The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-11-19
NEGRO SUFFRAGE.

N-N@fAS 49, +'''~
: Commentinz on the defeat of tn
suffrage amendment to the Mary
lsnd constitution, the Chattanoogi
Z News INDUCES in the following obser
yations
! "The defeat Of the franchise amend
ment in MARYLAND is probably bes
for thar stare and for the south. 7
was a vicious amendment with parti
san politics as its main support The
amendment required a property and
educational qualification to the exer
else Of the right of franchise. 1t was
aimed at the negro. of course, and
aroused race antagoIisms. In this
particular it was vicious, and we be
lieve that it is to the credit of the
white people of the state that it was
defeated A state has power to re
gulate the ballot by statute law.Here
in Tennessee we have exercised that
power for good. and Maryland can
do the same thing"
1t is surprising that a newspaper
of the character and information of
the Chattanooga News, a Southern
journal. one that should know the
evil effects of equal suffrage, should
90 so far wrong on this question
Tow the defeat of the suffrage amend
n ent in MARYLAND could be best for
the South the News owes to candOr
to tell its readers Followed to its
logical conclusion the News would
have us believe that equal suffrage
has been blessing to the South and
tibet anv movement to nulIify the
fourteenth amendment is not best for
US There is not an intelligent
Southern observer who viii agree
with the News.
The News complains that the
amendment would have aroused race
prejudice The editor of that paper
ought to know better He should
know that there is less race pre-
fu1ice in West Tennessee where the
NEGROES outnumber The whites than
there is in Middle Tennessee where
the negroes are comparatively few.
There is less friction between the
negroes end the whites in Missis-
sippi than there is in Maryland The |
negroes have long ago ceased to take |
anv interest III politics ii the black !
belt counties of West Tennessee and !
Where this is the case
the best of feeling exists between the
races
The negro would be infinitely bet
ter off without the ballot than with
it. As factor in politics he is
merely the tool of designing white
-oliticians who, as a general rule,
the most vicious interests,
and his presence at the polls in con-
lanes the whites. 1t arouses race
which are hardly known
where the negro takes no part in
]ublic affairs.
It is the experience of the Anglo
saxon race throughout the world
ince free government began that
hey will share the privilege of rul-
nc with no inferior race. In the
'reat Australian commonwealth the
yhite race dominates; in the British |
olonies of South Africa the suprem-
cy of the white man is conceded. The
anne thing is true of India. Upon
hatsoever soil the Anglo Saxon has v
ct his foot there he has had domin-
IN. Those who pirate about the alb
)lute equality of the races are wild
reamers. They have read history
little profit.
Tennessee should follow the ex. +.
nple Of her Southern sisters and II
fectually disfranchise the negro .
his would have been done long ago y
it for the selfish interests which W
I'VE too often dominated the Demo
attic party. The negro vote IN 1887 "
we'd the saloon from constitutional ~
Inhalation. 1t has saved the special de
terests and the whiskey power fire. of
emily since that time. 1t is now 81,
ing marshalled by the whiskey ma -
inc for another desperate struggle :.
tn the forces of order and the law -,
d decency In