Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1901-06-21
THE STATE CONVENTION.


Two resolutions bearing on negro
suffrage were introduced in the consti-
tutional convention yesterday. One
was presented by A. P. Thorn, OF Nor
folk, authorizing the appointment OF
committee to draft an appeal 10 tne
Congress and people OF the uniteo
States, requesting the repeal OF the
Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitu-
ton.
Judge J. w. Harrison presented the
other, setting forth that universal
suffrage OF the negro had worked great
evils to both race: that the Fifteenth
amendment is wrong, being based on
suppoaed equality, and declaring that
it Is not the purpose OF the state 10
deny to the negro any civil rights, nor
to disfrsnchise any negro who has sui
1ciept freehold estate to give him
permapept and substantial interest 10
the welfare of the State, nor, II any
discrimination is made against him In
the right OF suffrage, to claim any rep,
resentation in Congress or the electoral
college, based on negro population, out'
| ipso facto, to surrender IL until Con-
eress shall declare what additional
representation shall be given to the ex'
tent suffrage is given to the negro.
Both resolutions were referred to the
suffrage committee.
1t wss stated last night that the OBJ
( iect of the suffrage resolutions intro
duced by Judge Harrison and Mr..
Thorn yesterday is to settle, once for
all, and at the outset Of the convention,
the question of negro Acknowledgement.
The members of the convention de-
cided as stated yesterday by msJority
vote 10 continue their work 10 Rich
moud and not move to any other city
in the State on account OF the hot
weather.
The convention completed its list Of
assistants by the appointment of eight
pages, as follows: Tidewater, Emmett
lib. Faison; South Side, William Nor
feet; Piedmont, George Jordop; South
West, o in Richardson; Valley, Gibson
Roy Worthen; Richmond, John Q.
Goode and William P. Merrill. Re-
commended by the minority, Binen Z
Walker.
I'D. Flood, of Appomattox will
shortly introduce for incorporation In
to the new constitution q provision
(which prohibits negroes from holding
State offices.
10 the consideration OF the suffrage
question by the Constitutional Conven'
! ton the criminal record of the two
races will enter largely into the discus
zion. Already resolutions have been
passed requiring the county clerki
throughout the State to furnish all the
-. information that Is q matter OF record
10 their respective Offices.
Anticipating the needs Of the conven'
ton in this direction, James B. Doherty
Commissioner OF Labor, over three
months ago inaugurated system o.
collecting the desired data. He now
has ready for the Suffrage Committee
of the convention q tsbulsted statement
shnwing the number OF feloDies and
misdemeaDdors committed 10 Virgins
during 1900, and the work OF collecting
this information has thus been obviated
The convention Is highly gratified al
the foresight displayed by the Com
| mlsblOutI VI Laoois no muOu fpi"eois
time has been saved.
. During the year the number of con
victions on felony charges was 2,376
OF this number 718 were white anC
1858 colored.
3 In the records OF the misdemeancl
1 cases, there were 16.467 convictions
divided between the two races "a fol
lows: White, 1888; colored, 1894.
= The records show that In Norfoll
city and county. where the negro popu
! lation ia largely in the majority, there
were 359 convictions for felony ant
6,346 were found guilty OF misde
meanors. The number of blacks con
] victed in the county outnumber thu
{ whites about 20 to l. In the city thu
, percentage is about to l. The record
shows that nearly oDe.half of the con
victions for msdemeanors In the entire
State occurred in Norfolk city apC
county.
The records show that there Ia ap
, parently little need for q jail 10 thu
,, counties OF Bland and Stafford, as there
was not a single prisoner In their re-
; spective jails during the year. II is thu
, purpose OF the suffrage committee to
investigate, thoroughly all questions
, affecting the negro RAGS.
Commissioners Doherty has other datf
, which are being complied as rapidly 81
, possible.