The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-05-22
THE AVAILABLE NEGRO
VOTE In THE COMING
PRESIDENTIAL ELECT'N

the Negro is taken for granted in cur
rent political discussion. Indeed the
public mind has become so adjusted
to this condition that it has ceased to
be n matter Of interest Consideration
of the political and civil disabilities
of colored citizens is RELOCATED TO the
realm of things rcgrcttablc and dis
tasteful not 10 he mentioned in po-
lite society. s'~lAM
The 18th amcndmcn was intended
to wipe out all distinction in the elcc
toral franchise on account of race
color Or previous condition Of scrvi-
rude. This amendment declares: ].
"Thc right of the citizens of the u
nited States TO vote shall not be de
MED or abridged by the United States
or any state on account of race color
Or previous conditions Of servitude."
2. "The Congress shall have power
TO enforce the provision of this arti
Gle by appropriate legislation.
The intention TO this provision was
and is clear and unmistakable. This
amendment was enacted amidst the
heated aftermath of the Civil War.
1t was vigorously enforced until the
overthrow of the Reconstruction Re
gime in 1876. Since that time the
Negro in one way or another has
has been effectively deprived of the
franchise in certain Southern states
where his numbers are relative and
competitive. In harmony with the let
ter but not the spirit Of he 18th a
mendment- several Southern states
revised their constitutions condition
ing the franchise upon Intelligence
character and ownership of property.
The undisguised intention of these
restrictions was to reduce the Negro
vote to either IN utter nullity or to q
point of practical ineffectivcnesS
! This result was accomplished rather
| bvy one-sided enforcement of these
laws than by their outward semblanc
| which was cunningly devised to most
the technical requirements of the Is
amendment. Virginia North Carolina
Georgia Alabama Mississippi Louis
lima and Oklahoma are the only state
with such restrictions in their con
stitutions. Florida Texas Arkansas
land Tennessee have made the pay
ment of poll tax prerequisite to yo
ting. Because of the unfriendly pub
lie opinion which is inbospitablc to
the idea of political equality between
the races and by reason Of the indii
4 ference and ineptitude of the NcgrC
voter himself the RECRUITMENT of
poll tax serves as effectively as re
strictive laws to keep him from the
polls. On the other hand DelewarC
Maryland West Virginia and Ken
II lucky place no racial bar Of any KIND
upon the franchise. In this upper tiel
of Southern states the Negro votes n
freely &c his white fellow citizens.
Grandfather Clauses cOnferrin;
s the unrestricted right Of franchis,
rpon those whose Grandfathers on
joyed that privilege in 1860 were
+ Clearly intended to confer the fran
chise upon the whites without regarC
fo intelligence character or prOpert!
Qualifications while depriving Ne
groes in this category Of the same pr
s vilcge. Such provisions were declared
UNCONSTITUTIONAL by unanimous opin
ion Of the Supreme Court as beini
discriminatory in intent and purpos
and. therefore null and void az VIC
bstles AZ the 18Th amendment.
Through these several restrietiv,