Evening star., 1902-03-20
Disfranchisement in All Sections.
To tho Editor NJ Tho Eypnnp Star:


The pending Crumpacker resolution, IN its
investigatory scope, irrespective of partisan
consideration, and as matter Of vital i'm
portance in perpetuating our republican
form of government, should enlist the
hearty and patriotic Endorsement OF all true
and consistent citizens. for on it's ultimate
outcome will largely depend the stability
and perpetuity Of our form of government
The impregnable constitutional foundation
Of our republic as established under the
guidance of the heroes and statesmen or
1776 and their immediate successors Is our
only guarantee of perpetual form or re-
publican government embracing the equal
rights, privileges and happiness OF all our
people In cOnsonance with its provisions
every American citizen, whether native
born or naturalized, is vested with the IN
alienable right to exercise his prerogatlVe
as an elector, unless disqualified as an i'm
beetle or criminal, and no act, whether by
municipal, state or national enactment, can
effectually and constitutionally disfranchlse
him. If Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New
York Mississippi, South Carolina or any
other state in an effort to suppress an OBJ
jectionable class of voters either indivld-
ually en- masse, enacts law to prevent
one or one hundred thousand enfranchised
voters from voting for any other than one
or both constitutional causes, such enact
ment is vitiated by virtue of the consti-
tutional prohibition and must be declared
illegal and void by any court or competent
jurisdiction.
The highest possible protection to every
citizens rights. liberty and happiness as
well as propriety, is found in the consti-
tutional guarantee Of the elective franchlse
to all, irrespective of wealth or poverty,
education or ignorance. or even physical
disability, and any departure from this
fundamental principle, no matter under
what pretense or how cogent the reasons
alleged must be regarded with alarm and
cd nOSSiDlp
vincible opposition, for once accepted as
possible it would become but question or
time when our form Of government would
drift into that Of an empire, when but
favored few would be allowed to exercise
the elective franchise. No student of Amer
lean constitutional law, whether reared
amid the resplendent educational advan-
tages of Massachusetts or the fancied or
real wrongs of negro domination" SO
fruitful of irritation in some Of our south
ern states If honest in his inquiry, can fall
to realize an utter repugnance to diSfran-
chisement as proper or judicious remedy
for either an unWise or a vicious exercise
Of the elective franchise, for every part or
the Constitution, however remotely, breaths
and inculcates the spirit of universal SUI
frage, except as noted. This fundamental
and inaIienable right Is inseperable from
and absolutely essential to our republican
form of government If we wish to continue
as a republic. Any citizen, whether by
state or national enactment, denied the
excluded class) would have a legal and un-
deniable right to speedy and complete re-
instatement by any court OF competent
jurisdiction.
Under such conditions. so wholly at vari-
ance with constitutional requirements and
totally anti-republican. 1t plainly becomes
the duty OF Congress to initiate such pro-
ceedings as will bring this question of dis
franchisement to an issue and final adtudi-
cation. The passage Of the Crumpacker
resolution win serve to bring all the facts
before Congress in reliable report, and If
such disfranchisement shall be found in
violation of our organic law, the question
can be determined by reduction Of repre-
sentation and a subsequent appeal to the
Supreme Court by the states interested.
Thus the right of any state to disfranchise
any citizen not excluded by constitutional
provision will be finally affirmed or denied
andsa source Of irritation removed. II tllit-
crate or vicious persons {white or colored)
fail to measure up to the standard of good
citizenship and thus, at times, aid in elect
ing improper persons to station and power,
| q wise education in knowledge and morals
may be found more or less corrective; but
nothing SO drastic as disfranchisement
should be permitted, for that means the
death knell to our American form of repub-
| lican government.
r. W. SHECKELLS.