The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-04-27
EREnERIoKsBURe, Va, SATURDAY APRIL 2n 1901.
[Communicated.l
The Negro and the Franchise

I'm come before the Constitutional Con
vention. 10 il il, if arbitrary methods
are to be followed without regard to
onv Injustice thnt may be done. 1t IL
the popular conception that the Negro
ia 10 I've deprived ID the privilege OF vot-
inc inst as far ~ can be- done without
contravening the Constitution OF the
limited States. and that no white man
sbaH lose his vote Just how lar the
evhelne may be feasible remains To be
prOyel.
That the Fifteenth amendment was
horn Of n malignant hatred OF the South,
and Of n desire to debase it to the lowest
depths of degradation, noSCuthern white
man will deny. How perilousiy near It
came to accomplishing its object De-
longs to history, and need not be con
sidered here. The fear OF again
being cursed by Negro domination
has been the means of compelling the
white men of the South to band them
selves together for mutual protection
The easiest solution of the whole matter
would he To repeal the Fifteenth amend
ment. but that il maniiestly impossible.
The next easiest is to disfranehse by
State laws. so far a. possible
Whether pIeusing or otherwise' the
negro is here az voter, and here 10
stov unless he can be gotten rid OF by
means Of State laws. lie is n citizen oi
the Commonwealth, and in all probaDll-
itv will remain so. whether allowed To
vote ar not. He is Taxpayer 10
limited extent, and taxeatT 10
loroer extent. lie costs much more than
no il worth ms n citizen, but there IL no
wnv Of avoiding this expense, and the
white race must periorce, grin ana Dear
it," .,
L. is claimed that the State should rld
herself of the incubus of the ignorant ana
deoraded black vote. As to the ignorant
and degraded white yote-well, tha''
il another story. The shief objection TO
the ignorant Negro as a voter il not
heeanse ne is black. but really because
he il A Republican, and won't become
nonoerat II he would vote WITH both
norties anywhere near equally there
would br 40 talk OF disIranchisement
While il is wrong undoubtedly TO elect
n RepubIicao Negro to office, yet there
does not appear to be anything N''d
about putting n black Democrat III a"
ogice When CroxtOn was in Congress
h. secured an Office for one OF his DhicA
suDnorters. and Congressman Jones Is
auee,ed to have secured the appointment
of Negro postmaster. Presumably tne
last was n Democrat, or mt least sup
porter of the Congressman. There nave
been instances where Democrats nave
made bargains with Republican Negroes
in district elections, where, in return 'or
Negro support of some of the Democra,e
candidates the Democrats have reirain-
ed from nominating other candidates.
thus allowing the election OF Negroes Dy
default. There are counties where Demo
crafts have held office for years, solely
through the aid rendered by the ignorant
and venal vote. How these votes were
secured need not be considered at TINS
time 1t is not likely that any oil Inns
eloss of democrats will be in favor OF
DISTINGUISHING any Negro, no matter
what his intellectual status may pe.
They simply could not do it without
destroying themselves. Then there are
Others who are enabled to carry counties
by controlling the black vote, and 1t Is
not to he supposed that this class VIII
favor the abridgment OF any ot ther
peculiar privileges. -,
Granted that the ignorant black Will
he deprived of the ballot. what then
VIII he remain ignorant? Not at all.
Rut we will lessen his school funds ana
keen him ignorant, say some. Even
then. he will attain the necessary degree
of knowledge. When the Negro under
stands that knowledge is a necessary
condition of suffrage then he will under
90 any privation to secure that kno"i-
edge. He regards the right to vote as
his greatest privilege, as being next TO-
If not greater than his religion. Besides
the sober sense OF the people VIII not
permit of any such discrimination IN tne
application of school funds.
The State cannot afford the stigma ol
permitting a large number OF her citizens
IN he deprived of primary educational
advantages. merely because OF the TACT
that they are in dire poverty, and that
| if is desired to keep them ignorant to
nrevent them from voting. Such action
would he n direct blow at the free school
system. and would probably destroy IT,
as the way would be opened Tor a
division of the school taxes between the
rich taxpayers and the poorer taxpayers
and non-tax-payers, or 1oOai "O"i''oA'
of all school taxes.
Any educational test ought to apply
equally to all classes and colors. WIN
the grandfather clause and such MAKE
shifts engrafted in the Constitution tnere
would be no such incentives to learn 70
read az in the case of the blacks, ana ~
the end of few years there would De a
larger number Of illiterate whites than o,
blacks. Practically all of the blacks would
he voters. with increased animosity
against the whites; and the last con
dition will be worse than the first.
If the promoters Of the disfranchise
ment scheme had the benefit OF the Com
monwealth at.heart, instead OF that o.
their party, they probably would have
aoitated a property qualification as
nro- -raouisite To suffrage instead of-or II