The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-24
virEinia's constitutional Convention

/ That the sentiment Of the Virginia
/ Constitutional Convention is distinctly
J anti-negro is beyond all dispute. The
! speeches delivered in that body and the
applause which greeted them leave
I no room for doubt as 70 the trend of
/ Virginia thought upon the question Of
/ the negro in politics But there never
was any doubt respecting IL. For more
than two centuries the normal COndi-
ton Of the negro In the South was that
Of a slave, and II naturally created
feeling in the Southern mind that both
politically and socially the negro is an
inferior. Southern whites are gener-
ally disposed 10 treat the negroes kind
", but not as equals. The Southern
er's way Of putting il is that he wants
the negro in his place" 1t is needless
TO say that such place is not in the
white mans social circle. or at the poll
ing booth, ballot in hand, to pit his vote
against that Of his former master.
II is mere waste Of time for people
in the North 10 argue that this is all
wrong. and that the whites Of the South
should be forced 10 accept the negro
as an equal That the feeling is natu-
raj one is clearly proven by the circum-
stance that il is almost universal. and
IL is futile 70 argue against nature The
feeling is not confined to the Demo-
cratic party. but exists among South
ern white Republicans also, who barely
tolerate the negro for the sake Of his
vote. In the North the Republican par
" is the party Of aristocracy and caste
Republican leaders. TO be sure. make a
great parade Of their devotion 20 the
interests Of the laboring classes. but OBJ
viously that is very largely with politi-
cal ends in view. II the negroes were
relatively as numerous in the North the
feeling against them there would be
just as strong as IL is in the South, and
probably stronger.
In dealing with the Southern feeling
toward the negro in order 10 be fair
we must consider il in the light Of con-
ditions as they have existed and now
exist in that section. At the same time
those who feel that the negro should be
eliminated from Southern politics. and
who are leading the movement to that
end ought not TO lose their heads com
pletely and say lndiscreet things or ad-
v0cate unwise methods Of procedure.
There is no good reason why the Vir-
ginia constitution should not be sub
mitted TO the legal voters Of the State
for ratification Granting that the con
vention may lawfully proclaim IT, still
il should be borne I'm mind that this is
a popular Government, and the custom
has been universal 10 submit new con
stitutiOns OF amendments 10 the people
for endorsement. a failure 20 do SO i'm
Virginia will provoke no end Of adverse |
comment and viii greatly intensity the
feeling which prevails in certain quar-
tiers that the negroes are being njustIy
treated. But 81 viii do more than this
II Will be taken as indicating a fear
that the people would not approve the
constitution. and hence il Will be claim
ed that fl does not fairly voice public /
sentiment.
Not only should the people vote upon !
il. but the negroes themselves who are |
row legal voters should also be permit /
ted 70 vote They should not be denied |
the ballot upon the ground Of illiteracy |
or for any other cause until the present |
lawful electorate Of the State has SO |
decreed. There is scarcely the shadow OF !