The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-23
SATURDAY. MAY "a. 1908.
SUFFRAGE IN VIRGINIA.

several days ago VIC TcNleWetl All ~ tiCi
from Harper's Weekly, in which the de
cision Of the United States Supreme Cour
in the Alabama case was made the basi
i of an article on negro suffrage The de
cision was viewed with complacency b.
the editor, and he went farther and to al
purposes admitted that the Fifteenth
Amendment was a blunder and would
never have been enacted If sentiment q
the North at that time had been the same
as 1t Is to-day Moreover, the editor
came about as near as he could, without
absolutely committing himself, to say
ing that the Fifteenth Amendment ought
now to be repealed.
In the last issue of Harper's Weekly is
another article on the same subject, In
which the editor says that 1t was to be
expected that the decision in the Ala
bama case would be viewed with salts
faction in the Southern States, but that
cit is a more significant and. to some
extent, surprising fact. that the decision
also meets with APPROVAL at the North on
the part. not only of many non-rartisan
newspapers, but also OF some Republican
organs of undisputed authority and wide
Influence"
But why should 1t be surprising? Public
sentiment makes and maintains the laws
of this land, and when public sentiment
Is against law, even though it be a
part Of the organic law of the nation,
that law will not be enforced. The South
ern people were compelled by the ncces,
stiles of the case to adopt some sort of
device to prevent universal negro suf-
frage, as contemplated by the Fifteenth
Amendment. The famous Understanding
Clause originating in Mississippi has
since been adopted by several of the
Southern statcs-latest of all by Virginia
Virginia was slow to take this step. There
was much opposition to 1t, but members
of the convention after most thorough
and pious discussion, finally determined
that the Understanding Clause and the
.'Grandfather Clause" were the only prac-
ticabe remedies.
The chief complaint by the Northern
people against the Understanding Clause"
is that 1t does not apply alike to both
races. They say that If there Is to be
an educational qualification 1t should ap-
ply to the whites we'll as to the blacks.
They say that the illlterate white man is
as unfit to vote as the illterate negro.
But they would not say so If they were
here and understood the conditions. Nor
would any fairminded man of the North
condemn us for what we have done il
lie understood There are illiterate white
men in Virginia who are capable OF vot-
ing becahse they have been trained In
the art or government and in spite of
their illiteracy understand the general
principles and functions of government
and appreciate the value of vote. They
ZONE from n race that has been trained In
The art Of government. and they have re-
ceved much by this Inheritance whereas
the negro comes from race OF savages.
which In this country became a race of
Blaves, and so tho negro has no such In
heritance. 1t is preposterous to compare
the two.
Again. 1t must be remembered that but
lately Virginia went through disastrous
war, and many men were In the ranks
when they should have been ut school.
AS distinguished Virginia Clergyman re-
Gently pointed out. the war in the South
lasted not four years. but sixteen years,
for we battled for many years after the
war against negro domination 1t was not
until the end of this sixteen year war
that our public school system fairly be-
gan, and the men of this generation have
not had the opportunities OF education
TO say nothing OF the poor school facni-
lies, the children were compelled to work
for their living,
AND SO we said that 1t was not fair to
put these men 10 the educational test,
We refused to disfranchise men who had
fought for Yirgtnia's rights. and VIC re-
fused TO dsfranchse white men who had
not had the opportunity to educate them.
selves, We said there should be one day
or two days In court for all these. and
that We would admit TO the suffrage al
The whites Of the voting age. and that
we would admit such of the negroes as
" our fair judgment were ft TO vote
Ne have admitted many such negroes
we have admitted all negroes who pay
IS much as one dollar a year in taxes.
another registration under this plan
Will be held this year. and this registra-
zion, with that Of 1902. Will constitute the
permanent roll But next year we begin
under a new system. We now have
splendid public schools, our people are
fairly prosperous. and every child has the
Iportunity to learn. So We say that those
OF the rising generation white and black
without discrimination In favor Of either
or against either, must submit TO the edu.
calional test In 1904 and thereafter. per-
sons applying for registration must make
out an application In their own hand
writing, without assistance. and regis
tered voters who offer 10 vote must pre-.
pare their ballots without assistance. ex
eert they be physically disabled. The
Iegro viii thAa LauA tl> r--~> chane,