Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-07-18
O'FLAHERTY'S
RESOLUTION.
Crandfather'S Clause is Legislation Of
the Most Vicious Kind.
VIOLATION OF BILL OF RIGHTS.
Similar Protest is Made in Alabama Con-
stitutiOnaI Convention, by Minority
of Suffrage Committee.

OF Su1lraSe committee.
Mr.. O'Flaherty member of the Consti'
tutional Convention from Warren county,
has introduced in the convention a res
olution which is protest against the
methods by which the revolutionists Of
that body expect to trample upon the
rights of citizens for partisan ends. The
resolution, which we commend to all our
readers, is as follows:
Resolved, That it is the sense of this
convention that the adoption OF any pro-
vision whereby a privilege is given one
citizen over another in the matter of suf'
frage by reason of his or her ancestors
military services is class legislation of the
most vicious kind, and in violation OF the
principles of the Bill of Rights as promul-
gated to the world by Virginians more
than century ago, wherein they declare
that no set of men are entitled to exclu'
sive privileges, and in violation of both the
letter and spirit If the Constitution of the
United States, which we as voters have
sworn to defend, as well as in violation of
the principles of equal rights which are
inherent in the body polite, which We
represent, and to which we are amenable
in the forum of political ethics, and the
specific application of which test, without
any exceptions, provisions or alternatives
would actually disfranchise some men,
bers of the body if applied to them.
And we further declare it Objectionable,
because it establishes permanent hered-
itary government class which is undem'
ocratic and contrary to the spirit Re-
publican form of government, and because
it is impracticable of administration, un-
necessary. unwise and will involve us in
an untried realm of political expediency."
A convention is now being held in Ala
bama to frame a new Constitution tor
that State; and an effort is there being
made to restrict suffrage as is being done
in Virginia. The Suffrage Committee of
the Alabama Convention consists of
twenty-five members. Twenty one Of
these members have agreed to report the
Mississippi plan, known as Grandfather
Clause, with some notifications. -Four
of the Suffrage Committee have prepared
protest in the shape of minority report
which is a strong and unanswerable pre-
sentation of their views. The protest is
as follows:
"Wc ase Of the opinion that the above
clause. on its face, violates the Fedora
Constitution, which we have taken an
oath to support. 1t undertakes, by indi'
rect means, to deny or abridge the right
to vote to citizens of the United States, on
account of race, color, or previous condl
tions of servitude, which is forbidden by
the Fifteenth Amendment 10 that instru
ment. This is done by comforting tie
right to vote upon class, viz, descen'
dants of soldiers, this class including prac'
tically all of the white and excluding prac
tically all of the negro race. 1t does not
prescribe qualification bearing any prop
er relation to the capacity of the voter t'
understand and discharge the responsible
tiles of the elective franchise, but fixes al
arbitrary status, depending solely upol
his descent from an ancestry over which
he had and has no control, and which
impossible of attainment by any exertio
ON his part. We submit that the test re
ouired is not a rule or condition to whic
all citizens similarly situated may conform
This. we understand from the decisions Q
the United States Supreme Court, is nee
essary to make 1t valid.
1t establishes permanent, heredltar
governing class, which is undemocrati(
unrepublican, and un-American.
II insults the white men of Alabama an
proclaims their inferiority to the negro b
recurring of them, as suflragans, lowe
standard of capacity and intelligence tina
that required of the negro.
1t is not necessary. The ballot can
secured TO the honest and capable withor
resorting to this subterfuge.
The adoption of fair and honest su
frage plan would secure the sympathy an
confidence of our fellow-citizens in ever
section of the Union"
She Didn't Wear Mask