The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1901-05-18
How Negro Disfranchisement
Has Worked.
Reprinted From The Worlds Work,
New York,

The dlSfranchlSement OF the Ne
gro is forthwith to be accomplish
ed in Virginia. An extra session
of the Legislature Will meet JAN
uary % to issue a call for a state
convention so to amend the con-
stitution as to deprive the mass of
the blacks Of the ballot. Virginia
will then put itself in line with the
Carolinas, Mississippi, and Louis
lana; and Alabama is likely soon
to follow.
While we'll informed public
sentiment everywhere would APP
prove the disfranchisement of the
illiterate, white and black alike, it
is plain that the dominant South
ern sentiment approves the dis
reimbursement of the illiterate
black but lack the fairness and the
courage to disfranchise theilliterae
white man also. The Virginia con-
vention seems likely to accomplish
the results by a viration Of the
grandfather" clause (which per
mits an illiterate man to vote if his
father or grandfather voted be-
fore the Negro was enfranchised)
by permitting illiterate men to
vote whose fathers or grandfathers
were in military service. This pro-
vision will give the ballot to most
illiterate whites and to few litter
ate Negroes. For it will disfran-
chise practically no whites. The
frankly avowed purpose in all
these states is simply to disbar the
Negro. The provocation to do this
any man who knows Southern con-
ditions can understand. Hereto
fore, it is frankly confessed, the
Negro has been disbarred by fraud;
and is it not better to disbar him
openly by law9 But the selection
Of illiteracy as a disqualifying rea-
son is not frank, for illiterate white
men are nowhere DISTINGUISHED.
Themotlve therefore, is deliberate,
deep-seated, lasting. AT no time
within a period that living men
need concern themselves about will
the Negro vote in any considerable
numbers. This is the definite and
final and deliberate action of the
dominant Southern sentiment
Upon this basis these states arr
now beginning a new era of politi
cal experiment.
And many thoughtful mel
there hope for good results. The,
think that the Negro will sool
come to take an active part il
politics the intelligent ant
thoughtful Negro, for the educated
Negro who pays his taxes IS moi
disbarred; and many men think tina
there will be a division of part,
opinion and a new era of politica
activity.
But so far, the disfranchise
ment of the mass of blacks il
South Carolina, in Mississippi, an
in Louisiana, land there has bee
time enough in these states for re
suits now to be apparently has nc
brought such results. The Negr
eliminated, only one political part
. remains, and polite i stagnatlo
has followed. In Mississippi
the requirement that a poll ia
lie paid long before the electio
deprives many white men also {
their votes But it does not ba
them out Of nominating CONVEX
tions. Many communities are ru
ed by q mere handful of white
who cannot even cast a ballot.
For instance, there are $4,000
males of voting age in Mississippi
but the whole vote cast in th
state in November was only SO
900. This is 1000 votes less tina
were cast four years ago under th
same restriction Of suffrage /
other words, the whole state {
Mississippi cast practically 4
} more ballots to elect seven men
{ bers of Congress than were cas
in a single congressional distrit
in New York. (The fourteent
New York district cast $500
votes.) In the town of Eudor,
where a mayor, a marshal.