The colored American., 1902-12-20
The SOUTH IN CONGRESS.
Washington's Greatest News
paper Presents a Strong Argu
mont for an Honest Enforce
ment of the Constitution

The Star gives space today to a com
munication from ex-Representative Grady
of North Carolina on the subject of the
situation in the South as respects the
suffrage. That is to say, The Star quite
recently made some observations on that
point, and they have afforded Mr.. Grady
a text for a review of portions of the
early history of the republic, and for an
expression of views of has own, which.
whatever else may be said of them, do
not lack for downrightness.
But between his dOwnrightness- which
takes the form of reckless pessimism-and
his citations from history-which are dis
inquired by a bitterly sectional interpreta-
tion-NIr. Grady puts himself quite out of
court AS witness: He declares that we
are a nation of political and religious
hypocrites;" that we respect neither the
commands of Jesus Christ, nor the terms
of the Constitution of the United States.
If that is true then all discussion of the
suffrage, or of any other question relating
TO our national institutions, is useless.
We do not need statesmen, but mission
aries. If, in reality, we have no Consti-
tuition, then we should set about calling
a convention to frame an instrument
which the people will respect. But The
Star refuses to accept Mr.. Grady's state
ment of the case. And maybe, upon a
little reflection, he will confess to it's ex-
travagance.
Differences between the North and the
South developed early in our national ar
rangement Each section accused the
other of exhibiting a selfish, grasping
spirit. Slavery was not alone the cause
OF dissension. The tariff played a promi-
nent part; and the warfare between
section striving for advancement in man
ufactures and a section having only agri-
cultural ends in view, became at times
extremely bitter. The debates of Con-
grcss are full Of the two subjects, and
the historians are still busy with them.
The South lost on both scores, and yet
gained immensely through her losses.
Slavery disappeared, ana with it a foul
blot upon our civilization. Protection has
triumphed, and the South is greatly pro-
fitted by the policy And the North, as
sisted by the border states of the South,
rendered the South an inestimable bless
ing when she defeated in 1896 and in
1900 the free silver policy, which threat
ened the South, and the North. East and
West as wei, with financial ruin.
The gist of Mr.. Crazy S specific con-
tenton SENS to be that, because by
compromise the original Constitution gave
additional national representation to the
South based on three-fifths of it's slaves,
therefore it is only fair to the South
that ii should be permitted today to have
outside of the Constitution national re-
presentation for all five-fifths of its form
er slaves, though they have again been
made slaves politically, so far as voting
is concerned. The original Constitution
permitted the South to count in its ma
tonal representation three-fifths OF It's
Negro nOn-voters. Later the Constitu-
ton by amendments made voters of these
non-vOters and gave the South additional
representation based upon their full num-
ber and also provided that if these Negro
voters were on account OF color made
non-voters the offending states national
representation should be cut down in pro-
portion Now certain southern states
have in substance and effect by uncon-
Sttutional devices made these Negro vo-
ters non-vOters, but instead of surrender
ing the national representation which the
Constitution attaches to this Negro vote
the South retains it and resists enforce
ment of the constitutional provision. Re
Presentation of the disfranchised Negroes
which the present Constitution denies In
toto and which the original Constitution
granted only to the extent of three-ffths
3" their number, is thus exercised by the
south today for every non-voting Negro
ID The South. He is not himself permitted
TO vote at home, but the South votes
-oF him, generally in precise opposition
10 his Wishes in the Congress of the
United States. 1t follows that white
voter in the South weighs far heavier in
~e national councils than the CORE
Sponding voter in the West or North.
ms inequality is inequitable and un-