Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-07-12
The Southern Acknowledgement Meas.

j
The census Office is soon expected
| to complete its work of ascertainine
the number of negro illiterates in the
, South who are over 81, this being
taken to represent with tolerable &C.
curacy the number Of negro voters
who have been DISTINGUISHED by re-
cent constitutional amendments
adopted in the Southern states When
this is known, there may be an at
tempt to cut down the representation
of these ststes-which a part of the
Republican leaders are resolved upon
in spite OF Mckinley's wishes. Five
Of the Southern states Mississippi,
South Carolina, Louisiana, North
Carolina and Maryland, have already
adopted measures of restriction,
Maine, Virginia and Alabama have
the work in process, and an eighth
state, Georgia, is preparing to follow
suit. But only NO of the states thus
far, Louisiana and North Carolina,
have made discrimina that fair
ly come within the parivew of the
18th amendment in abridging suf
frsge because of race, color or pre-
yious condition of servtiude. They |
adopted an educational test and a
qualification and then, not
to shut out white men as we'll as ne
groes, added grandfather clause
giving the ballot to all who were de.
scerdants of qualified voters 10 1866.
NJ ississippi's law requires every voter
TO bs able to read any section OF the
or to be able to unGer-
stand and give reasonable inter !
,retation thereof when read. The e
Supreme court has held thbt this I
loes not violate either the 18th or Z
ith amendment, brcause ii is not =
denial Of equal rights to airy class
I citizens. 1t may contain the posi-. /
ility OF evil administration but even q
hat was not shown. South Carolina :.
equires that each voter must be able
} read and write any section of the II
or show that hs OWES II
nd has paid taxes on $500 worth OF "
roperty. Maryland's law simply pro. W
des m educational test in accuracy II
marking ballots and in the last al
ection it actually worked to the ad- or
,ntags of the negroes, because, to
knowledging their Ignorance, they III
ere willing to be taught and learned pr
e simple formulas necessary to mark In
cir ballots while the white men, ia
orning to admit their illiteracy, re- Al
nted efforts to prepare them to ex- ~ =
else the franchise.
1t may be that some of these re-
'ictions are within reach of the 18th
lendment which provides that wheu ,
3 right of suffrage is denied in Tia
? state to any male citizens. "or in ceS
y way abridged except for participa- ne'
in rebellion or other crime. - the 70, 70,
sis OF representation shall be cut Ea
sn accordingly. Strictly construed Ho
5 would apply to Massachusetts, cry
h her education, qualification. %,
ode Island with her requirement sen
the payment Of a poll tax, Illinois Tn
b her requirement Of residence ~
certain period before voting, or S So = =
most of the states. for all place re- Fra
ctions ard guards Of some kind \
ut the ballot box. But the court 1of
ision in the Mississippi case inter pIa,
g the decision 10 reasonable way nf ,
meaning denial or abridgement The
applies TO some class of people fro
not to all alike and this the 90 80
hern constitutions do rot do ex
in Louisiana and North Carolina.