Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-08-03

will not be neglected by the men who
believe that the requirement that every
applicant TO vote must be the owner of
$500 worth of land will solve the great
problem before the convention. For
the suffrage problem is the problem OF all.
1t is not the wish of the advocates OF
a real estate qualification that there be
any educational requirement. This lat
ter is regarded as a makeshift so far as
it would be effective in eliminating the
Negro vote. The Negroes are rapidly
learning TO read and write. 1t is not
improbable that the class of colored IL
hterates is decreasing more rapidly than
is the class of white illiterates. The
Negro is also acquiring real estate more
rapidly than is generally supposed. That
is, the number of Negroes owning realty,
is steadily increasing"
He continues:
"But it is fact that there are few Ne
groes who own land TO the value of
$500. AT least, that is the view of the
advocates of the real estate qualifica-
ton. While there are Negroes who own
small pieces of land, there are said TO be
few who own pieces worth as much as
$500.
The advocates of the real estate quail
fication are most earnest. The fact that
they are so much in earnest, and the
further fact that they number nearly
one-third of the committee, which is a
much greater number than is claimed by
the advocates of any other plan, gives
hope to its advocates.
He says further:
"The Suffrage Committee will meet
again Tuesday morning. 1t may report
IN two weeks. 1t has the most difficult
work of any of the committees. Every
plan of suffrage proposed may be OBJ
Jected TO ON the ground that it will cut
some of the white men of the State out
of the right to vote. 1t is the belief of
the advocates of the real estate qualifi-
cation that it will deprive fewer whites
of the right of suffrage than any other
proposed as a method of eliminating the
mass of the Negro vote"
One of the members was desperate i'm
deed, for he is quoted as follows:
cone of the most prominent members
of the convention said yesterday that he
was considering the propriety of offer
ing a resolution which should provide
that none of the tests provided in the
suffrage clause should apply TO the full
blooded Negro. He will probably offer
the resolution. This is regarded as sig
nificant, as indicative of the fact that
the whites of the State are not opposed
to the Negro exercising the right of suf-
trage simply because he is Negro.
The old issues Negroes are not giving
any trouble, and have not given any"
The plan to disfranchise white mems
Negro offspring would indeed raise
howl from one section of the state TO the
other.
The body should engraft provision
making it a felony for white man to
carnally know colored woman and
vice-versa, fixing their punishment at
confinement in the penitentiary from
one TO five years. Some Of our females
are SO white now that they charge US
with bad manners because we hesitate
70 speak to them on the streets.
If the constitutional convention will
take hold of this end of the question, it
will be the cause of much satisfaction
on the part of the advocates of the rights
of the full-blooded Negro.
This then is an insight into the situa-
ton.
How can Christian Legislators or athe-
istic ones with honorable intentions disre-
gard the amendments, which they as
citizens are bound TO support?
This is the question of questions and
will be a source of embarrassment in
Alabama as much so in Virginia.