The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-13
TO MAKE A TEST CASE
VALIDITY OF LOUISIANA SUE
 TRACE TO BE ATTACKED.
Suit to Be Brought for Negro Wno
 is Refused Regisraion Under H.
 lierats and Property oualih- cation Clauses of Louisiana Constitution.

New Orleans mes-Democrat.
 The validity of the Constitution oi the State relative to disfrahcnislns voters on the illiterate and property qualification clauses will, In snor' time. be tested. It has been the inten- tion of prominent negro Repupncans for some time to test the validity or this clause. but not until Wedhesoay was there an opportunity. Theh Noio- mel Jerry Gleason. registrar, retuseu " allow a negro named Rynes 10 resiss
 Rynes went to the registrars olhSe with James Lewis and other pronl- nent negro Republicans with the puI- pose of registering. Colonel Gleason' on ouestioning the man, refused to al- low him to register, and then James Lewis admitted that this was going 10 be made test case. The applicant oio not have the necessary quaiificatiohs' and consequently could not register.
 When asked about the case yesterday Colonel Gleason said that the hegro went to the registrars office ana maoe application to register. He was asked If he could read and write. and sald he could not. He was then asked II ne owned the necessary amount or prop erty to qualify him IS voter. ana Rynes said that he did not. Coionei Gleason then told him that he ccuid not register him. Colonel Gleason said that this law applied to both coiors, and would be enforced.
 After the refusal James Lewis salo that they had taken Rynes to the off1ce to see if he could register. and that If he was refused a test case would De made of it. The case will be watched with interest, all over the Soutn. ana probably the North too.
 This" so prominent Republican said yesterday. lis the beginning or the fight of the American Coun- cil. which has headquarters at Wash- ington. The inauguration of the fight negan Wednesday, when this negro. who is a full black. attempted to reg ister. It is generally understood that a large sum of money has been raised to test the constitutionality of such acts. and the suit will be pushed to its final conclusion. Major Armand Ro- main has been employed to fight the case at this end of the line, and when the case goes to Washington some of the best legal talent in the country will represent the council. The con- stitutionality of the grandfather clause will also be presented before the Su- preme Court of the United States.
 "Ihe decision of this case by ~the highest court in the land will be far reaching in it's importance. as all past and future legislation of the Southern States will hinge on this where the ne- gro has been or is about to be disfran- chised. We claim that it operates for one class of citizens as against anoth- er."
 This will be the first case of this kind to be tested, and it will he watch ed with interest. coming as 1t does from one of the Southern States that has en- acted the educational and property qualifications. while the legislatures oi Virginia and Alabama are now in ses' sion with similar questions being agi- tated. It will require some time tt take the case through the differen courts. but 1t is thought by those wht have volunteered to test the case tha
 a decision will have been reached be fore the next presidential election il l held.