The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-02
THE NATIONAL BLUNDER or 1859
Interesting Letters on the Repeal Of tie
Fifteenth Amendment.


me to thank you for the splendid editorial on
the Fifteenth Amendment tn your issue If
to-day The time has now come to look the
matter squarely in the face ~ you suaosHt.
and hope that the campaign Of education o.
the subject thus hogun by you wiD be con.
tinued strenuously until the grievous blundef
of 90 and 70 shall be erased from tha Consti-
tuition. b. FLOYD CLARKE.
NEW YORK. April 80.
To THE EDITOR or THE SuS--Sr: You ask
to-day in an editorial rs the Fifteenth Amend
ment Of the Cor stitution to b Permanently"
I answer emphatically. Yes! Eleven million
Afro-American citizens will oppose its being
changed to their last breath. aided By every
old soldier and his descendants who fought
for the perpetuity Of this Government.
1t has been policy Of your paper TO be nn-
friendly to the colored people. and you may
contemplate raising In the next Presidential
campaign the sanla issua you did Ia 1902: No
Negro Domination" You may find encour-
agement in the trucking sentiment uttered
by Northern dough faces' who are inspired
by the spirit of conn,erciallem in their great
love for Southern chivalry. You may set
Inspiration from the mouthings Of ambitious
candidates who are seeking the Democr stio
nomination for the Presidency and VINO are
trying TO outbid each other IN showing their
approval and friendliness for Southern con-
ditions.
But you will find that the spirit Of 20 ID not
dead yet The memories Of the soldier dead,
both white and black. are still hallowed and
the work they did is not forgotten. This h
not O white mans Government. nor n u =
black mans government. The words Of the
immortal lincoln. uttered nearly fsrty years
ago. are still pregnant with truth that this Is
a government OF the people, for the people
and by the people
let the CALLED Jade vince
GEORGE E. WIBEcAN. JR.,
President II. H, Garnet Republican Club.
BROOKLYN. April 30,
To THE Ep,ron or THE suS-sir. In your
editorial Of this morning entitled rs the
Fifteenth Amendment to be Permanent
you quote Section Of tho Fourteenth Anend.
ment to the Constitution. In the third line
of 1t is the clause counting the whole number
of persons in each State. viii you kindly
tell me what, In your opinion the word per
sons" as there used includes. Does IL mean
citizens or citizens and all others having homes
or residing or doing business there'
STATEN ISLAND. April 80.
The Representative population has been
understood to include men, women and
children. white or black, whether citizens or
only residsnts--the population, in short, as
it has been ascertained by the census takers.
The distinction between citizens and voters
should always be kept in mind; but the basis
of representation in the House is neither
ono class nor the other. It 10 popula
ton. barring only Indians not taxed, as
specifically excepted in this section. When
the Fourteenth Amendment goes on to pre-
scribe the reduction Of representation on
account OF any disfrancbisemem OF male
inhabitants it reduces the basis in the pro-
portion which the disfranchised males bear
to the tota "a OF adult male citizens not to