The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-01-15
Ghe Messerrger.
FAILURE TO WRONG THE SOUTH

O6TS. II Will give Null NdAOALAas a. VI
several other states. an increase Of n
member, making the next delegation
ten. The resolution Of Olmstead, OF
Pennsylvania, was an Infamous at
tempt to reduce h representation of
the southern states. 1t was too mean
and spiteful to 5 even a republican
house. 1t was the inspiration Of fanat-
icism, ne~grophilism and old out
hatred combined. The New York
Evening Post. not soft on the south or
democratic, said pertinently:
1T is difficult to imagine any way
in which a congressional committee, or
any other authority, could ever dis
cover how many male citizens Of Mis-
sissippi, for example, are denied the
right Of suffrage by its laws, when the
a~bstention from voting Is almost as
pronounced among whites as among
blacks, and when nothing short of a
separate investigation IN each individ-
ual case apparently could show how
many Of these abstain because they
cannot read or understand the consti-
tuition, how many because they cannot
pay a poll-tax or meet the registration
requirements, and how many because
they do not care enough ABOUT casting
a ballot to pay a cent to take any
trouble in the matter"
But the Post did not stop with this
bit of practical sense. but it went on
in the old blind style OF n~egrophilist,
n said that h whites desire to sup
press the negro vote for all time, and
altogether. This is not true. The leg
islation affecting the right of the negro
to vote is not to deprive him always of
the right to vote, but only so long as
he is in stolid ignorance and unfit for
the franchise. 1t offers him an oppor-
tunity to qualify himself to vote. and
the Evening Post knows that, if it is
not itself entirely ignorant of condi-
tions. It's sympathies are so greatly
moved that it is ignorant enough to
say of the misrepresented actual condi-
tons that "the continuance of such
public opinion must be educated until
it shall command a. REFORM" 1t can
never enlighten public opinion by
misrepresenting facts or by being will
ing to continue to illiterate negroes
the right to tax the educated whites,
and to control the dest1n1es of southern
sovereign states. That is a little too
much like the old fanaticism and en-
crusted ignorance of the past.
The Philadelphia Times has a much
be -er understanding of the real con-
ditions in the south. and a clearer view
of the legislation needed. 1t concludes
a very sensible editorial with these
words of wisdom and fairness:
There is not a black man In one of
those states who could not qualify him
self for suffrage within a year, and
very many republicans are in hearty
accord with restrictive laws which re-
quire voters to have some measure of
intelligence to enable them to exercise
the rights of sovereign citizens. 1t is
quite probable that the question may
never reach the dignity of either legal
or political determination. as the lead
ers of the republican party wisely as
sumo that when suffrage Is within the
reach of all by simply qualifying them
selves to read their own ballots there
can be no infraction of the supreme
law OF the republic"
The Evening Post is an able, scholar
1y newspaper, and 1t ought to learn
something real as to the south, and
obtain a clearer, sane understanding
of the negro, of his treatment, and of
what the constitution holds. A paper
to educate must Itself have accurate
knowledge. Its teachings will fan ia
naticism rather than enlighten the
minds of those who stand much in need
of it, by disappearing what the
southern whites propose. and what they
are now essaying to accomplish by leg
is.ation.
In North Carolina Senator Pritchard,
republican, said that $4,000 gro
would still vote under the amendment
to the constitution. There may not be
more than 40. 600. But all the electors
may, or nearly all. learn to read by
July 1, 1902. when the amendment takes
effect. 1t is an abuse of privileges as
well as of the truth to say hat the
whites are trying to deprive all negroes
of the right to vote for all time.
If that statement were in a thousand
south would not be now levying mill
lions of dollars of taxes upon whites
for the purpose of supplying education
al advantages TO the negroes. North
Carolina has had and will continue to
have, negro schools. whether it really
elevates the negroes OIL not. 1t will
make some better citizens no doubt
but there are tens of thousands who
will be no better by 1t. in all probabili-
ty, either morally, physically or intel
Iectually. The whites VIII do their part
generously. literally. faithfully by the
negroes. All but blinded fanatics know
that this has marked for three decades
the course of the white Taxpayers of
North Carolina and the south.
The republican party has not he
power, if it has the disposition, to pre-
vent southern states from eliminating
any part or all of the negro vote il
they so purpose. So resolve. All fairly
intelligent and informed people know,
or ought { know, that the federal gov
eminent has no power over the states
49, L. 49, 49, ~ f~n ra %n