The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-23
MAY BE POLL TAX
AND PROP PERTY
Conference Drifting in
That Direction.
MR.. BRAXTON CLOSES,
His Final Effort is Brilliant
One.
CHEERED BY HIS COLLEAGUES.
Siguers of the Majority Report Turning from
Their Own-U -Understa nding aud Grand
father Clauses Both lmproper-Mr.
Glass 10 Speak When Confer
ence Meets Again or
Tues ay Night.

AS was indicated in The Times several
great fight between those who favor the
understanding clause as qualification
for voting, and those who. on the ether
hand, declare their purpose to forever
oppose it. will finally e:id in the adoption
of d poll tax provision with a. small
property qualification rs an adjn .ct.
The first significant thing in MS di-
rection took place III the Democratic
conference last night. Mr.. BraNton had
just concluded his ma asnificent argu-
ment in favor of Lis plan, IN which
he had iu-et at length upon tie under
standing clause, and declared in elo-
quent and forceful language that the
people of this State did n3S want 1t sad
died upon them.
Just as he resumed his seat amid vo-
ciferous cheering, Delegate c. B. Jones,
of King and queen. arose and asked:
Mr. Braxton will you agree to accept
a poll tax OF 81 with a straight nrc3el ty
qualification of 1852" Il v:ill, was the
quick and unhestating response. Dr..
McIlwaine: THAT IS right That is eX-
actly what we oISh- to adopt.
Mr.. Jones is one of the signers of the
majority plan, as reported by Mr. Thom.
Judge Bergman Green is another, and he
said, when asked ii the suggestion of Mr..
Jones would meet his views. that he had
always been q. property qualification man.
A crowd of members gathered about the
clerks desk and discussed the matter.
and many expressed the belief that such
course would finally be adopted.
Mr.. BraXton's closing effort in behalf OF
I,ic ,N1o ,I-Dc. ON q
one, and his final appeal against the
adoption of an understanding clause bor-
dered on the touching. lie pictured the
shame degradation and debauchery he
anticipated from such a measure, and
pleaded with his colleagues in an eloquent
manner to save posterity from the awful
abyss into which it was about TO be
plunged. There was a death-like stiffness
during the delivery Of Mr.. Braxton s brli-
liant peroration, and when he concluded
there was a perfect outburst of applause
The conference adjourned. to meet on
Tuesday night at o'clock, when it is
though Mr. Glass will speak for his plan
AS TO OF7FICE-HOLDING.
Mr. Braxton devoted the first portion o.
his speech to "A discussion of that section
of his resolution which prohibited negroes
from holding office. He, said it had beer
decided again and again that the right
to vote or to hold office was not included
in the privileges and imlnunities referred
TO in the Fifteenth Amendment.
He mentioned several States that al
lowed a certain class OF citizens to vote
but not TO hold o"ice. He said the righ
to vote, not carrying with it the right
to hold office. it followed that the Fiji
teenth Amendment, which only referred
to the right to vote. did not restrict The
lIower Of "a State to denT t right.
READ ENTR
Mr. Braxton read eNtr speeche!
in Congress in connectio n the Fiji
teenth Amendment, from Senator's vii
son, Stewart. Logan and other leading
Republicans in 1868, which clearly showed
that they did not consider the State:
would allow negroes to hold office afte
| those words were struck out.