Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-02-26
FRIDAY EVENING, FEB 20. 1904.
Tile New York Tribune. one of the

=. supreme NOulV u" q
want Of iuris iction, the case involving
the suffrage clause of the new constltu-
ton of Alabama, Oh the ground that no
fe Ieral right has been denied, and says ::
1t il to be hoped that before long
lcbodv with the requisite legal SKI
will Ct the mat er sqnarely before th
Supreme G ur, and i"rce decision o.
the validity Of the DISTINGUISHING clause
of these constitutions. w
are not vet prepared u believe that the
: .2reme Court Is helpless to enforce the
supreme law of the land and project
citizens OF the United States from inva-
sion Of their rights by the States, or that
the Judges, in a spirit of acquiescence in
conditions that cannot be conveniently
changed. are prepared to abdicate their
functions as expOunders OF the constltu-
ton as it exists. However sound may
be the argument of expediency with ref
erence to new political action on this
difficult question, the duty of the courts
is plain, and the rights Of anegro, when
his case is properly presented, should be
upheld as vigorously as they would have
been in 1871, when national sentiment
was strong in favor of the most vigorous
enforcement of the new constitutional
amendments. If they really want to
establish their right to vote, the dlsfran-
chised blacks should proceed to lay the
foundations for their suits under able
legal advice, and go to the Supreme
Court with case which cannot be dis
missed on technicalites.
The over soicitude by the republicans
of the North for the colOred people OF
the South is well understood in this Sec
ton. Certain of the southern States,
for self preservation, amended their con-
stituuons so as t. prevent theignorantand
vicious from remaining or becoming
menace to the welfare If these States.
This was done by property and educa-
tional qualification clauses which bear
alike upon white and black and which
are not more proscriptive than similar
clauses in the constitutions of several OF
the northern republican States
notably Connecticut. Since the re-
strcted suffrage in the South, secured
by means of these qualifications, this
section has improved wonderfully and
this has made the republicans OF
the North jealous, 50 they would
continue il they could the white mans
burden, which the people Of the South
bore 20 long. Bui this is not to be. The
PEG, le If the south know their rights.
~ /, actin caIrely within constitution
a hu $. a..e framed ST. n laws as will
give con,rol Of their political affairs 10 an
intelligent electorate. There is no con-
cealmen; in this matter and 1t vas clearly
explained in the House of Represents
tiyes a few days ago oy Nj Williams, Of
Mississippi, me democratic floor leade ,
who said:
\ w, to speak If when the Souta's
prosperity in industrial lie began. Go
b ok t. 1870 aud 1880 and you will find
h r more anu more unprecedented all The
" az to 1873, whena great revolution
X place III the South, and. by th,
wa,, no ievoluti, II Of such stupendous
magnitude and significance ever took
pla in any country with as little blood |
sued and 20 much Of geuteness as was
shown when the white man Of the South !
"came into his own again" Afterwards |
everything was peaceable and quiet. The |
people began to work instead of keeping |
armed all the time for race fight that |
might come up at any moment. With !
the white mans sway came the sway of |
law and order and the disappearance of
social and industrial anarchy-insepsr-
able from negro rule. The South began
to grow rich by labor, as must all people
if they grow rich at all. The gentleman
from Connecticut quoted a moment ago
something from Rudyard Kipling's poem
LEST we forget" Can not you, all Of
you, remember the condition that we
can rot you understand that We are careful
to-day lest we forget" the dose that you
gave us b, fore aud the dose that great
many Of you ;rankly confess that you
would give US to-day you had the power?
My friends, tits strong observation to
make, and | make it not from any quasi
official standpoint, but 7 make it simply
myself, and say it is true that any man
who can look al over that beautiful south.
land, now happy, now industrious where
all is prosperity has come from its own
labor, its own deralion, its own con-
servstism, and its own gentleness Of
heart under great provocatiOn and temp
tation, and after studying and under
standing ITS condition, tell us that there
ought to be unlimited, unrestricted and
unmOdi6,d.manhood suffrage, is either
fool, because he does not understand the
condition of things existing, there after
seeing them, or else he is an irreconcil-
able bourbon, because he does not wish
TO understand them, or else a knave, be.
cause, understanding them, and knowing
what would follow in the wake of his alb
stracijon or hatred, he does not care.
The gentleman alluded to by Mr.. Will
liams was Mr.. Hill, OF Connecticut who
was evidently so impressed with the just
ness of the southoner's remarks that he
sand 1--WE have an intelligence quail