The age-herald., 1901-07-14
TO MAKE A TEST CASE.
Validity of States Constitution To Be Attacked.

| From the New Orleans Times Democrat.
 The validity of the constitution of the
 State relative to disfranchsing voters on
 the illiterate and property qualification | clauses will in a short time be tested. It | has been the intention of prominent negro | Republicans for some time to test the | validity of this clause, but not until re- | gently was there an opportunity. Then l Col. Jerry Gleason, registrar, refused to | allow a negro named Rynes to register. Rynes went to the registrars office with James Lewis and other prominent negro Republicans with the purpose of register ing. Colonel Gleason, on questioning the man, refused to allow him to register, and
 then James Lewis admitted that this was going to be made a test case. The appli- cant did not have the necessary qualifica- | tions and consequently could not register. When asked about the case yesterday | Colonel Gleason said that the negro went to the registrars office and made applica- | tion to register. He was asked if he could
 read and write and said he could not | He was then asked if he owned the | necessary amount Of property to qualify
 him as voter, and Rynes said that he did not. Colonel Gleason then told him that he could not register him. Colonel
 Gleason said that this law applied to both | colors, and would be enforced.
 | After the refusal James Lewis said that
 they had taken Rynes to the office to see 1 if he could register, and that if he was
 refused a test case would be made of it. | The case will be watched with interest all over the south, and probably the north, | too.
 "This," so a prominent Republican said | yesterday, lis the beginning of the fight of the Afro American Council, which has headquarters at Washington. The inaugu-
 ration of the fight began Wednesday,
 when this negro, who Is a full black, at- | tempted to register. It is generally under
 stood that a large sum of money has been I raised to test the ,constitutionality of
 such acts, and the suit will be pushed to | Its final conclusion. Maj. Armand Romain
 has been employed to fight the case at
 this end of the line, and when the case goes to Washington some of the best le- | gal talent in the country will represent
 the council. The constitutionality of the
 grandfather clause will also be presented
 before the Supreme Court of the United
 States.
 "The decision, of this case by the high
 est court in the land will be far-reaching
 in its importance. as all past and future l legislation of the southern states will hinge on this where the negro has been
 or is about to be disfranchised. We claim | that 1t operates for one class of citizens as against another.'
 | This will be the first case of this kind | to be tested, and it will be watched with
 interest, coming as 1t does from one of the southern states that has enacted the
 educational and property qualifications,
 while the Legislatures of Virginia and
 Alabama are now in session with similar
 questions being agitated. It will require
 some time to take the case through the different courts, but 1t is thought by those
 who have volunteered to test the case
 that decision will have been reached be-
 fore the next Presidential election Is held