The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-07
Letters to The Editor.
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The Black Belt.

Editor The Advertiser:
 There is evident some degree of con- fusion in the general mind of the State touching the full effect of the suffrage provision of the new Constitution upon the relative political status of the black belt now and heretofore
 No change whatever is made by the new Constitution in the representation of population and all persons, white and black alike, constitute population. Sec ton 193 provides as follows:
 ''The members of the House of Repre- sentatives shal be apportioned by the Legislature among the several counties of the State, according to the number of inhabitants in them, respectively" etc.
 Thus we discover that the relative strength of Dallas County, for example. with Cullman iS not in any measure altered in the Legislature from prior con- ditions and it is altogether a proper and expedient maintenance of relative strength. The negro of Dallas should be represented to the white man of Cullman just as he is and this representation should be by white men of Dallas who are informed and competent. It is to the interest of the white men of Cullman that they should be met in the Legisla- ture by a sufficient number of intelligent white Representatives of Dallas County representing negroes. The negroes of Dal- las are producers and consumers of sub jects of commerce. The main one sub ject of Alabama commerce is produced by them in great quantity. They employ doctors and lawyers, they build railroads, they are benefciaries of the public school fund. In a word, it is the unavoidable duty Of Cullman whites and Dallas whites. in conjunction, to provide Dallas County negroes with good white mans code of government.
 So much for the retained power of the black belt in the Legislature under the new Constitution. As to the retained representation of the black belt in the Democratic party, it cannot be diminish- ed.
 The reform in the suffrage does affect the black belt. but the influence is wholesome. and was desired and expected in the movement to frame a new Consti- tuition. We have passed through the poll tax feature of that reform and we now call 1t good. The registration reform feature appears for enforcement. If the electorate is reformed, as the new Con- sttlution provides, the white counties will no longer complain that the black belt elects the State officers. The black belt no longer can afford to elect the State officers, and so we we are firmly fixed upon a genuine electorate, honest and strong. The Constitution of 1868 in in- famous malice placed the State under negro control the Constitution of 1875 had for its objective opportunity to the whites to recover from militarisn, in the form of negro dominancy in State gov ernment. The Constitution of 1901 ellmi- mates entirely from the Declaration of Rights offensive militarism and restores the covllization of the white man in our State government. to the utmost extent to which the federal government is be- lieved to be ready to permit that restora- tion. This degree of restoration is a grand triumph and at some time, in the not very remote future, the people can amend the Constitution of 1901. but 1t is the best organic law that the State could hope to frame under the Constitution of 1875, itself only a bold attempt to escape from militarism by quasi indirect methods. Syphax.