The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-18
NEW YR0UBLE IN ALABAMA.
Fear That Negroes May he Put on the
Voters List, After All.

MONTGOMERY, Ala, Dec. 7.-Gov. Jeiks
State Auditor Sowell m COMMISSIONS
OF Agriculture II. r. Poole. constituting
a State boa I'd, are busy now appointing
registrars Who are TO carry into eHec'
the sunrags scheme under the temporary
plan of thc new Constitution. There are
three registrars in each county, their pay
Ia q, a day for sixty days and there ID a
great scramble for the places.
The applications and Endorsements are
| handled By tho armful In the Governors
office, and the delegations interested In
| the r,atter are swarming o the capitol.
] TIE issue involved In the appointments
il unusual
The registrars are specially clothed
with judicial power so that they cannot
be called TO account for their acts. Ihey
are required to put on a life list OF voters
all who have served in m war. all who
are descended from soldiers. and all who
are Of good character and understand
the duties and obligations OF citizenship
under a republican form Of government.
They are the absolute jud ges Of the proof
required Of service or descent, and OF h
makes up good character and understand
ing. Through this judicial power OF the
registrars II is proposed to carry out the
pledges OF the Democratic party and OF
the convention and OF all the orators. that
no white man shall be disfranchised and
that the negro shall be-.
The appointing board is in avowed sym
pathy with this purpose and 1t occupies
the curious position Of seeking out men
for registrars who will administer, not
the Constitution. but the party pledges.
---Iz... l.. axn.,Iaral 40 IL In atsnartrsi
that he would turn down a white man
for any cause. and the utmost care has
10 be used lest some man OF that sort should
slip in by accident.
During the campaign the charge was
made that in the black belt all the negroes
would be put on the list under the good
character clause and held there to be voted
in the usual old way against the white
counties IL they should be needed. In
deed, the fear Of this very thing was the
most potent factor in carrying all the white
counties against the Constitution.
The first test has now come. II the
negroes should he registered the white
counties, and the bulk Of the white people
In the black counties. would be up In arms
and nothing could save the machine which
now controls the party and all the Offices.
II the negroes are shut out the black
counties will lose their political power
and the biggest Of them sink to a level
with the smallest white counties Through
the negro vote and the use Of IL at their
pleasure the black belt politicians have
for many years held their grip on the party
and have filed nearly all the Offices.
They are loath to give them up and there
is a good deal Of quiet manpuvrtng going
on in sons Of the black counties to get
registrars who will at the last moment put
the negroes on If the developments should
It a safe thing to do.
Each member OF the Appointing Board
is a candidate for reelection. and II they
turn down the local machine In any county
they may lose a delegation. But IL their
appointees should register the negroes
they would lose the State.
They are solving the problem by taking
the larger view, and In the registrars al
ready appointed for twenty-five OF the
counties they say there il not a man who
will refuse a white man or put on a negro
unless In exceptional cases Of character
and t~a1paying record.
In the meanwhile. the organization
started by the anti-ratifers In being per-
fected. a full State Committee Ia being
selected and everything made ready TO
AXE advantage OF any mistake made by
the machine now in power.