The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1907-04-27
In LINE WITH GOV. VARDAMAN.
The Florida Legislature Takes Short Cut to
Get Rid of War Amendments

| The Vicksburg Herald, April y.
1t is matter of record and common
| knowledge that in the enactment Of the
| 18th and 18th amendments Congress fla
grantly violated the terms and reqni-
sites the constitution prescribes. This
is fact that has rot been, as it cannot
be, disputed. The success of the viola
ton was only possible in time when
reason and justice were PROSTATE, be-
| fore the sectional rage and lust of power
that possessed the government. So
swayed was the nation by these evil
| forces that even the courts were coWed.
Hence the usurpation of power over the
constitution, in the adoption Of these
negro equality amendments, passed un-
challenged. In the South they were of
no practical moment, as Congress had
anticipated them through negroizing
| the State governments. So these two
| hate conceived amendments have passed
untested in the courts to this day. But
! the passage of years cannot obliterate
the fact that they were adopted by vio-
| lence and false utterance. And the
Herald has been constant in the hope
and the expectation that the test initi-
ated in the Florida Legislature as told in
the following would be made:
New York, April 1.-THE Times spe-
cial from Tallahassee, Fla. says:
Tho cap1ta NV n Iyoto of % n hoe
adopted Joint resolution to declare the
14th and 18th amendments to the United
States constitution void and TO diSfran-
chise the negro IN Florida.
The resolution was introduced by
Senator John G. Beard, of Pensacola,
who spoke at length, his speech leaving
no doubt in the minds of his hearers
that the amendments were irregularly
adopted and hence void.
Senator Beard declared that he be-
lieves the Supreme Court of the United
States would uphold the action of this
State in disfranchising the negroes.
The house will adopt the resolution
without dissenting vote, and the ques-
| ton of the validity of the amendment
will undoubtedly be brought before the
| United States Supreme Court.
Crowded galleries cheered the action
| of the senate.
If this bill to expunge negro suffrage
| from the State constitution and laws OF
Florida is adopted, it will place the issue
! before the country ir far more practi-
cal, direct and logical way than by the
seemingly vain agitation for repeal Of
| the 18th amendment. Such law will
force the champions Of the amendments
to carry their case before the Supreme
Court. If upheld, the States respect
lively may write negro suffrage cut Of or
into their political systems, as they
may see fit, and without let or hindrance
from Federal power. In States like
Mississippi, where practical disfran
chisement of the race is virtually abso-
lutte and entire, through the restriction
in the constitution of 1899, there might
be some to oppose further action, which
would entail reduction of representation
This would be equally true if the 18th
amendment were repealed instead OF
being declared invalid by the courts
But, regardless of effects, the Herald
would be glad to see the test made Of
the legality of the amendment, as a
matter OF right and, perhaps, of retribu-
j ton.
/ While Florida is the first State tC
move on this line, the proposition is
not new. 1t was urged by so prominent
a man as Senator Raynor, of Maryland
when the question of negro suffrage re-
striction was made an issue in Maryland
politics. The incident was thus dis
eussed in the Herald of October 30th
1904:
sMr. Isadore Rayner has signaiizec
his candidacy for u. S. senator By
proposing bold and original, yet sim
pie and practical attack on the fifteenth
amendment. The race issue has beer
dragging along, in speeches OF Senator
German and other Democratic speakers
on commonplace lines. They have no
been able, in fact, to make tho outside
public sympathize in its chosen para
mountcy. But Mr.. Rayner has obyi-
ated this trouble. He has lifted tht
discussion out Of the rut by declara.
ton in favor of State law disfranchis,
ing the negro, on the ground that ssths
amendment to the Federal constitution
giving him that right was never consti-
| tutionally adopted"