The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-09-01
The SITUATION IN VIRGINIA.
STRIKING PRESENTATION BY A
DfSTINGUIsHED yIRGINIAN.
R,iminsuea Of the Negro Voters weaid
Endsnser the Democratic Party
whites VINO Refuse 70 Vote OF VINE
Vote Against More man Tbe,.

Elimination 81 the negro NoteSs ve"s"
Endanger the Democratic paro-
whites VINO Refuse to Vote es VINO
Vote Against % More Than Tbe,.
Will the Constitutional convention dis
franchise the great mass OF the white men
of the State OF virginia.
This IA the question which Ii agitsttnG
the minds Of the people OF the Old Dominion
who are Just beginning to rcalize hat the
htsts has reached the most important
ortsis In its history during the life OF the
urs>spt generation. There In n wide d.
ytsion Of opinion a. IN what the real pur-
poss of tho CONSTITUTIONAL convention
NAV be. On the one hand. IL 10 commended
that anal action Of the convention Will
result In the disfranchisemsnt OF q greater
number OF white men a OF negroes.
,n the other this In holly denied by the
LEADING advocates OF Constitutions revision
who warmly protest tharIno white man viii
lie dsfrauded Of his birthright.
The question may be- more fully put this
,vay. VIII the Constitutional convention
eliminate the negro from politics and there
ton or will Il endeavor to perpetuate the
.unremacy OF the Democratic party ma
chin. by the Acknowledgement OF the great
,ody OF white voters. leaving small and
compact electorate. which may he organ
i,ed into an oficeholders' trust, IL is
undoubtedly true that with the negro vote
eliminated from elections and the white
voters left u~ndisturbed In the exercise OF
the right Of suffrage the Democratic party
will be put In imminent danger OF defeat.
mis- must be understood In order TO com
prehend the motives and the purposes
which are likely to guide and determine
the course OF the convention In the settle
ment OF the elective franchise.
Tho white section Of the State N the
danger point and the Black Belt. with fs
large negro vote. has come 20 be the sheet
anchor Of safety To the Virginia Democracy,
- we shall presently see.
Tho total number Of white men In the
State who vote against the Democratic
marty or who refuse 20 vote at all In greater
Ihan the total number Of qualified negro
voters under the present Constitution.
The total number Of negroes entitled TO the
right Of suffrage Is ite .i27. Tn total mum
Der Of white voters is sol $40. In the Preai-
Dental election lAst year the total vote for
the Democratic candidate was i+e.oso IL
follows therefore that II all the votes cast
for BRYAN were the ballots Of white men,
there we're left i54, 200 white men h voted
against the Democratic candidate or who
RECLAIMED from voting
Ih-se returns, however. do not discloee
the whole truth by any means, and tho
real condition OF the Democratic party
l. far more critical than they indicate. IL
l. admitted that the election returns ara
doctored and false and that the ballots OF
many thousand illiterate voters, black ana
white, we're marked not as directed oy .he
voter. but according TO the pleasure OF the
Judge OF election % whom the duty OF as
sistlng tho illiterate voter Was ign
This u no secret. IL IL not a matter In dir-
pute. The reason commonly given 20 JUS
tify the proposed disfranchiseinent OF the
negro by Constitutional provision Ia that
this method of eliminating him from poll.
tics Il preferable TO cheating III out OF
his vote. hat To exclude the negro IRON
the ballot box by law IL better than fraud
and swindling In elections Nobody pre-.
tends 70 believe that elections are honest
and fair. II u every whore acknowledged
that the returns from many counties are
dishonest and false. II follows as an In
contestable fact. therefore. that the true
number of ballots cast for the Democratic
candidate last year by white men was many
thousand less than $4,000. How many
Mckinley ballot. were marked and counted
for Bryan cannot be guessed. or what
proportion OF tho les 600 ballots counted
FOR Bryan we're cast by negroes cannot ts
known. The true Democratic vote was
possibly i2S 600, possibly ico.Oo. The real
vote can never be known. But the election
returns doctored and false though they To
show beyond a possibility OF denial that
the Democratic candidate received Less
than one-half the white vote 81 the State by
many thousands.
IN we examine the election returns care
fully. county by county. IL will he reen
that this fatal weakness Of the Democratic
party r. not confined To any ono section OF
the State. IL l.. Of course. most pronounced
In sections where the white voters are In an
overwhelming majority, but this silent
protest against the party In power h un-
inlstakahly disclosed in what il known as
the Black Bolt. where the negroes are most
numerous.
Herr Il a table % Congress districts,
with the total number Of white voters
- H..