Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-09-28

Discrimlnates In Favor Of Wealth In
the south as 1t Did In tile Old
Slavery Days.
TO know what political organiza-
tion is 1t is always we'll to go whore
1t has plenty of opportunity of its own
to do just what it likes, and is not re-
strlcted in its newspaper expressions.
or campaign professions by the fear
oil even a wholesome and vigorous
minority. OF course, where q party Is
itself il minority, 1t is often guard
cd in its public utteranccs by press and
speech and platform, because its ap-
peal is TO the moderate people who
stand between the two great political
divisions, and may be influenced
enough to change that minority into
q majority, at least once in a while.
Consequently, in Chic, the full flower
OF Democracy can never lie soen in its
perfection. hat we set in this state
is simply faint shadow Of what party
may be where it is in unrestricted and
liGlitlcss control.
The Southern states show Demo
cricy in its true condition, and just
no. we have particularly good OBJ
ject lesson IN the new constitution that
The Alabama Democrats, by 1872 to II,
In the state constitutional convention
have adopted, and that the Democratic
state committee of Alabama has OIL
| ciGlly commended to its party as the
fulfillment OF Democratic pledges and
good Democratic doctrine, urging their
supporters as party to do all in their
power in it's behalf. The instrument
provides for system Of state regis
tration that reaches every precinct in
the state, but with only one reglstra-
ton day and one registration place In
any precinct; and no voter who fails
TO get his name on the list ON that
single day (whether by his own fault
or the obstruction or other fault of
the registration board), Is thencefor-
ward disfranchised, with no chance for
getting On the list.
Verso than that is it that after 1903
the principal qualification is one of
property. This hits the poor whites
just as hard as it does the colored men,
and betlays the old and everlasting
cnimus among the ruling class of the
South against "mudsills." The aris-
tocratic Southern Democracy has no
use for men except as its subordinatcs
and servants, and by this scheme
manages to use them without having
to bother about their votes. There Is
s nominal educational qualification,
but that is practically within the con-
troll in every case of the registration
board, and as such will be the same
humbug in Alabama as 1t has proved
in other Southern states, being only
q slick scheme for excluding voters
that they don't care to have. The
property clause requires man to have
$500 in personal property and real cs-
tate. either in his own name or that
Of his wife. Still harder is the re,
qIirement as an alternative that
voter must have had constant employ
ment for year previous to the day
OF registration.
How would the worliingmen
throughout the Northern states like to
tal,o their chances during Democratic
hard times of being disfranchised un-
der that kind OF eDmocratic ruling?
That party, having got them into trou-
bic and thrown them out OF work, un-
der tho Alabama plan, would shut
thcm out from the chance to undo the
mischief, and start the shops and the
mills as Mckinley SO well appealed to
them TO do. The Birmingham (Ala-
b2na) Times has some caustic criti-
cisms on this whole scheme for dis
franchiBing the poor whites of that
state, saying, among other things:
with what weapon will the poor
defend their rights when the right to
vote is taken away?
Suppose the registrars appoint the
very busiest time the farmer has as
registration day, what per cent. will
register?
"Will any Christian vote fer the
adoption of constitution that would
disfranchise Christ If he should ap-
pear upon earth, and become citizen
OF Alabama?
1--WE expect to see a few illlterate
Democrats believing the Democratic
rpeakers vote for the ratification of a
constitution, that will forever disfran-
ohise thom. t
"The permanent plaa for registration
treats ali alike; under 1t colorei man
can vote under any circumstance a
white man can and the temporary
plan is so arranged as to make 1t pos
si6le to refuse many worthy citizens
who can not make the satisfactory
proof of service IN war, etc. 'tt
"If Dives and Lazarus were here, un-
der the new constitution, Dives would
be a voter and Lazarus would be dis-
franchised as 1t is Lazarus is in
heaven and Dives in hell. where he
win eventually he Joined by necrly
every member OF the constitutional
convention. who voted for itD adop-
uon."