The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-30
The virginia Suffrage Question.

There is nothing to be gained by dis
cussins the negro suffrage question in
a spirit Of rank unfairness and upon
the basis Of a misstatement Of facts
Colonel Summers ought to be painfully
impressed with this truth, after his ex-
perienCe yesterday in the Virginia Con-
stitutional Convention. He took strong
even viOlenJ-grOund against the pro-
posed change Of the suffrage law. It
was his privilege 70 oppose the change,
and upon his side there is much that
could be said with force and effect by
a man Of ability and sound discretion
This gentleman may have ability, but
he certainly lacks the discretion.
Colonel Summers was especially IN
happy III addressing himself 20 TIE gal
leries instead Of TO the convention it.
self. Talking 10 the galleries is not a
new thing in deliJerative bodies. and
sometimes IL is a play that is attended
with a certain measure Of success. II
there Was any success in this case the
press reports fail to give the slightest
suggestion Of il. be first turned 20 the
gallery occupied by negroes, and de-
Chisc men in Richmond whose eGuca-
ti0nal and professional attachments
were superior to those Of any man on
the floor of the convention A more ut
terlv reckless and demag0Pical state
ment than this it would be difficult 10
imagine.
In the first place while there are un-
dUubtedly negroes Of education and
professional attachments in Virginia. il
IS open TO very grave question whether
There is one who is superior in his at
tainments to any member Of that CON
ventiDn. No proof has ever been gwen
Of such superiority. and the public Will
scarcely accept such an assertion as a
fact in the absence Of fairly substantial
proof.
But secondly. if there are negroes
possessing the high intellectual accom-
pIishmeuts claimed for them by Colonel
Summers. the statement proves nothing
but the speakers complete want Of can
dor. for there is no proposition before
the convention which looks 10 the dis
Reimbursement Of such men. The pro-
posed disqualification is upon the
ground of ignorance. and SO far from
its operating to disfranchise highly
scholastic cOlored men, there is no edu-
cation required under any Of the pro-
posed plans that cannot be obtained by
a person Of ordinary intelligence by
devoting his leisure moments to study,
Tor "a period Of a year. at the most.
This extremist received a weu-merit-
ed rehuke when he turned from the ne
gro gallery TO that occupied by the la
dies. There sat the intellectually and
refinement OF Southern wUmauhcOd.
but Coloael Summers was not concern
ed about suffrage for them. His seusi-
tive soul was shocked at the idea OF
the ballot being taken from a negro
who does not know the alphabet from
crazy quilt; but the disfranchisement
Of the educated women who sat before
him was a matter Of no earthly mo-
ment 20 this indignant champion OF
human rights. No wonder the ladies
turned their backs upon him in silent
disgust
The incident serves as a f0rcefuI re-
minder Of the suggestion made by The
Times a day or two since. that upon
the score Of natural rights alone. the
white woman has at least as much
claim 10 the ballot as has the black
man Had the Republican party cham
piOned female suffrage as earnestly as