The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-03-26
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF NEG RoEs

BY E. d. CRUMPACKER, MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
The states of Mississippi, South Carolina, Louis
lana, and North Carolina, in that order, have en-
grated provisions upon their respective eonsttu
tons fixing literary standard for suffrage.
by ingenious phraseology the provisions in
Louisiana and North Carolina are made to apply
to the colored alone, in those states, while
the negro must have au education before he can
vote the white man may vote, however ignorant
and vicious he may be. The discrimination against
the negro is palpable evasion of the federal con-
sttution. and it ought to be overthrow by the
courts. The Legislature of North Carolina has i'm
parchment proceedings now pending against two
republican supreme court judges, based upon al
legged official corruption but everyone familiar with
the situation knows the charges are utterly ground
less and that the real purpose of the proceeding is
to remove the judges and fill the vacancies with
democrats, SO the suffrage provisions of the
sttution will be upheld That is illustration Of
the North Carolina idea of the integrity and indie
pendence of the judiciary.
| The legislature of Maryland recently passed an
election law providing the Australian system of
voting. 1t surrounds the act of voting with many
obstacles and does permit assistance to those
disqualified by illiteracy, So in effect, it establishes
an educational standard.
Florida has the same kind of law in operation
and Tennessee has similar law applicable to large
cities and counties only. Neither one of those
three states has constitutional provision authoriz-
ing the establishment of literary qualification for
suffrage, and those laws, judged by the over
whelming weight of authority in the country, are
clearly invalid. The Tennessee law, however, has
been sustained by the supreme court Of that state,
and doubtless the laws of Florida and Maryland
will be upheld by the state courts
Virginia will hold a constitutional convention
during the coming summer and, without doubt,
provision will be made for the practical disran-
|chisement of colored citizens in that state. Della
ware, New Jersey and West Virginia, in all proba-
| hility, will follow Maryand's example as soon as
they have democratic legislatures; and it is only
Question of time when every state with consider
able colored population, with the possible exception
of Texas, will do the same thing.
Under laws like that recently enacted in Mary
land, the states of Delaware, Kentucky, New Ter
sey, and West Virginia will be permanently demo-
cratic
Tide avowed purpose of those laws is to disfran-
chise the negro. No honest, we'll informed man
pretends anything else The elevation of the stan
dard Of suffrage is a mere pretext.
The southern mind has never become reconciled
to the idea of the political equality of the negro,
and it will be many years before it does. 1t is not
a question of character, but of color. Standards
are not erected upon merit but upon race. Leaders
of thought and action in those states are firmly inn
bued with the idea that it is impossible for the two
races to live together terms of equality in any
relation. They believe it to be destiny for the
stronger race to dominate and control the weaker
They do not want the negro to be educated, they
do not hope for his development in civil and social
life but they believe that nature has marked him
to be servant of servants unto his brethren during
all his days In order to fulfill that destiny he must
be kept in subsection His political rights have al
ready been taken from him, his citizenship is an
empty husk, meaningless title.
But if the negrois permitted to educate and grow
in knowledge he will have hopes and ambitions that
will continue to disturb the serenity Of his white
brother. He will be disconnected with his lot and
struggle to break the caste that has crystallized
over his race. He may not succeed, but he will
disturb the existing ORDER and his subugation will
not be complete until his political naturalization is
followed by mental subserviency
/. The statement is made and supported by plausible
arguments that education demoraizes the negro and
Heads him to crime. Ask any representative south
ern man today whether he believes in the policy of
educating the negro and he speaks truthfully he
will say no. In the language of Uncle Remus
'sThe education Of the negro is the sp1ng, field
hand
This is the current of thought that underlies the
Idisfranchisement laws and it means the total sub
ugation of the negro all the relations of life. 1t