Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1915-06-24
OKLAHOMA GRANDFATHER,
CLAUSE UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Conditions Of Period THAT En-
listed Before Fifteenth Amend
ment Cannot be Held as
Qualifications for Suffrage

Washington, June 21-In probably
one Of the most important race de-
cisions in it's history, the Supreme
Court today anuled as unconstitution-
al the Oklahoma constitutional a.
menddment and the Annapolis, Md,
voters qualification law restricting
the suffrage rights OF those who could
not vote or whose ancestors could not
vote prior to the ratification of the
Fifteenth Amendment to the Federal
Constitution.
Chief Justice White, a native of the
South, and former Confederate soul
dier announced the courts decision.
which was unanimous except that
Justice McReynolds took no part in
the case.
ut is true" continued the Chief
Justice, that it contains no express
words OF an exclusion from the stand
ard which it establishes of any person
on account of race, color, or previous
condition of servitude prohibited by
the Fifteenth Amendwment but the
standard itself inherently brings that
result in to extence since it is based
,purely upon a period of time before
the enactment of the Fifteenth
Amendment and makes that period
the controlling and dominant test Of
the right of suffrage.
"In other words, We seek in vain
for any ground which would sustain
any other Interpretation but that the
provision, recurring to the conditions
existing before the Fifteenth Amend
ment "as adopted and the Conditinu~
ance of which the Fifteenth Amend
ment prohibited, proposed by. IN sub.
! stnnce and effect, lifting these cond;
4 lions o,cr Il period Of time after the
amendment to make them the basis
to saffna4as -nonferred lii
district and positive disregard fcrf the
Fifteenth Amendment. And the S:ini.'
result We are of opinion, is DEMON
possible to discover any basis of lea
son for the standard thus fixed other
than the purpose ahnve stated.
No Other Explanation.
| We gay this because we are uh
able L. discover how unless the pro
Ncnt We're considered the scli%htest
rcS.~"n WAS afforded for ha%in- tn,
classification upon n period OF tim,
| tr.iH., 4 hn Eiftht..,,,tl,
Certainly ii cannot he said tlIar thcr,
was amy peculiar nccromeny in rho
time named which engender attri
butcs affecting the qualification t.
and different period unleS the Fiji
tcenth amendment was I'm view.
The Chief Justice expressed his
statement by Il development OF the
by the fifteenth ancndcnt on the
power OF the Stae over suffrage Wa
coincident with the limits of the pow
sr itself HealSo set forth the prin
ciplc that. while III the true sense til,
Fifftccnth Amendment gives no
right" OF SUFFRAGE. lit was longag
recognized that in operation its pr.
hii.ttion Nigh, meas urahly have thu
"!ic't. that is to say that a. the com
hand Of the amendment was Sclf-"vc
rEtinS and reached without lrgiSla
: tive :cti, "A the e., nGitionS of diScr;,n
nation against "1','li it was aimed
the .r<ult might III Sr that as q con =,
':llrnce of tiic s'r,l,n:, down of lis
,riininnt!nS cause right of Suifr t"'
e would ie ,hinyci hI reason of ~
. generic character f the provision
which would rcr ain after the dis
elimination was s,il,kcn out"
This '" aS Snih by way of answer I,
tn" argument of attorneys for th,
= election officials ;rat the Finttentl
cause there was no srCh thing undr
:ho American form e government a.
~ "ii.lt" to vote
IMMEDIATE EFFECT.
~ holding that coalitions that rx
e i>trl before the fifteenth Amrll
n mrnt. which provti'lc> that the ri.h
to vni, shall not he Icn,rd or ahr:dg
elnn account of race color. or prcvi
- iuIr" condition of S"rvitud,.. c0ul;
not he brought over to the prcScn
a day in disregard of this self-oX"cutin
: amendment. 1t is generally hclievct
n that th" court went n long way to
ward invalidating much OF the So
tion Of Southern States.
The Immediate effect OF the court
decision was tc uphold the conviction
~ III. N hAfun .l.,..finI. .An'i. III, L