The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-29
NEGROES IN VIRGINIA
RICHMOND CONVENTION WILL NOT RESULT IN DIsFBAN-
 CHIsEMENT.
Obstacles in the Way of the Plan to Eliminate the Colored Vote
 Are Many.

 Richmond, (va.) Special.
 lightweight Demorcats and twelve Republicans chosen from every section of the State as representative men will assemble here on the 12th inst. to amend and revise the organic law of the State.
 The result of the work is awaited with intense interest in Virginia, as there are grave questions to be con- sidered ,and there is considerable difference of opinion among the mem bers of the convention as to the proper course to pursue.
 Stripped of all verbiage. the conven- tion was originally called to devise some method of eliminating the negro vote. and that this would be done at one time appeared as certain as any thing in human affairs. Now that the time to act is at hand many obstacles heretofore not clearly fore seen have arisen and the way is be- strewn with doubts and difficulties.
 There is, first, the question as to how 1t will be possible to disfranchise the negro on the ground of being ignorant and unfit to vote and not to disturb the uneducated white man, and at tEe same time to frame a provision which
 
 the Supreme Court. Then. too. there has arisen in the minds of many a doubt as to whether it will be desira- ble to disfranchise the negro at all; whether such an act would not benefit rather than harm the Republican party.
 This idea has come into being since the presidential vote of 1900. when it was observed that all the counties in Virginia. densely populated by negroes were carried for Bryan, while the white counties went for Mckinley. Here Is new peril which was not thought of when the first movement to call con- stitutional convention was made:
 No Dsfranchisement Possible
 Such being the case, 1t is safe to say in advance of the meeting of the con- vention that there will be no whole sale Acknowledgement of the negro, al- though the more hot-headed element all over Virginia has been clamoring loudly for 1t as panacea for all poiiti- cal ills. But the disposition of the right of franchise now held by the negro under the constitution of the United States will not be the only question which will bring that race prominently before the convention. Of almost equal importance is the matter of free education of the colored chill dren.
 Some negroes in Virginia have &C., Quired property and pay their share toward the maintenance of the public schools, but by far the larger portion have no possessions and are. therefore. not subjects for taxation. Nearly the whole sum for school purposes is now contributed by the whites and tho negroes share the educational ad- vantages equally.
 The constitutional convention will consider the question of dividing the school fund: spending the amount con- | tributed by the whites on the white children and that derived from taxa | ing the negro upon the colored children. In plain words, this means that the education Of the negro will be practi- cally cut off. as the sum contributed by him is insignificant.
 If this plan prevails, however, it will be only after long struggle, as many of the leading men of Virginia. as we'll as members of the convention, have | declared that 1t would be against the religious and industrial interests of | the State to doom a people who must live here to ignorance.
 Policy of Senator Daniel.
 United States Senator John W. Daniel, who will be prominent figure l in the convention, has taken strong stand against the division of the school fund and his views have been | indorsed by the ministers and teachers | of the State. The element in Virginia which is the reverse of conservative, Is demanding the change, hut there is now every reason to believe that it will not be made.
 The body about to assemble is com posed in large part of the best ele- ment in Virginia. and thereon rests the safety of the State.
 Its leading members are Senator John W. Daniel, ex-Congressman John | Goode. ex-Congressman George D. Wise and many of the leading lawyers | of the commonwealth. Close inquiry as to the occupation of profession of each member of the convention shows that forty-eight are lawyers, seventeen | are farmers, seven are merchants, three are bankers, two are doctors, two are ministers, two are manufacturers, two are editors, two are professors and two civil engineers. At one time it was feared that the officeholders would predsminate in the convention, but the answers show that there are twenty seven offlceholders elected to the con- vention, distributed as follows: Com monwealth's attorneys. seven; State Senator's six; county judges, five; cir cult judges, three; members of house of delegates. two; United States Sena- tor, one; county clerk, one; corporation court judges, one. Twenty-Five of the members have previously never held office, where forty-eight are ex-office- | holders.