The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-10-26
That fifteenth appendix.

Our always esteemed and interest
ing contemporary, lne Springfield he
pupilcan, taxes up The CONSTITUTION S
REVIEW OF MI. BraXtOn s monograph
on the vagarOus history OF the Ill
leeulh amendment Ot course, The
NepuDlican regulates the whole con-
tentlon tnat negroes can be excluded
Irom holding ONCE, because ii says
that though SUCH al act BY state
would not violate the fifteenth amend
menl. it would butt up against the
fourteenth amendment. 'Wnlcn Tor
BIDS state from aprldging lhe priv
.ieges ana imIaunlues Of citizens OF
The United States.
But how uUes our esteemed Spring
field contemporary explain the DI1ter
night that senator Wilson, afterwards
wee president, the NalicN cODbler' OF
massachusetts. made Tor the reten-
don in the niteenth amendment OF
ne words and hold oiIice?' II that
right was fully embodied IN The terms
OF the fourteenth amendment why
vas he and his colleagues laYorlng
the amendment in toto so bent upon
retaining those words?
Win our friend read the debates OF
The hour and tell us what it thinks OF
General Logans argument, winch pre-
vailed in inc conference committee,
mat The right to say who should hold
office was properly lett, by the consti-
tuition, TO the states, and they would
never consent to SUR 9nder it.
Does our contemporary also mean
10 ignore the historic tact that Dan-
lei Webster. the great expounder
Of the constitution. said in The con
stirllional convention OF Massachu-
sets in 1870, that no man has the
right to hold Office, but the people
nave the right 70 define aud make the
terms and conditions upon which OIL
fees shall be heldT
Does IL also dodge the fact that
Senator Wilson. Yolng Tor the con
ference report. the fifteenth amend
ment as ii now stands, said: i ana
willing now To give them the right to
vote. if / Cannot get Tor them the
right to be voted Tor. / VIII take that,
Il | cannot get any more. II viii
find the wUrds in the Congressional
Globe. February %, 1863, p. 1927.
Again. our esteemed contemporary
is historically wrong in saying thar
Senator Edmunds held the words
and held office" unnecessary to con
fer that right upon the negro citizen.
The fGct IS that Senator Ldmunds
was the only member OF The confer
ence committee who oejected to strlk-
ing the words and disagreed 10 the
report with them LETT out.
Equally out OF concord with GOOD
authorities Is The Republican when il
argues that two-lhirds Of 9 quorum or
either house ear constituIonaily pass
an amendment 10 the constitution
senators Garrett Davis ana Thomas
4 HenGric}.s protested he vote az
the time 8 nator Sumner, February
/ 1855. offered IN tho senate G Joint
resolution that -wo-thirds OF the mem
borship OF both houses would be con
stitulonally necessary 10 adopt a pro
posed amendment. Senators Ed
MINDS Morton and Pomeroy evident
" thought the same thing and the
fwo FORMER refused to vote on the
massage of the fifteenth amendment
in The senate in order TO mako the
vote en- ii a tailnre--the one because
The negro was not given The ri2ht 10
mold office, and the other because the
benefits o. the amendment were not
extended to women OF voting age
So. il seems 10 us, it is mp 10 Inc
Republican more than 70 MI BraXton
10 INV agaiui"