Evening star., 1901-12-12
Mr.. Pritchard on Suffrage.

Senator Pritchard of North Carolina Is
quoted in opposition to Mr.. Crumpacker
bill for reducing the congressional repre-
sentation of those states which nave dis-
franchised the negroes. and bases his op-
position upon the extraordinary proposition
that the fifteenth amendment to the Con-
stitution renders the penal clause of the
fourteenth amendment nugatory, and that
for a quarter of century the country has
had notice that the fifteenth amendment Is
a dead letter. Says Mr.. Pritchard:
The abandonment of the state govern
ments in Louisiana and other southern
states in 1876 was in the nature OF notice
to the people of the United States that the
fifteenth amendment was not to be en-
forced. and everything that has happened
since that time has been in harmony with
the policy outlined by those who were in
trusted with the administration of govern
mental affairs on that occasion"
Can an amendment to the Constitution be
nullified by the action of a political party
That is the question Mr. Crumpacker
raises. He contends that the democratic
party in the south by the wholesale dis
franchisement of negroes has nullfed the
fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the
Constitution. while Mr.. Pritchard contends
that the republican party, in effect. has
nullihed both amendments. Is not this
controversy. of itself. sufficient to justify
a thorough investigation of the whole sub
ject by the present Congress? That the
two amendments have been treated as dead
letters there can be no doubt But the
point at issue is, shall such a state Of
affairs continue? Is it not to the interests
of the whole country that the two amend
ments be enforced or repealed?
Speaking particularly with regard to his
never been a denial of the right to vote to
a sufficient number of voters in the state
of North Carolina to warrant Mr.. Crum-
packer in reducing our representation to
the extent proposed in his BILL
This is in the nature of news. When the
question of disfranchising the negroes In
North Carolina was raised few years ago
the republicans, headed by Mr.. Pritchard.
resisted it with all their might. 1t was
both right and logical that they should.
They were in power in the state, and Mr..
Pritchard was holding commission in the
Senate, as the result of the free exercise
By the negroes of the right Of suffrage.
How could they refuse to stand up for the
negroes. and to quote the two amendments
TO the Constitution applying in the prem
iSes, without iBcurring the reproach of in
gratitude? They made the fight and lost.
the democracy. by barring the negroes
from the polls. sweeping the state from
end to end, and giving Mr.. Pritchard a
democratic colleague in the Senate. And
yet Mr.. Pritchard now claims that 1t was
not much of a storm.
Mr.. Crumpacker and Mr.. Moody are not.
1t is understood, making sectional con-
test. That would be both mischievous and
and useless 1t is of small moment to the
country at large whether this man or that
comes TO Congress from the south, or stays
In Congress after he gets there. The real
question is, shall the negroes, after being
counted out in local southern affairs. afford
the basis for the control of national affairs
and elect President of the United States?