The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-11
Circulation Statement

Saturday. June 1885
Total ---.-.-..-.--...z 53.s74
Daily average Sunday. ao,Ils. excepted 1851
Suffrage Restrictions in Alabama.
If the Alabama constitutional Con-
vention undertakes to restrict suffrage
in that State by denying the ballot TO
ilIiterates. it is 10 be hoped that - such
absurdity as the grandfather excep-
ton Will be adopted. a mans ignO-
rance is in no wise excused by the cir
cumstance that he had an ancestor
who could vote third Of a century ago
Rather the reverse The discrimination
rests upon no logical basis.
The right 30 dIsfranchise those who.
presumably. are 100 ignorant 10 vote
intelligenuy is very generally Tecog-
nized, and such action has been taken
in the North as we'll as in the South;
but TO discriminate between voters sim
ply on account Of color Is quite another
thing Such a course Is wholly unnec-
essary 10 reach the end desired in the
South, which is 10 prevent the most ig-
noTant and vicious classes from domi-
Liz -A-NA
governments. The most of the Hit
eracy is. of course, found among the
coI0red people. and an educational re
qUirement In the voter VIII, as a result,
operate the most heaGiIy against that
class But the disqualification should
be made 10 rest upon iniJeracy alone
and not upon color
The educational qualifications hereto
fore prescribed in the Sotth have been
perfectly reasonable and moderate. By
simply studying nights and upon days
when not otherwise employed TIE most
ignorant man of any color can IN a few
months fit himself for the exercise Of
the suffrage. unless he is one Of unusual
stupidity. No person who desires to
see the country inteIligently governed
should object TO such measures. The
point usually made that they are aimed
al the negro really has very little
weight The fact that there Is so much
illiteracy IN the South is the strongest
argument in favor of thus curtailing
the suffrage, ana the argument IS not
weakened in the slightest by the cir
cumstance that the larger proportion
of those affected are Of the coIored race.
a few ignorant voters in a community
IS a comparatively trivial matter, but
when the uIiterates are numerous it
creates a situation Of much gravity
The country at large should be fair to
the South in dealing with this qUes-
ton. There is an objection, even in the
most extreme North. 10 treating the ne
few years ago a colored man was nomf-
mated in Boston for a local Office on the
Republican ticket, and II came very
near disruDting the party The feeling
was SO intense that he finally had 10
withdraw from the field. In the case
referred to the objections were not
based upon the lack Of competency in
the candidate, but solely upoD his color
StiIl, it IS a fact that many Of those
whose Indignation was aroused at the
idea Of a negro holding a minor Office
in Boston are perfectly wiling TO see
whole States of the South dominated
absolutely by negroes, no matter how
ignorant the most Of them may be-
There IS q, vast difference between deal
ing with such a question at a distance
Of a thousand miles and being confront
ed by II in ones immediate social and
political circle
What the people Of Boston would do
if there were actual danger Of the city
government falling completely into ne
gro hands we shan not venture to pre-
diet, Our only purpose now is to sug-
gest that, whatever i done in Alabama
in the way Of DISTINGUISHING iIIiterates.
should be done fairly and consistently
with reference to IHteracy solely and
without regard 70 color The grand
father" provision rests upon mere SEN
timent-a feeling of unwiIIingness to
take the ballot from man whose faith
er and grandfather were voters. Such
a sentiment IS over-straIned. Besides,
the provision may endanger the valid
ity Of the law and defeat the very pur-
pose in view The courts may hold
such an exception in favor of a certain
class Of whites as indicating a purpose
TO discriminate against the blacks on
account of their color The iliterate
sons Of their fathers and grandsons Of
their grandfathers surely cannot be
very numerous class, and the best thing
FOR them to DO is TO learn to read and
write.