New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-23
Gerrymandering in South
Shaken by Decision on
Grandfather Clause"
DEMOCRATS MAY
LOSE LOUISIANA
Mountain Districts in North
Carolina Expected to Go
Republican.
Iron The Tribune Bureau. :

Washington. June 22.--Reports from
all over the South indicate that laws
in nearly every one Of the states which
restrict negroes from voting will. be
tested in the Supreme Court as re-
suit of yesterdays decision invalidat-
ing the grandfather clause" of Mary
land and Oklahoma laws
If the Supreme Court takes the posi-
ton that if the intent Of the law is TO
d:sfranchise the negroes it is uncon-
stitutional the elaborate gerrymander-
ing in several Southern states with the
idea of sending solid Democratic dele
cations 10 Congress will fall to the
ground. In view Of the peculiar ger
rymandering in North Carolina, for in
stance, where the work in this respect
is the admiration of partisans from
other states, it is likely that certain
carefully balanced districts will be
turned Republican by a few negro
votes.
Congressional districts in North
Carolina are laid out on the plan of
having each big Democratic district,
down in the cotton belt, where negroes
are, to a large extent, not permitted
to vote on one pretext or another, take
in a little strip of the hill country,
which is Republican. A strip of noun
tain country, with 1000 normal Re-
publican majority, for instance, is
tackled on 70 a cotton belt section with
about 1900 Democratic majority.
Leaders Not Apprehensive.
Democratic leaders here declare they
do not believe the voting of even q
great majority of the negroes would
turn the electoral votes of any OF the
states over to the Republicans. except
perhaps in Louisiana. where the sugar
issue is apt to hurt the Democrats,
but they are afraid that very large
number of Democrats will lose their
seats in the House of Representatives
A we'll known Georgia politician said
tonight he did not believe the effect
Of the courts decision would reach his
state or Alabama. because Georgia de-
ponds more on other means than the
grandfather clause" to keep negroes
from voting. Property and educa-
tional qualifications strike down
great many. but Democrats have a
potent weapon in a general reputa-
ton" provision. Almost any white
man has no trouble in establishing the
fact that he bears a good reputation,
which lets him vote, property or no
property, education or no educa-
ton. this politician said. But when
the negro comes up to register he hnds
it almost impossible to convince the
election officials that he bears good
reputation, and he must comply with
rigid educational qualifications or
show that he owns considerable prop
erty on which he pays taxes. The
same thing applies to Alabama.
Ends Representation Controversy.
The Georgian admitted that this
general reputation provision of the
franchise law might also be construed
by the high court as being aimed at
the negro, and for that reason in con-
fict with the Fifteenth Amendment. He
had heard already that test cases
would be brought to ietermine this.
The effect of the courts decision will
soon be apparent in Oklahoma and
Maryland. In Maryland the disfran-
chisement under this clause had been
attempted only on small scale. The
voters have twice defeated an effort to
put through a real grandfather
clause" which would have prevented
the negroes from voting. The clause
knocked out yesterday by the court APP
piled only to state and municipal cleo
lions. In Oklahoma, however, it is ex-
pected the decision may result in the
election of several Republican Repre-
scntatives.
The decision is also expected to end
the old controversy of reducing the
South's representation in Congress, fol
if the decision has its natural effect in
allowing negroes TO vote there will be
no reason for reducing the representa-
ton.