The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1902-11-08
IT HAS OUTLINED ITS USE
FULNES.S.

Before the adoption of the new
constitution the present election
law may have served a good pur-
pose, but it has assuredly out
lived it's usefulness. In the alb
sence of any qualification of the
suffrage this complicated system
might have been necessary for a
legal elimination of the negro
vote. But now that there is a
suffrage law which can be de-
pended upon to disfranchise the
Objectionable element and tO1eave
the political affairs of this State
entirely in the hands of the white
people, we believe every consi-
deration of justice and every
principle of sound Repu blican
government demands the repeal
of the election law.
At the election held last Tues
day in this parish hundreds of
men of average intelligence only
stamped the emblem, and for
fear of spelling their ballots or
through inability to prepare
them, ignored the amendments,
thus only partially exercising the
right of voting. We know ofsev
eral instances where well edu-
Gated men voted the emblem, but
could not, in the time allotted,
vote intelligently on the questions
embodied in the amendments.
Approaching the inability Of the
great majority of voterstoprepare
their ballots, the political leaders
advised their friends to stamp
the party EN- blem and to let the
amendments take care of them
selves.
The Gazette submits that it is a
violation of fundamental prin-
ciple of Democratic government
to permit man to qualify under
the suffrage law, to put his name
on the registration book and then
deny him the free and unhamp
cred exercise of the suffrage at
the ballot box. What is the use
of the suffrage qualification, if
the citizen must vote for a roos-
ter or an elephant or not at all?
It would be infinitely more hon
orab]e to tell the man when he
applies to be registered that he
is incapable to exercise the fran
chise, than to allow him to reg
lister and go through the farce Of
casting a ballot which to him con-
tains only twointelligibleth things
q rooster and an elephant.
The reader should not confound
the election law with the suffrage
law. We do not wish to be I'M
derstood as finding fault with the
suffrage qualifications which form
part of the constitution Of 1898.
We believe these qualifications
are eminently wise and fully ade-
quate to protect society against
the negro vote. but we fail to see
one good reason why the election
law should not be repealed and
replaced by some simple instru
ment framed for no other pur-
pose than to secure a free and
fair expression of the popular
will.
The laws aim should be to
make clear and free the voters
way from the registration Office !
to the ballot box. The qualified |
elector should not only enjoy the
greatest measure of freedom in |
the exercise of the franchise, but |
If he wishes to be a candidate for |
office he should be permitted to
do so without the consent or APP
prevail OF any political party and
without the sanction of any par
tisan tribunal.
The present law has a tendency
70 disgust the honest suffragan
with politics. It is unsuited to
the genius of one people. 1t is
b degree responsible for the
which prevails among the
e0ters. We don't know how it is
but in this section the
49, II