufficient Justification for any
force or fraud to prevent its being car
ried into effect. Yet the Democratic
party of Kentucky enacted In that state
the most infamous election law which
has ever disgraced an American statute
book. and under its cover. with the
same reckless and corrupt disregard OF
the sanctity OF the ballot as prompted
its enactment. stole the state. after
having suffered an overwhelming de-
feat at the polls. The negro vote has
been the excuse for Southern election
frauds, which have been insoientiy
avowed and gloried In on the iioor OF
the United States senate by a man who
owed his seat to them. II will be hard
to create an honest sentiment on the
subject In communities which have not
known an honest election In genera
ton.
The states which either have or which
are proposing to eliminate the negro
vote by constitutional amendments are
Mississippi. Louisiana, South Carolina.
North Carolina. Virginia. Alabama. Ar
kansas. Florida. Georgia and Texas
These states have ioi votes In the cleo
toral college. and 81 votes In the house
OF representatives. without all OF
these electoral votes no Democrat could
by any possibility be elected president.
without these votes In the lower house,
the Democratic party has very remote
chance OF ever securing a majority Of
that body. II Is probable that, taking
these states collectively. the number
OF male Inhabitants over the age OF 81
years who win be barred from the right
Of suffrage when the proposed amend
ments are all In force win approximate
TO one-fourth Of the whole number In
the group OF states
II the plain mandate OF the constisu-
ten Is 20 be oheyed, these states. by
their action. should lose IS votes In the
electoral college and 10 votes In the
house OF representatives. They have
decided to incur this penalty for the
purpose OF eliminating the negro from
politics, for II is not 10 be presumed
tina, after the ardent lip-devotion pro-
fessea by the Democrats 10 the pSinei-
Piles OF the constitution, they lnteaa to
disregard ore OF It's mandatory provi-
sions, and ask that In express viola
ton Of the constitution they NAV be
permitted 10 count their dlsfranchiss-
ed negro population for purposes Of
representation In congress.
We Gala the attention Of our P0pulis-
tic friends TO the fact that China has
been on a silver basis for a good long