Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-01-15

are enabled to publish in detail his
remarkable testimony before the
Committe Mt Chicago. I'D
TESTIMONY OF MR- HENRY LIN.
COLIN JOHNSON.
The witness was duly sworn by the
chai:mua.
This Chairman. Give the reporter
your name In full, MT. johnson.
sou
Mr.. Johnson Henry Lincoln John
son, Atlanta, Ga.
The Chairman. What was the name
OF the gentleman you sent to Wash.
ingt,n to testify!
Mr.. johnson. Mr.. NJ. II. Karnes, Of
Atlanta, Ga, Oatel Building.
The Chairman. You were subpoen-
ned to be In Washington, but you
were busy In Chicago at that time, so
we excused you; but there were como
things we wanted to take up with
You.
MIR. johnson. ALI fight sir.
The Chairman. There were 2 Lines
OF examination. First, the expenditure
es OF money in the preconvention
campaign. second, we would like to
ask veu o few questions about tho
suppression Of the colored vote in the
South. Now, we will take mp tho last
.one first. think.
Mr.. Johnson. All right.
The Chairman. What Us the gener.
al situation, for instance, dn Georgia?
Mr.. Johnson. AS to the suppression
OF voters In Georgia, there are about
counties out Of 1856 in that State
where Negro. on his application to
tho tax collector, who is ex officio the
registration officer; may, rs other
citizens OF the Stnte, register to be
come voter In elections
The Chairman What are the qWali
fications?
Mr.. Johnson. The qualifications are,
for voting IN Georgia, that person
must be male person over 81 years
of age, and must have resided in the
state for IL months, and in the coun
~ wherein he proposes to vote 6
months prior to the election. He must
have paid I'LL taxes required Of him
since tho constitution Of the State Of
Georgia OF 1878, down to the date OF
his application for registration to
the tax collector.
Under what we cali the Hoke Smith
amendment to the suffrage laws Of
Georgia there were other quailfica.
tons added, among them being that
o person WHO himself or his ancestors,
prior to 1858, had the right to vote.
was not encunbered by any OF the
qualifications exacted therein.
Tho Chairman. That makes dts.
.tinccion between tho white vote and
the! eolored; votef
Mr.. Johnson. Dxaetly, because the
fifteenth amendment was not opera.
Give In that State until after that cate
That is what We generally sail the
grandfather olaneo.
Senator Spencer. Has that bssa
passed upon In Georgia..
Mr.. johnson. It has been passed. Ap
on in Georgia. but tho Republicans
OF that State have tiisreSarded II On
the ground that the Supreme Court
OF the United States has nvllified It,
both lin tho Maryland and Oklaho-,e
oases in the opinions handed down
by Mr.. Justice Hughes, or II not hand
cd down by him, admittedly prepared
by Mr.. Justice Hughes.
Another qualification Is that any
person who himself engaged in or
any hneal descendant Of any person
who engaged in, the Revolutionary
War, the Indian Wars the War be
tween the States, and the recent wars
with Mexico, and the War with Spain
were immune from the exactions
stated in what we generally call the
Hoke Smith DISTINGUISHING law. OBJ
viously there were no Negroes in
Georgia who could qualify as to
tkosc Old Indian and Mexican wars
very much. That exempted from the
r'igors Of this law all of the veterans
o. the War between the States and
tine descendants OF those veterans,
which practically comprehended all
or the white persons of Georgia, but
did not comprehend only such colored
persons OF Georgia as ran away and
Joined what we call the Yankee army.
Section OF that law provides that
any person who Is Of good character,
who has conducted himself right in
his community, nlso would be entitled
to register and vote, IL ne could not
aualify under the antecedent two re
1urements. But tho statute as to
how good character was to be estob.
ished, the vital part. knowingly the
vital part of the Smith-Hardwick dis
franchising statute was obviously in
ended to be q means whereby oil Ne
groes could be excluded at the arbi-
rary will OF the tax collector, and
indeed, the language Of Senator Hoke
Smith at Valdosta, Ca, on the pas
sage OF that law comprised these
words, practically verbatim, that they
we're devisng law which by its re
fu1rennents was such that no Negro
Powever erudite and qualified, could
fote. but that no white man. however
Unfortunate, could DO excluded.
The Chairman. Well, colored
nan could vote, on the character sues
ion, II he had the af1davit OF two
Democrats?
Mr.. Johnson. Surely; but on the
fharacter question. Senator, in the
asst nine months 7 have had printed,
yith othsr frfendskf. ,Kawaae add
WoAo ~ :