The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-12-29
MIR. dooDE ON THE SUFFRAGE.

In reply to n question from a rcpresen-
,ative of the Washington Post as TO what
the suffrage plan OF the Virginia Con-
stitutionai Convention would be, Presi-
dent Goode said:
"My own opinion is that the under
standing clause and the grandfather
clause are both dead. Many delegates in
the convention were stoutly opposed to
the understanding clause as means OF
restricting suffrage It gave too much
power to the registration officer, makin:
llim practically a dictator as to who
should vote and who should not vote
Some men even declared that they would
refuse to participate in elections rather
. than submit TO such an arrangement
Then the grandfather clause met with
considerable opposition. Many members
of the convention do not want to subject
Virginia to the odium that has been
placed upon some Of the Southern States
because Of the adoption Of the grano1ath-
cr clause in their constitutions.
It is gratifying to hear this noble ex-
preston from tho president of the Con-
vention and we are inclined to believe
that he expresses the sentiment Of the
great majority of the members we
know that the great majority are opposed
on principle to any of these doubtful de-
vices and that they will exert themselves
to the utmost to find some plan that viii
rid us of the ignorant and vicious negro
vote without in any way compromising
the States honor and dignity.
The Convention should take high ground
on this question, as upon all others. The
I path Of duty Is always the path of safety.
The Convention cannot go wrong when
It does that which is right. When any
what their inner consciousness tells them
lis right and honorable, they can well
afford to let the consequences take care
/ Of themselves
Mr.. Goode believes that the outcome
will be q poll tax qualification of about
s1.5o, payable six months before the cleo
ton, two years residence in the State,
an educational qualification and perhaps
"a. small property qualification. For our
part We have long been convinced, as our
readers well know. that a suffrage plan
framed for the most part according to
these requirements would to all jEtents
and purposes eliminate the negro cues
ton from our politics. yet would be per-
fectly fair to all. entirely constitutional,
and would in no way compromise the
honor and dignity of the State.
1t is objected by many people that vot-
ing ought to be absolutely free. and that
it is contrary to the spirit of Democracy
to require a man to pay a poll tax before
he is permitted to cast his ballot. Speak
Ing on that point some time ago. Dele
gate Braxton said that if the white men
of Virginia were not willing to pay s1-50
year for the sake of getting rid Of the
negro vote, then the northern people
would have the right to say that the
southern people had been insincere in
their outcry against negro suffrage. The
argument is unanswerable. If negro sur
frage Is such a bad thing. and heaven
knows that it is quite as bad as it has
been represented. surely every white man
in this State should be willing to pay the
insignificant sum of s1.5O per year to be
rid of it.
The mistake that white men make is
in believing that voting is a right. This
is not true. Voting is a privilege con-
'ferredL It is withheld from women and
minors; from lunatics; from criminals,
and is supposed to be conferred upon
those only who in the estimation of the
majority are qualified to exercise it. It
IS a great privilege TO vote in this land
of liberty, and it is a privilege that is
well worth the capitation tax The man
who will not pay his capitation tax puts
a low estimate upon citizenship, and if
the deliberately disqualifies himself by
refusing to pay. he thinks very little OF
the voting privilege.
The payment of a. capitation tax as q
prerequisite to voting, payment to be
required a reasonable time before the
election, is the foundation upon which the
Virginia suffrage plan should be laid.
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M0NTAGUE'S OPPORTUNITY.