The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-16
SOUTH NEED NOT FEAR.
An Independent Newspaper of Republi-
 can Tendencies on the Piatt Biil.

can tendencies on the PIatt Biii.
 Indianapolis News.
 The South need not be disturbed at Senator Platt of New York's bill, pro- viding for reduced representation of disfranchisement of ths negroes. It Is not even Platt's bill. but was presented on behalf of Republican club of New York. In the statement submitted with the bill, it Is said that the bill proposes frage, only the male negro citizens over 21 years old who are classed by the census as illiterate. The least thought will make 1t clear that the bill dis criminates unfairly between white and black illiterates. We think 1t is also manifest that an exclusion of illiterate persons from the suffrage because they are illiterate is no limitation on suf- stitution. The Fourteenth Amendment provides that when the right to vote is denied to any citizen of the United States or of any State, or Is Tn any way abridged. except for participation of representation shall be reduced" etc As Mir. Jacob P. Dunn points out in his recent discussion of the subject, "illiteracy is neither ''partfcipation in fore, representation should be reduced if illiterates are excluded" But that this is an impossible conclusion Is proved by the decision of the courts, and also by the authorities on cconstitu- quotes Judge Cooley as follows:
 To require the payment Of capitation tax Is no denial of suffrage: 1t Is de- manding only the preliminary perform ance of public duty. and may be classed as may also presence at the polls with registration or the conservance of any other preliminary to Insure fairness and protect against fraud. NOT can 1t be said that to require ability to read Is any denial of suffrage. To refuse to receive ones vote because he was born in some particular country rather than elsewhere, or because Of his color, or because of any natural quaIty or pecu l. him to overcome, Is plainly a denial of suffrage. But ability to read is some thing within the power of any man; 1t is not difficult to attain it, and 1t is no hardship to require 1t. On the con- trary, the requirement only by indirec- tion compels one to appropriate per- sonal benefit he might otherwise neg lect. It denies to no man the suffrage, but the privilege Is freely tendered to beneficial in its performance and light in its burden.
 The Republican lawyers are entirely familiar with this line of reasoning; an bill proposes to reduce representation because illiterates are excluded. and worse yet. because black illiterates are excluded. We think we can assure our brethren of the South that the people of the North will not favor any such measure. We are convinced also that the Republican party Will gain nothing by attempting to open up that question, and certainly not by champi9,nins ,n,ass such yesterday in the Senate. If the right to vote Is denied to men because csu;s.,S' of their color. the remedy IS perfectly teenth. but in the Fifteenth Ameud- ment. And exclusion on the ground of illiteracy is no offence against the Eff teenth Amendment or indeed against the Fourteenth Amendment,
 People will wonder why this otll, if It is an honest attempt to Improve exist ing conditions, was not made to apply to the Northern States, which deny suf- frage to illiterates, as some Of them do: And the more the matter Is considered the clearer 1t will become that this is a mere partisan effort to win partisan n advantage which the people VIII not endorse.