The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-12-12
tsneclal to rhn Posi-. !


practically no doubt that the Hsy-Paunce.
foto canal treaty viii he ratified by the
senate probably before adjournment il had
for the holidays, Ct Is safe to assert that
the number OF affirmative votes cast viii
be less than Senator Lodge and the Other
friends OF the convention counted on as
late as fortycght hours ago The opposl.
ton OF the democratic senators who do
not believe that the treaty In Its present
shape should he ratified has had it's eject
aud while there seems 10 he no chance
Of preventing the ratification. the negative
side has uuqucstionably been considerably
strengthened. The stand taken by senator
Bailey In the matter has already been
touched on in these dispatches senator
Culberson agrees with him on all essential
features and today during the executive
session of the upper house. the seuior sona.
tor from Texas took the floor In opposition
TO the treaty aud made short speech,
which, followed as # was by the speech Of
senator Bacon, materially weakened the
case Of those who favor ratification.
THE sCHLEY COURT REPORT.
Secretary Long said tonight that while
ne hsd not received the report OF the
schlty court or Inquiry and had no posi-
tive information as to when II would be
forthcoming he had concluded that It was
about ready ami might be presented TO him
before the end Of the week the report.
he said, would he given Ia the press In fun
as soon as possible after its rcccip, nv
him Extraordinary secrecy precautions
are being taken 90 guard against any pre-.
mature announcement and there is good
10. h1Ita
will be made puhlic through any but the
regular channels.
In view Of the manner In which advance
! proofs OF the isthmian canal commission
report were sold 10 newspaper by a
SsstSsss osSaSssSeo@eseS
extended only 10 those citizens 81 voting
age who are able 70 read and write. The
figures showing the proportion barred from
| the polls by this educational provision are
not Immediately available, but IT. is reason.
able to suppose that the situation there IN
| largely the same MS It Is In Connecticut
In Alabama. ono Of the Southern states
which has most recently attracted The at
tcntion Of the country on account Of its
efforts to raise the plane If It's ballot.
there was. when the late constitut' mai
n
tion OF sos. 607. This Is an increase ~
per cent over the population Of 1890 s1hc
constitutional convention found that had
s27,5 negroes TO deal with, an inct aso or
about 90 per cent over the proceed uC de.
cade, The white people number onl 1901
152, nm increase Of only 20 per cent over
1880. or the negroes 1880 arc males
over 81 years Of age and therefore quail
fed volers under the old constitution. or
this number lOs.WO are ilifcrate. Tho
total voting population among the whites
is 30. DOG AZ the last presidential election
the combined white aud black vote was
l62,3O0, only about 20 per cent of tho
total voting population of tho State. 4
great many Of the whites did nat vote he
cause, probably, they felt sure that the
State was safely democratic and that their
ballots were not needed to help swell the
majority.
From these figures II appears that NJ tho
lnlterates over the voting age n 500 AFRO
white and 10000 black. But. as showing
the fallacy Of the republican argument that
the new regulations IN Alabama aud other
Southern states IL aimed at the republican
party through the negroes, it may he point
ed out that litcracy is largely on the In
crease among the blacks as a result OF
which fact, IN time, the proportion Of w6ito
illiterates and black illieratos may become
equal instead Of being I "a 3 as It Is at
present. In fact, literacy among the ne
groes entitled to votc--thst IS those Of a
voting age. has increased on a basis Of pos
sibly % per cent In the decade ending last
year.
The figures given here would seem 10
present an irrefutable argument against the
| claims OF the republicans in the premises
in general and against tine Crumpacker bill
In particular. Under the circumstances II
is not quite clear how the gentleman from
Indiana expects to make consistent cam
pagn for the pet Idea Of which he seems
to be so excessively fond. Consistency has
never been republican virtue. but In this
| case the lack OF II may prove TO BE- fault
the effect of which can not be overcome
| by any sort Of specious argument similar
10 that which Is being made by advocates
OF the Crumpaeker plan. There may be
some republicans who believe that the basis
Of representation In the Southern demo
\