The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-02-22
were some Of them who were not.

s
were some OF them who were not.
The world knows who soma of them
are. But most all of them when you
come to negro franchise, don't want
the negro to vote-there may be few
exceptions. | have had the registrars
say to me, they were in favor OF dis
franchising every black man, from
Booker Washington down. 1t is the
Intelligent black man that the south
wants to keep from the ballot box,
and not so much the ignorant ones as
is pretended. have lived awhile in
five southern states, and found the
same feeling against the intelligent
black man-keep him back and down.
You spoke OF Charleston, S. c., and
it's political situation there; much
you say is true, but you did not go far
enough. There, as In Alabama, they
will not register the black man, and
when they do and he votes, 1t is just
as though he had not voted l spent
nearly seven years in Charleston, S.
G. and went to the polls during voting
hours, and time and time again,
took in the situation. Everything
was done and is being done in the
south, to keep the black man from
voting; but the black man like the at
flicted woman spoken Of in the Bible,
stand their ground and urge their way
to the ballot box, but If a white man
should come up to vote, he always
had the right Of way, and the black
man was made to stand back by an
officer, and the white man passed in
and voted. The POLLS often closed
with many black men standing in line
who had been there for hours.
The black man is not satisfied with
4 his political condition as some would
have you believe. One can clearly
see this, especially in the national
4 elections and often in state and city
4 elections.
! The black man feels. unless he
/ votes the democratic ticket, and this
he does not want to do, that his vote
will count but little, except IN the ma
tional election. He always registers,
when he is allowed, and keeps ready
for the national election. But where
the democrats have full control of
the election in some places, they very
often say, all the "niggers" voted the
democratic ticket or did not vote at
all. Therefore, / know for certain
ty that the black man is not satisfied
with his political situation even in
Charleston, S. c., and in the south in
i general.
/ For the last ten or twelve years at
each OF the national elections for
congressman, in South Carolina, from
i two to three coloreo men ran on the
republican ticket; the election was
taken from them, but they contested
the manner Of fthe election In con-
lgress. These men contending for their
! rights as citizens, spent thousands
and thousands of dollars, but the 9TH
!. South Carolina had more money than
these few and poor colored men and
they lost out. | mention these facts
to let you know the black man is no;
satisfied with the political conditions
heaped upon him.
The constitutions of South Carolina
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and
other southern states are farce, got
4 ten up just to keep the black man
from voting. The southern white man
does not deny it and he will tell any
one so, but the courts Of highest au
thority in this country. These consti
buttons make certain requirements oil
all twenty-one years of age, but they
make these requirements apply to the
[ colored man alone. In the courts
other, in the south, the constitution
, means something, but when the blacl
man comes in with white man, the
, constitution is no protection to him
The constitution amounts to very lit
t tie and often nothing to black face
| at the registration desk. The reg
( istrars in the south are above the con
, stitution. So when complaint il
= brought before the state or the nation
. al courts, they run back to the consti
! tuition to see what 1t says. OF course
: these constitutions do not say tn
i negro shall not vote. The courts Loo
S at the letter, the registrars look at tn
i letter and read between the line
i which says, keep the ballot out of tn
t negros hands.
: Let me give few Illustrations
4 The constitutions of South CAROLYN
! and Alabama ct al, all say about tn
e same thing. for one to register. tina
he must be liable to read, write, or TN
V derstand the constitution when rea,
3 to him." or pay taxes on SO mucl
Y property" and have good moral char
j, acter." These requirements do no
a mean single thing to the white man
e but the black man is held rigidly t.