The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-10-13
II the individual decides that his own

If the individual decides that his own
Judgment is supreme and that all gov
eruments is wrong and that no man oI
State has a right to restrict ms ACTON
then he is the highest or extreme ues .e
opment of the anarchist; II several ~
dividuals decide that q given NUMBER "
laws are wrong and that they are unner
no obligations to observe these laws, ttles
too. are anarchists, but OF lower degree.
If the mob goes out and take soi.o
guilty wretch and hangs or burns him, IL
is likewise anarchist: if the thief steals
he is, in practice an anarchist because no
breaks the law; II our Constitutional
Convention proceeds to arrange q sur
fragc provision fer the purpose OF eS-
GLIDING the negro, because ne IS u ne
gro, it is likewise an anarchist; Can we
afford to place our old Mother State in
such company? VIII her sons brand
her before the world as an outcast!
Verify it seems to US that if fame IS
dependent upon comparison, that our
convention is striving to send the name
Of Underwood down in history with those
of Thomas Jefferson and George Mason
We have little doubt that if the tricks
and subterfugeS CTnninSly and ingenious
ly devised to rob the negro of his vote
are Incorporated in our constitution that
they will eventually prove TO be quite
as effective against whites as biacks.
Considering that hundreds of the present
white electorate can be r-ught Tor less
tran a dollar piece, we believe the time
vii: come when we will curse the day
we permitted the call of a convention
The convention has given promise or
much good in other things and 1t IS TOO
bad to spoil it with q cancerous germ
that viii! eventually eat out the lie OF the
body polite.
There is absolutely no necessity tor 1t.
Far better results can be accomplished
in a way that will in no wise confhce
with the Fifteenth Amendment. nor VIII
it leave any chance for political corrup-
ton and the innumerable evils that nee
essarily follow. The only reason upon
which any restriction of suffrage can
be predicated is that by deleSatins to a
better class of citizens the privilege o.
vntin, Ger all the r.oral and intellectual
standard of the electorate will be RAISED
and os government can never be better
than the average OF those composing the
electorate, society in general will have a
higher and better government than if all
participated. This being true the real
object should be to raise the standard of
the electorate. If all negroes were de-
barred and there was no Fifteenth Amend
ment- the Suffrage Committees plan
would be an absolute failure because it
does not raise the STANDARD of the white
electorate.
a poll tax made sufficiently high. say
two three dollars, payable six months
in advance and SO sa fe guarded as to pre-
vent abuse. and voting without aid. APP
plying to all without exception will. in
our judgment meet the case and effect
the purpose desired.
1t is better to speak plainly before the
evil is done than TO be compelled to bear
its effects. The Democratic party is In
the ascendency. The acts of this con-
vention will be its acts, and if it forces
on Virginia it's propositions of suffrage.
we believe that the time Will come when
this party will be a, Kissing and>a by
word among honest people who seek the
good of the State rather than that of
political corruptionists. We do not ques-
ton the motives of those at work on this
question We have every reason to
think that they are striving to do the
best they can to promote the ultimate
good of Virginia, but we are. after sew.
eral years study of the matter. firmly
convinced that they are wrong. and we
aDpeal to them and to the members OF
the convention who have not yet taken
part in the consideration of the question
TO discard from their minds all oppor-
tunism and consider the basic principles
and trace out the ultimate effects that
must follow. remembering that wrong as
= cause cannot produce right as an ef-
A. z. THOMAS
Jrnrhb,Irc Va October S.