Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-10
THE SUFFRAGE ISSUE
COMMENTS By Ex-REPRESENTA-
TIVE GRADY OF n. c.
Tho Republican Party Accused Of Un-
constitutional Proceedings-S Stars
Editorial His Text.

40 tne EoltOf OF Inc Evening Stafs
In one Of our North Carolina newspapers
I find an article Of yours commenting on
Senator Pritchard's explanation Of his
lilly white" movement in this state. and
like much I see In the papers nowadays
It Is an impressive reminder Of the almost
universal reputation Of the principles for
which our revolutionary fathers fought and
Of the truths Of our history.
You say: IF 1t were possible, however.
for the south to be completely changed po-
htically by this movement, the Justice of
the proposition to reduce the representa-
ton In the national House to conform to
her voting strength would remain, and de-
serve to be pressed. 1t is not a partisan
proposition, but relates wholly to the ex-
ercise OF strength in national affairs which
the south by her own action has forfeited.
She has no right to shut the negro out in
local affairs, and yet count him in when
she votes In national affairs The ConSti-
tuition forbids It, and the principles OF
everyday fair dealing forbid 1t. Why not
support the Constitution in this as in other
matters?"
Permit me, II you please, to call your
attention to matters OF history which will
clear up this whole question, and make
clear the statement I made above. The
corner stone Of English liberty for which
our forefathers fought was that taxation
Is unjust unless imposed by the consent
and enactment of the representatives of
the taxpayers. John Fiske says in his
civil government: Our own revolution
was brought on by the disputed
question as to who was to decide what tax
es American citizens must pay Comply
ing with this corner stone principle, when
the congress Of the confederation proposed
an amendment to the articles in 1883,
changing the basis Of state contributions
from lands to taxpayers, their proposition
was that Representatives and direct taxes
shall be apportioned among the several
states according to their respective
numbers not voters-"which shall be de-
termined by adding to the whole number
Of free persons three-ffths Of all
other persons''-slaves: 1t having been
agreed that three white men were as eff
cient wealth-producers as five slaves, the
question of voting not being considered.
This proposed amendment was placed In
the Constitution on the motion Of James
Wilson Of Pennsylvania. 1t stands as the
first compromise in the Constitution, In
the adjustment Of which you will find
some interesting proofs of sectional greed
In Elliot's Debates, vol. I, p. 81, and vol.
v, PIP. 20 and 1885,.
This fundamental principle Of community
rights every state and every statesman was
morally bound to hold sacred, but when
the republican party got the south under it's
iron heel 1t proposed and drove into the
Constitution. by disfranchising the whites
and enfranchising the blacks doth without
authority and hence by perjury, the in
famous fourteenth so-called amendment,
the purpose being to degrade the white
people OF the SOUTH their children and
their chfldren's children. as everybody
knew and nobody denied-to "subjugate the
southern states" as President Johnson de-
clared in his message Of December g. 1857,
would be worse than the military despot-
isms under which they are now (were
them suffering" And this was done by
such crimes as not even Samuel Adams
tY1o Ot nod
ment could be guilty Of and to the tyran-
MES of misrule Thad Stevens and his fol-
lowers added the crime Of perjury, tram
ping on the very unconstitutional oath
which they had provided for members of
Congress. ITO bear true faith and allie
glance" to the Constitution. But even IL
this outrage had never been perpetrated
the Justice OF lessening the power of the
OF the states cannot be defended by any
body who Is familiar with the history of
federal legislation. Nevada was clothed
with statehood, given one representative
against the south) and three electoral
votes and all this was done when the CEN
sus showed that her population was 1000
This crime gave Hayes a majority over
Tilden. even after Aliunde 10 Bradley had
decided that the white people of Louisiana,
Florida and South Carolina had no rights
In the choice of Presidents. But this Is
not all. According to the census OF 1890
the dSSIt6dle pOpuldCIOn OF Nevada, Idaho, |
Wyoming and Montana was less than 325,-
OO0-about one-f1fth of that Of North Caro-
lima, but they had four members of the
House, eight members of the Senate and
twelve electors-one more than North Caro-
lina's share, although, leaving the negro
out of the count, her population was near
ly treble that OF those mining camps In
1890. Can any honest man, who under
stands how states have been manufactured
for sectional advantage to the north. seri-
ously propose or approve a proposition to
still further strengthen the NORTH as
party had done (see his speech in the Sen
ate September %, 1889. by still further
the late Senator Plumb boosted that his |
degrading the south and depriving her Of |
her rights as recognized and set forth in
the first compromise Of the compact of
Union?
You say ut is not partisan question"
I agree with you; 1t is purely sectional |
question. There have been restrictions on
the right to vote in every state from 1776 |
till now. In every one of the constitutions
from Massachusetts, to Georgia property |
ownership was prerequisite in all the |
years up to 1880, and manhood suffrage |
was never limited at till 1t appeared as a |
tool to belabor the southern peo- |
pie with.
You perpetrate a joke In the last sentence |
quoted above. when you ask why not sup |
port the Constitution in this as in other |
matters?" In what "other matters" has |
the republican party supported the Con- |
Has 1t supported the tenth |
amendment. w men IL SeICS U6SIU lIOOpS 10 |
supervise elections, as 1t did during the in |
famous reconstruction" period, and as I /
at my own house what provision i
of the Constitution did it Support" When |
by operation of its infamous ku-Klux act (
(Which the Supreme Court declared uncon- |
1t sent honorable southern gen. |
tlemen to Albany penitentiary, which clause |
Of the Constitution did 1t support" When |
1t votes to give $4,000 or the peoples money |
to a set of gentlemen whom Mr. Roosevelt |
selected to settle the strike troubles-an act /
for which he had no more legal authority |
than you had-which clause of the Constitu- |
ton did it support" When it sent a war |
vessel to the West Indies to give Mr.. John |
Sherman a free ride home. which clause Of |
the Constitution did it support When |
Mr.. Roosevelt takes pleasure trips in the |
Dolphin which clause does he support
When Congress passes acts to go inside |
state and condemn land for public purposes. |
without asking the consent of the state {as |
the Constitution provideS-Art. /, section |
8, cl ID, which clause does it support"
The truth is, as every well informed per-
son knows every provision of the Constitu- |
ton which has stood in the way of the re-
publican party has been trampied on or |
eyaded and the devils quoting Scripture |
would be more tolerable than that party's |
quoting the Constitution. In truth during |
my five sessions in ongress-1S91- 1S95-the |
Constitution was never appealed to by a
republican unless by some perversion of
10, 1%.I 81