The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-01
noes rHE NEGnO WANT 70 vOrEs

questions hANO stVou so prominently pe-
fore the public during recent months M
that Of negro sufrnee The matter has
been discussed until there would aeem 10
DO left no further word 10 say about II.
So FAR as the discussion can be reduced 20
concise opposing propositions. II may he
stated thus:
l. The constitutional amendment Civ
ing the negroes the right ~ suffrage was
a mistake, and some method should be
devised for It, rectfcstion.
? The Fifteenth Amendment gave the
negro the RICH, ~ suffrage. and neither
legally nor morally can Il be taken away
from him.
This is the issue, broadly stated One
factor has been quite neglected and over
looked That Is the question from the
point OF view ~ the negro himself. How
much does the negro want the sufirage'
How much cioes IL mean 70 him' What
would he do ard how much would he care
II II were taken away from him?
This phgso Of the negro problem has been
omitted from the discussion Those who
hold the view expressed in the second Of the
above propositions will probably INSERT
that tho right Of franchise means "a much
20 the black man as Il does 10 the white man.
But that assertion does not establish the
fact, and the greater weight Of the evidence
is distinctly opposed to IT, That there are
individual instances in which the right
conferred upon the negro by the Fifteenth
Amendment Is duly esteemed and valued,
may not be denied But the matter u not
quest ion OF isolated indi, iduals. II In a
question Of the mass and there il abundant
evidence which shows that unless induced
'o its exercise 10y Some influence other than
his own desire or impulse. the negro, In
probably a large ajority Of instances. Ia
quite indifferent TO that particular feature
Of his rights as citizen
Another argument for its lack of impor
tance TO him lies In his ready Welding, not
to the effects of political argument, but to
individual influence, to that 81 his en-
ployer sometimes. or TO that OF some man
in his community, white or black, whom
he may fear or respect or desire to oblige
or to propitate. His Indifference is also
shown in the readiness with which b. many
will sell their votes. To urge that votes
are sold by whites IA we'll as by blacks, by
Northern whites as well az by Southern
blacks, begS the question. No white man
sells his vote without more or less actively
conscious realization that ne has committed
a criminal and Il degrading act Few
neRroc1 have any such feeling The pre-
suturd sGrCtitr II the right has not even
YET soaked int tn reg MUD.
In respcCt 10 tie ciesite for the exercise
Of the rigGt u ftGncl.ise, manifest parallel
Ia, 49,. L..
suf1ISga. 50 far as qualification goes, the
advantS 81 lies emf Gatic,liy with the ladies.
There are wOmsn wio watt 20 vote, IA
there are doubtless sOrne negroes who
really do desire to exercise the same blessed
privilege. 1t il fair assumption, however.
that one Of the strongly i,npelins forces
In the ieminine desire for suffrage les In
the fact Of it's general denial to th-,l. In
those localities in which the right hsG been
granted there has not usually appeared a
general e8gerGfns to exercise it after the
first novelty II The experience had worn
away. There is not to-day, and has not
been at any previous time. sny evidence
10 show that any more than a very limited
minority OF the women of the United States
supported or even approved the woman
suffrage movement Ii may even be said
that II il probable that the strongest In
tiuence in favor Of such movement has
come from those Of the masculine persua-
sion.
The right has been generally denied to
women III spite Of some clamor for it. 1t
was given TO the negro without his asking
for it, regardless Of his fitness for IT, and
having been given there are those who
declare that it should not and shall not be-
taken from him This declaration is made
with entire indifference 10 the question
whether the negro wants the suffrage,
whether it has any specially serious mean
ing to- him, and regardless of the question
whether his exercise Of his right, usually
al uuntelligent exercise. Is advantageous
or detrimental 10 tho welfare Of the nation.
Has not this feature some proper place
In the general discussion? To take from
a man that which is his and which he values
may DE an injury and a wrong, even though
his retention OF 1t be a harm to the State.
To take that which was given. perhaps in
error, and which is little valued and often
abused places the matter in quite different
light.
How much does the negro value the suf-
frage and how much does it really mean to
him? Thus far, the Acknowledgement eff
fected In some Of the Southern States does
not seem 10 have produced any very ener-
getlc protest from those deprived of their
alleged rights. NoRTHEkNER
NEW YORK, Aug. 81