The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1910-06-23
why The GRANDFATHER
CLAUSE SHOULD Be
ADOPTED

Cidtlt otdtc cohAhiltSVf bHco ONt tHN
following statement in regard to the
grandfather" clause;
This is a constitutional amendment
for the regulation and limitation Of
suffrage 1t proposes to safeguard
the suffrage OF intelligence, and to
limit the suffrage Of illiteracy. It pro-
vides that no one whose ancestors
were not voters on January /, 1866,
or sometime prior, or lived in some
I foreign nation, shall vote in any Okla
homa election unless he is able to read
and write section Of the constitu-
ton. THE proposed amendment ex-
empts from its provision all voters Of
Caucasian and Indian blood, and ap-
plies only TO voters Of Negroid ances-
try, Therefore It's sole effect is to
properly lint the suffrage right OF our
Negroid voters)
In considering such a measure only
two questions suggest themselves.
First. Has the state the constitu-
tional and legal right 70 impose such
limitations upon suffrage? Second
Is there any necessity for such an ac-
tion at the present time?
These two questions. while essen
TALLY different in identity, are essen
necessity Is a remediless evil If the
right is not inherent in the state, the
necessity is a relentless evil. If the
necessity is non-extinct, the right Is
useless prerogatiye, and its exercise
at the present iuncture would be use.
less legislation Evidently the two
propositions are interdependent to be
! considered and disposed of simultane-
ously; and in considering them we
shall refer to the two interrogations
we have presented and shall answer
them both in the affirmative
First: Has the state the constitu-
tIoual and legal right tc pass such an
amendments TO raise such a question
is almost equivalent to answering it.
Time and again the courts have de-
clared that state has the power to
regulate the manner Of voting. and to
impose such limitations upon suffrage
as necessity may demand. While a
state has no power under the federal
constitution to deny anyone the power
or privilege of voting, It has the power
to say In what manner suffrage shall
be exercised. It has the power to de.
cree what qualification the voter shall
possess before he shall be permitted
70 ballot. 1t even possesses the power
to impose such conditions that the
privilege Of suffrage may be taken
away utterly.
Not only does the power of limiting
suffrage vest in tbs state, but it is a
power that all states exercise. In no
state can a voter. even though a bona
fide American citizen, cast ballot un.
less he has been a citizen OF the state
also for definite period Of time. For
almost half a century after the adopt
ion Of the federal constitution no one
but freeholder could vote ia Rhode
Island. Massachusetts and Maine ealsv
took the lead in providing an educa-
iional for suffrage privilege and to
name the states which have pursued
the same high course would be 10 cata-
logue the most progressive states in
the union. Paupers Or public charges
can vote in few, II any. states, and con.
yicted felons are perpetually disfran-
chised unless voGchsafed guberna-
torial pardon. No court has ever de-
clared that state cannot throw
around the suffrage privilege any re-
striction under consideration to be
viewed as new or unexampled legisla-
lion. A provision identically the same
has been part OF the organic law Of
North Carolina for several years. It
was adopted only after tensely fought
campaign in which its constitutionality
was severely questioned Subsequent
% its adoption it has been tested BY
the courts Of the land its validity has
been established BY the supreme tribu.
nal Of the nation,
Hence we conclude that the state
possesses the right to impose limlta-
lions upon suffrage we also CON
dude that 1t unquestionably has the
light to Impose an educational quail
ication for suffrage and we posi-.
lively conclude that the state has
pIenary power to adopt and enforce an
ancestral or Grandfather qualifica.
lion, inasmuch as the high courts have
tested the validity Of such law and
have given IT force and construction.
The present necessity for suffrage
regulation is matter susceptible of
clear demonstration While the sec.
ond proposition may be opposed with
genuine earnestness BY those who