The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-02-18
|wllllam BaIllnser In Trip in South
Looks Into Reasons for the
Black Man Not
Voting.
|1,ETTER is INTERESTING
keokuk Man Writes Results OF His
Investigations to Tho Gate
city in This Big
Problem.

William Ballinger, who has recent
IL returned from trip through tn
south has written the following let
Tor to The Gate City on the question
Of negroes voting in the south. 1t is
hig question and Mr.. Ballingenl
writes OF the subject from investiga-
| ton which he made while south.
Here is his letter:
! TO the Editor of The Gate City:
While in the south became good
| dsal interested in the relations of the
colored man to the white man. There
are about ten millions of colored per-
| sons In the United States and tie
white man brought them here and
| their presence is due to the north as
much as to the south. The response
bility for slavery is also chargeaIbie
10 both sections Of our country. Slay-
erv gravitated to the south because
Of climate, cotton, the gin and the
profits in 1t. Ten millions are vast
number Of people and must be reck-
oned with whether we wish it or no.
/ OF these ten millions approximately
one million are in the states hereto
for free and nine millions in the
states heretofore slave. In the north
blacks are SO few compared with the
whites that the race question is not
serious and the north denies to the
colored man no rights permitted to
ths whites. The nine millions in the
south with some states like Missis-
sippi and South Carolina with moro
blacks than whites may reasonably re-
qure different solution from what
may be found in the north. have
/ always thought that the reconstruc-
/ ton acts OF congress after our civil
war we're a great wrong to the south.
The attempt to put political controi
of the southern states in the hanes
OF freshly emancipated slaves was
not justified upon any principle of just
government Or political economy.
Slavery was wrong and no man
because Of color should be robbed oil
his freedom. But it is no reflection
upon black man long in bondage
that he was unfit to either govern OF
make laws. Time and education mus
fit him for these. Emerging from
slavery he could not make laws fol
himself much less for the whites. Il
was, therefore, best for both him ant
the white man that the white mar
should rule until the disabilities re
sulting from slavery end. 1t will take
many years for this But to return
to the south, or rather that portion
recently visited by us. In the cit.
Of Charleston though inquired o
many could not learn Of singh
colored man either that he voted a
any election or knew OF any colore,
man that did. Neither did any whit
man know Of any colored man vo,
Ing. Charleston has approximately
population Of 10000 whites and 1000
blacks. | conclude that none Of tn
$4,000 blacks votes at any election.
nope 1t Will interest your readers an
especially our colored people to know
why this is SO. The fourteenth amenc
ment to the United States constitl
on hiahsS aai persons DORM IN In
United States citizens of the Unite
states and of the state wherein the
aside Article XIV provides 9Th
right of citizens of ths United State
70 vote shall not be denied or abridt
60 by the United States or by an
state on account of race. color or pr,
slous condition OF servitude''
Can't Deny Vote.
~ Is clear from these two article
mat no man can be denied the rigt
% vote in any state because his fac
= black. Why then can none of til
sV'Voo blacks who reside at Charlie
'on and who are citizens Of sout
NJ