Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-09

MISSILE action under the limita-
tons Of the Federal Constitution,
with view to the elimination Of.
every Negro voter who can be
gotten rid Of. legally. without
materially affecting the numeri-
cal strength Of the white cleo
torate. AS has been said. we have
accomplished our purpose strictly
within the limitations Of the Fed
eral Constitution by legislating
against the characteristics Of the
black race and not against the
race, color. or previous condition
Of the people themselves. It is
q fine discrimination indeed. that
We have practiced in the fab
rication of this plan"
The Horrible Example
Then, as now, the City Of WASH
ington was q favorite case in
point on the race issue.
John w. Daniel, delegate from
Campbell County. told his COLI
leagues to look across the Po-
tomac to the Capital City Of this
Nation" for an example Of Negro
voting strength. "Colored suffrage
came, and presto. change. The
Republican Party found the City
of Washington in such condition
that it was compelled in decent
response to the opinion Of other
nations and in decent protection
for the property and lives and
character of her people who live
there, to make a deep and funda-
mental change. 1t cut the
Gordian knot by taking away all
right Of suffrage from white men
and colored men alike"
Mr.. Daniel said Washington was
the most complete exemplifica-
ton of absolute government that
anywhere exists on the face Of the
earth. It only shows, gentlemen,
the plain. naked truth, that when
ever the Anglo-Saxon is brought
to confront the real thing and
must submit either to social deg
radiation or loss of liberty, they
will accept tyranny rather than
they will accept social degrade
ton"
Minutes of the convention show
that Mr.. Daniel received great
applause"
One Of the most outspoken pro-
ponents Of the Strictest possible
limitation on voters was A. P.
Thorn of Norfolk City, which in
those days was more akin to South
side Virginia than its present
metropolitan character would in
dictate.
Mr.. Thorn was adamant that
the constitution should have a
permanent understanding clause
and not temporary one as
proposed by Turmoil the-century
moderates. He said the question
was not the creation of a white
majority-"but the question is the
removal Of the black man as a
poisonous factor in the politics of
the State"
Scorns Literary Test
Mr.. Thorn scorned the literacy
test as a sole requirement for
registration. OF the total Negro
vote of approximately 100000 in
1902, he estimated one-half could
read and would be able to write
registration applications. He fur
ther warned that the illiteracy
rate among Negroes was declining
rapidly.
TT is this fieeting and disap-
pearing qualification that we
people of the Black Belt are
asked to accept as the solution to
our troubles" continued Mr..
Thorn. Can it be wondered at
that we hesitate? Can it for one
moment be wondered at that we
are unwilling to surrender the
first opportunity we have had for
80 years to escape from under the
burden of this cursor"
With a frankness uncommon in
modern race discussion, Mr.. Thorn
confessed that he did not expect
the understanding clause to be
welded impartially.
II do not expect an understand
ing clause to be administered with
any degree of friendship by the
white man to the suffrage of the
black man." he said. II expect
the examination with which the
black man will be confronted to
be inspired with the same spirit
that inspires every man upon this
floor and in this convention.