New-York tribune., 1903-03-06
CURTA1LrNG REPRESENTATION.
Ex-Governor BuIlock's Plan to Prevent
Negro risfrancfisement.
TO the Ed.tor of The Trtbune,

NGBTU 11s1EaucE1kSWcut'
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The press report of the National Repuoii-
can Editorial Association. lately met in wash
tngtnn, says in & headline. Southern Question
Ignored" So far as the Southern question IN
volved the exclusion os colored men from fed-
eral ONCE. 1t has been settled by the manly
words Of President Roosevelt to Mr.. Howell or
our city: Character. fitness and ability shall
not be barred by colcP creed or birth"
The other phase of the Southern question is
the franchise of the eoiored American. has the
Republican party a. brave answer to give:
The Republican contention at the North is
and has been that the Republican vote was sup
pressed in the Southern Congressional districts
If this were fact why has a Republican Con-
gress not exercised its unauestioned right to ex-
ciude the member from such district? why
did it not keep up that discipline until full and
satisfactory vote was developed in the district!
Instead CT this the party, consumed with dISap-
pointment because the number Of Republican
votes in the South did net at least equal the
number of male negroes, enacted unWlse ana
futile federal election laws. force bills etc All
Of these laws which should never have been
adopted. have now passed away.
The option given by the second section of the
Fourteenth Amendment as to franchise and rep
Fesentation has never been exercised by any
Fifteenth Amendment was declared in force.
that option expired From that date the funda-
mental law has heen that no State shall deny the
right to vote account Of race, color. etc
Until the comparatively recent period in which
some of the States have amended their consti-
tutons, no action has been taken by any South
ern States with regard to the negroes franchise
that would give Congress any color Of right to
interfere. 1t is the act Of the State in amending
her fundamental law in defiance OF the con-
stitution Of the United States with which Con-
gress has to deal. My State is not involved.
Georgia has not changed her constitution or
legisiated against the negroes franchise. Sew
erai other of the ex-Confedarate States in
the same safe relation to the United States that
are. Let each State be considered and acted
upon separately.
This question is se clearly Political one that
IL has not been believed United States courts
would take Jurisdiction. Quite lately. IN Rich
mnnd, the court presided over by Chief Justice
Fuller denied Jurisdiction. and the case has gone
to the Supreme Court at Washington,
The question then becomes pertinent tn the
rational Republican party. What you 60
ing TO do about it?' You can't ignore It, With
the negro vote holding the balance of political
power in seven important Northern Republican
States you cannot dodge it. The issue is plain
and veil understood 1t is the negros right
of franchise in the States which have excluded
him by measures Pepugnant to the constitution
Of the United States. How will you meet It?
The nearly forty years which have iptervened
since the Republican party forced the suffrage
On our late slaves have wrought many beneficial
changes in nearly all of our communities Large
numbers Of colored citizens have accumulated
property, become educated and we'll fitted to ex-
ePeise the franchise. This they now dc in
Georgia with the willing consent Of their white
reighbors. The same is true in other Southern
States Let this fact have its weight in consider
ing the present situation. 1t will be we'll for the
national Republican party to utilize the time
between now and the organization OF its next
Congress to decide upon its remedial policy
The remedy which I have recommended and
new repeat can be made etfsctiVe with
out force and with benefit TO the whole country.
Let Congress by its appropriate committee
INQUIRE into the amended State constitutions.
II any State is found to be in defiance Of the
Fifteenth Amendment, refuse TO that State the
seating of members and Senators elected under
such defective constitution. and continue such
exclusion until the State shall in it's e#a way
and nv its own processes. of ifs own people.
adopt State constitution which in the opinion
Of Congress is in harmony with the constitution
Of the United States.
The effect of this action Will be that the sew
eral States which have overlooked the positive
command Of the Fifteenth Amendment 10 the
negroes right to vote will adopt a suffrage
founded on education and property, instead OF
color to the great benefit and advantage Of our
section There is no danger of negro supremacy,
With the franchise based on property and in
teiIigence we will have in the South the safest
suffrage in the Union, and all the disturbing
Issues that have been brewing for forty years
will he behind US RUFUS B. BULLOCK.
Atlanta, Ga. March g. 1903.