New-York tribune., 1908-06-11
THE LOUISIANA. SETTLEMENT.

In IFS settlement of the contests from Louis
lana the Republican National Committee used
sound Judgment. The issue involved was ex-
ceptional and besides the technical question OF
primG fGcie regularity an important question
of party policy was involved There can be lit
tie doubt that the Warmoth faction represented
a majority of the actual Republican voters in
Louisiana and had a better primd fGcie title
than the Cohenites But the charge was made,
apparently with some foundation. that the
Warmoth organization had been seeking TO
draw the color line, and in state campaigns, at
least had attempted TO limit its membership
to white voters. The recent Warmoth state
convention partly disprOved the charge by elect
ing some negroes as delegates to Chicago, but
the impression was not entirely dispelled that
the so-caed Lily Whites" intended to make
their faction a white mans party.
The national committee felt impelled to pro-
test this year. as it protested in 1904, against
such a programme of race discrimination 1t
is not In accordance with Republican tradition
or principle to deny membership in the party
to any qualified voter on grounds of race or
color. No such denial has occurred In any
other state than Louisiana, and even there the
fact of denial was only inferentally estab-
Hshed Yet It is clear that the principle is one
which should not be relaxed by Republican
national convention. All qualified voters should
stand
to enroll and act as Republicans is concerned,
no matter what their color or nativity We do
not think that the Republican party should or
eyer will countenance arbitrary determinations
by state organization against any class OF
legally qualified electors.
1t is not of course, within the province of the
national organization 10 say who shall and who
shall not help TO elect delegates to the Repub-
lfcan convention. The states fix their own
qualifications for the suffrage. and the laws OF
different states differ widely. Women take
part in primaries and conventions in a few
states while in most they have no voice at all.
Here in New York no can vote directly or
Indirectly for delegates to the national con-
yention who is not an electOr and has not en-
rolled himself a Republican. All states are en-
titled to equal treatment, and it would he as
foolish to argue that the national organization
should see TO it that in Southern states persons
not qualified for the suffrage and not exercising
it should have the right TO take part in naming
delegates TO a Republican national convention
as if would be TO contend that the party author
tiles should see to it that Republicans who had
neglected to enroll and register should vote in
our New York primaries So far as the negro
has ceased to be a voter in the Southern states
he has undoubtedly lost his right to participate
in marty action But in far as he quaihes
under state laws he is entitled to participate,
and it is indefensible TO try to exclude him on
account of his color.
This. we think is the attitude-and the very
sensible attitude-of the Republican leaders
in most of the Southern states. They do not
want to discriminate against the negro as
such but they rightly insist that he shall ENJOY
the same treatment at the South as at the
North and shall qualify voter before he
exercises the privileges of a voter. The national
committee has arranged TO reorganze the party
in Louisiana and to abolish all racial discrim-
nations That reorganization can be best ac-
complished by laying down the same rule of
eligibility for blacks and whites. con1nng party
action to actual electors and compelling those
electors to apply the principle Of majority rule.