Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-03-02
not TO DIsFRAHoRIsR Us.


TYLER go reluctantly affixed his sigma
ture to the bill pro viding for the hold
ing OF constitutional convention tina
when he completed the act, he invol
untsry exclaimed "God save common
wealth.
This convention hss been ordered
for she svowed purpose OF violstips
the FIFTEENrH AMEEDNEsr to the OoN
sTITUrIoE Of the UNITED STATES which
Gov. TYLER aud every other membe,
OF that body are sworn to naiut.ir
and support. In the blizc effort &C
strike down the citizen of color, these
prejUdiced virginians are endsnRerins
the safety Of the commouu saith itself
Article XIV of the Federal Constitu.
tion reads:
THE right of citizens of the United
States TO vote shalt not be denied or
Abridged by the Uaited States, or by
any state. on account of race color. or
previous condition OF servisude The
congress shall have the power to en-
tion."
We do not need any Supreme Court
OF she Uniteo States to construe that
provision for as. It IL specific and
plain. A child can understand il.
Every cItizen, white and colored, IL
sworn to respect that provision of the
law.
And yet demsgogues are boldly an
nounciog that they art about to hold
constitutional convention for the
purpose OF taking away from Negroes
only their right to vote.
Prominent Democratic Journals.
presumed to be OF character and of
stansing are openly advocating the
doctrine to disfrsnchise no white man.
but disquslify ali colored onea
liz IL at all surprising then that in
the Ease OF such degeneracy, she Chief
Executive OF this state should exclAina
God save the commonwealth"
But there are other white men who
are equally sstounded at the sppareot
disregard Of law and contempt for
principles.
We have noted some soul stirring
articles from the former slAve-holdins
white men, who were reared by blask
mammies, but nothing has stirred ma
more than the following extract from
the news-columns of the Richmond.
Va, DIsPATcH Of the 2si instant:
"Ex-Governor Charles T O'Fsrr.li
has been mentioned In complimentary
terms as valuable man for ths con
stitrtional convention, and one Vir
GINA paper has come out editcriaIlv
JOE hlm. 50 matter of fact however
Colonel Overall hssn'G given a single
snougnt TO such 9 thing. He il i'm
Inerseo In Q b'g law practice which
precludes ell discussion of politics or
ss mi-politioaI things during business
hours Among close friends the ex-
Governor 10 willing to RJssip sbont
pubic affairs, but the doors of his law
I'm 50 are closed against such talk.
COienel OFerrAll told an intimste
acqusintancs day or so ago that per.
senally ne was an anti-sol vention
man, and that he thought any consti-
tutional reforms which seemed need-
co should be submitted to the people
In the snaps OF amend m ants, As he
existing Constitution permits. H
thinks the suffrage quession an ex
&c 3dtAgly delicate one, and ia of the
opinion that q sweeping fl ,rt to dis
franchise the Nrgro might prove a
boomerang. Moreover, he believes in
glVlng deserving Negroes q show es
peclalIy ss white men brought the
Etnloplons here. Fnrthermors, this
Is very democratic country aud too
much severity along the disfranchis-
lng nne would be utterly inconsistent
with republican Institutions.
In Colonel O'Ferralps opinion. the
educational qualification is a risky
thing, too. During the war said he
a mad many men ia my command who
had to sign their names with q cross
marx, but when 1t came to doing their
duty and hghting-or good, sound
sense, either, for that matSer-thav
were fully the equAls, il not superiors.
OF some college bred fellows I have
seen. TO deprive these men of their
vot would be utterly wrong.
No eir,' continued she ex Governor.
1 would rather see all the Negroes la
che state voting than have one good
white man disfrAnchised.'
These sentiments dropped from COL
onel OFerran's lips in q very hasty
and Internal conversation wish a
friend and By no means belong to
that class Of Newspaper 'inLcrviews'
which are prepared beforehand"
Ex.Governor O'FEaRALL stated the
whole case in nue-shsli. His posi-.
tion 10 terse and to the point and In
keeping witA the hiEh-stsndard which
be always ssss. He lives nos fog TO-