The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-10-05
Brilliant Close of an Able 4
Argument.
.sPOKEFOR TW0ifOLJRS
Answered Many Questions from His
Colleagues.
DANIEL SPEAKS TUESDAY NlGfl
Viii Answer the Norfolk Le.des. ask
Contend for the Minority plarNs
Session o-Nisht-conferences WIN
Last Several Weeks = Full s s.
Outline OF What Mr.
Thom Said ;ss ss
DANIEL SPEAKS TUESDAY NlGttl

Delegate Alfred P. Thom OF Norfolk,
concluded his very able arg,lme mt in favor
OF the majority report of the Suffrage
Committee before well-attended session
of the Democratic conference in Conven-
ton Hall last night.
1t was 1920 o'clock when Mr. Thorn
finished his address. and the conferences
at that hour adjourned until next Tues
day night. when Senator Daniel Will be-
heard in favor OF the minority plan.
The Norfolk leader spoke with his char
actaristic force and eioquence. and ably
supplemented the remarks made by HIM
on the two previous nights in favor Of
the scheme put forward by himself and
his colleagues. When. ut the end Of g.
brilliant peroration. in the nature Of an
appeal for relief from the curse of negro
suffrage, which he said would come with
the adoption of his plan, the speaker res
sumed his seat there was a storm of c0n-
tinued applause, and members crowded
about his desk to shake his hand in con-
graduation. Taken altogether tha
speech is generally pronounced as one OF Z
the finest arguments which has yet been
produced in the convention on any sub
ject.
Mr. Thorn devoted considerable time to
and for the Information of his colleagues
as to his plan. and he did it with cnarac-s
teristc courtesy ane. cearness.
PECULIARLY ELOQUENT.
Mr.. Thom's closing appeal to his col-a
leagues to help bring relief to the white
people of the State. by removing the
curse of negro suffrage. was peculiarly
eloquent and at times touching, and
seemed to impress his hearers very deep
ly SIN Gods name I beg of ycu." he
exclaimed with uplifted hands, mot to-
press down upon US in the esst the
awful blight ofa~thise eternal curse
Don't let us return again tn the 6lth Of
our prison houses by q failure to grasp
the only opportunity for relief that has
come to us for thirty years. anG. the only
one that will come in our cay and gener-4
ation.' ..Alieu hands placed this curSaa
upon us: will it not be d brothers that
will take it OFF,
.'Will you loosen our energies and open
the paradise of our achievement? L trust
to God you will: and. IL You will. yir-8
ginia will stand ready at Gods command
to go forward with the other States OF
this Union in the splendid march of civifi-a
Zation and progress.
The conferences are likely to continue
for several weeks.
MR. THoaI BEGINS.
The conference devoted little time to-
L
the argument on the majority report OF
the Suffrage Committee. He said thas
plan of the majority made. in addition to-
the prerequisite of age. the prerequisites
of payment of poll-tax of St50 except as
to those who served in the war. AL
others who could show that they paid as
much as one dollar tax on property
owned by themselves or wife. as evidence
of their interest in government, or WHO
could show that they had been .reSn-
larly employed for three months. as evil
dence of their permanent attachment, or
who could explain shs duties of officers
for whom they offered to vote, would bs
entitled to do So Either one of these
alternatives would give the right to vote.
Any one permitted to register prior to
january 1st, 1904. remains a qualified
voter during life, and will not be required
to register again.
After January 1st, 1864 applicants for
registration must, in additions to the al
tentative qualifications above enumerat-
ed. make such application in their OWL
handwriting and mark their ballots with
out assistance. In l4is way all who are
excluded prior to 1904 and who apply foCs
registration after that time can be shut
out, without en6angerinS the right to-
vote of all whose names have already
been placed on the permanent registra~
ton roll.
MINORITY PIAN.
The minority plan requires the cunu-
lative capitation tax. the understanding
clause for a temporary expedient, and
makes reading and writing Il permanent
test, by which in a few years, IL NOT now,ts
all negroes qualify and vote. AS to
the cumulative poll-taX. the danger Is Is
may prove a dangerous expedent and
cause untold trouble. It may affect more
white men than negroes, because while q
hi
the negro hugs it to his bosom as a price
less privilege
White men are often careless and indif-
ference about voting, but when the negro
realizes that there is nothing between
him and the baIIot-box but q poll-tax. tha
negro churches, ii necessary would club
together and see that every one was paid.
The result Of the poll-tax experiment. In
Mississippi has not been encouraging
The majority plan certainly niinirnizes
the opportunities for fraud IN elections
and makes 1t Impossible in the future for
man to be defrauded OF his ballot. wheu
once cast, without his own fraudulent
consent.
CAN BE OVERCOME
In the minority plan there Is no ub-
stacIe that the negro cannot overcome
IL he wants to-
It does not solve the race problem. buA
simply deals with the question OF reflnc-
ing numbers. It places on the regissras
ton books the morning after they arg
opened s.eto negroes, and this number ts
Increased with an accelerated growth
: each year. sssS7s ssSs
The people oa the black belt plead foe
the liberty to be independent. to becoms
great, which they can never be so long
as the problem Is dealt with as only onA
of political mator;ties OF the whites oref
the blacks.
& If you stop the understanding clausas: