The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1901-07-25

lican said yesterday, s'is the begin
ming Of the fight Of the Afro-Amefi-
can Council, which has its head
quarters at Washington, d. c., TO
not only test the validity Of the
Constitution Of Louisiana, ~ TO the
colored mans right to exercise the
elective franchise, but the right of
the iliiterate and poor white man as
WELL" The inauguration Of the fight
began Wednesday, when this negro
Ryves who Is full black, attempted
to register. 1t Is generally under
stood here that large sum OF mon
ey has been raised to test the Con-
stitntionality Of such acts, and the
suit will be pushed to its final con-
clusion. Major Armand Roman, q
very prominent attorney, in New
Orleans, La, has been employed to
fight the case at this end Of the lire,
and when the case goes to the Su-
preme Court Of the United States,
as 1t will certainly do, some Of the
best legal talent In the country will
represent the Council.
The conAtitationsiity 0f the grand
father clause will also be presented
before the Supreme Court of the
United States. The decision Of this
case, by the highest court in the
land, will be far-reaching in its ef.
fects and Importance, as all past and
future legislation Of the Southern
states will hinge ON this when the
negro has been, or Is about to be-,
disfranchised. We claim that il
operates for one class of the citizens
as against another class, not race,
but class. This will be the first case
Of this kind to be tested, and it will
be watched with much interest, COM
ing as it does from one of the South
ern states, that has enacted the edu-
cational and property qualifications,
while Virginia and Alabama are
now in session with similar ques-
tiOns being agitated.
It will, of course, require some
time to take the case through the
different courts, and necessarily, a
considerable outlay of money, but it
is. thought by those who have
volunteered their services to test
the case, that decision will have
been reached before the next presi-
dental election is held. The Demo
cratic party, (red shirt VARIETY, al
ways on the alert for new and untri-
ed issues, will, doubtless, make this
question an issue in the next cam.
paign-already has the Alabama
Constitutional Convention been
criticised by some of the democratic
press, for legislating or trying tc
do 30, to put premium, as they
are pleased to term it, ON ignorance
and encouraging the negro to educate
himself, by passing, or attempting
to pass, an ordinance imposing an
educational and property qualifica-
tion for suffrage applying to those
only who were voting or whose
ancestors were voting On Jan. /
1867, or prior thereto. The colored
man, Ryves, above referred to, was
a citizen of Orleans Parish, sta te Of
Louisiana, good repute, owned nc
property or did not have the re
quired amount, $500, had no edu
cational qualification, was votel
under the old Constitution and law
of louisiana, native born, over q
years of age, an actual resident o.
the state for more than two years
resident of Orleans Parish for more
than one year, resident of the voting
precinct for more than six months
and who had tried to register unde
the grandfather clause, section 5, O
the Constitution of Louisiana.
1t occurs to our mind that this i
a case that will thoroughly tes
every clause of the Constitution o
Louisiana, and that of our own state
North Carolina, the present Constitu
ton of North Carolina being fash
iOned somewhat sfter that of Louisi
ana, ON the question of suffrage ant
eligibility to its exercise. Thinking
that perhaps our friends might wan
to hear something of what is beinl
done in Louisiana along this line
I give the CAUCASIAN an articl
bearing on the history Of this case
Hoping you will find space for same
l am,
Yours respectfully,
| I. N. EBBS.