| Show THE NEW mississippi constitution new constitution adopted recently by the state of mississippi according as its main features become known to the public at large attracts proportionate attention the now new orleans times democrat says of it the rho main purpose and motive of the now new constitution was to render it certain that the negroes could never by any possible political combination secure control of the state J the vast majority of white people in the north both republican and democratic would not favor negro domination in any of the states of this union but the plan adopted by the mississippi whites is not likely to be endorsed very generally in the north A clause in iii the new constitution provides that any applicant for registration as a voter must be able to read a section of the state constitution and also to construe it to the satisfaction of the judges of election an educational a test for the franchise is not u unreasonable but further on is another clause which provides that if the applicant cauthan can understand a section of the constitution if read to him it shall ball qualify him for the ballot A large number of whites in that state are illiterate and this clause will be of assistance to them the judges of election can thus say who is or who is ie not to vote utah people can appreciate what it means to constitute election ejection judges the arbiters in disputed cases relating to voting the total population of mississippi in 1890 was of whom were white and colored the total males over twenty one was of whom were white and colored the total number of school age was of whom were white and colored these figures show that the colored people in mississippi largely predominate and that there is danger of race supremacy if numbers are permitted to prevail although the male population of that state was over twenty one was in 1890 yet the total arte in 1888 was only under areg a registration just completed according to the new regime the total number of colored voters is out of a total of males over it of the white registration is a out of a total of mississippi has nine votes and seven members in congress if her voting population were taren taken as the basis her congressional representation would be limited to one under the constitution of the united states this reduction could be made provided it to ia proven that american citizens over 21 are denied the right of suffrage it would be well for mississippi while endeavoring to preserve good government so to regulate its election laws as not to abridge the rights of american citizens white or col colored bred whatever may be thought of the wholesale enfranchisement of the uneducated negroes the fact remains that they are constitutionally do dally endowed with the ballot and state laws must be so framed that they will apply equally to all citizens irrespective of race or color |
