Race Distinctions in American Law

by Gilbert Thomas Stephenson

NOTES

[661]. The following table, giving the dates of the Constitutions of the various States and the Organic Laws of the Territories with the sections referring to suffrage, up to and including 1865, indicates the extent to which suffrage was restricted to white people before and at that date. “White,” “white freeman,” “free white,” etc., mean that only white persons or white freemen or free white persons had the elective franchise. Where the suffrage is given to male “citizens” or “inhabitants” whether Negroes were included depends upon whether they were treated in those States as “citizens” or “inhabitants.”

Alabama,	Const.,	1819,	art.	III,	sec.	5	White.
	Const.,	1865,	art.	VIII,	sec.	1	White.
Arkansas,	Const.,	1836,	art.	IV,	sec.	2	Free white.
	Const.,	1864,	art.	IV,	sec.	2	Free white.
California,	Const.,	1849,	art.	II,	sec.	2	White.
Colorado,	Ter. Govt.,	1861,			sec.	5	Free white.
Connecticut,	Const.,	1818,	art.	VI,	sec.	2	White.
	Amend.,	1845,	art.	VIII,	sec.
Delaware,	Const.,	1792,	art.	IV,	sec.	1	Free white.
	Const.,	1831,	art.	IV,	sec.	1	Free white.
Florida,	Ter. Govt.,	1822,			sec.	11	Free white.
	Const.,	1838,	art.	VI,	sec.	1	Free white.
	Const.,	1865,	art.	VI,	sec.	1	Free white.
Georgia,	Const.,	1777,	art.	IX,			White.
	Const.,	1789,	art.	IV,	sec.	1	Citizens and inhabitants.
	Const.,	1798,	art.	IV,	sec.	1	Citizens and inhabitants.
	Const.,	1865,	art.	V,	sec.	1	Free white.
Illinois,	Const.,	1818,	art.	II,	sec.	27	White.
	Const.,	1848,	art.	VI,	sec.	1	White.
Indiana,	Const.,	1816,	art.	VI,	sec.	1	White.
	Const.,	1851,	art.	II,	sec.	2	White.
Iowa,	Ter. Govt.,	1838,			sec.	5	Free white.
	Const.,	1846,	art.	II,	sec.	1	White.
	Const.,	1857,	art.	II,	sec.	1	White.
Kansas,	Ter. Govt.,	1854,			sec.	5	Free white.
	Const.,	1855,	art.	II,	sec.	2	White.
	Const.,	1857,	art.	VIII,	sec.	1	Citizens.
	Const.,	1858,	art.	II,	sec.	1	Citizens.
	Const.,	1859,	art.	V,	sec.	1	White.
Kentucky,	Const.,	1792,	art.	III,			Free citizens.
	Const.,	1799,	art.	II,	sec.	8	Free citizens.
	Const.,	1850,	art.	II,	sec.	8	Free white.
Louisiana,	Const.,	1812,	art.	II,	sec.	8	Free white.
	Const.,	1845,	tit.	II,	art.	10	Free white.
	Const.,	1852,	tit.	II,	art.	10	Free white.
	Const.,	1864,	tit.	III,	art.	14	White.
Maine,	Const.,	1820,	art.	II,	sec.	1	Citizens.
Maryland,	Const.,	1776,	art.	II,			Free men.
	Amend.,	1810,	art.	XIV,			Free white.
	Const.,	1851,	art.	I,	sec.	1	Free white.
	Const.,	1864,	art.	I,	sec.	1	White.
Massachusetts,	Const.,	1780,	chap.	I,	art.	4	Freeholders.
	Amend.,	1822,	art.	III,			Citizens.
Michigan,	Const.,	1835,	art.	II,	sec.	1	White.
	Const.,	1850,	art.	VII,	sec.	1	White.
Minnesota,	Ter. Govt.,	1849,			sec.	5	Free white.
	Const.,	1857,	art.	VII,	sec.	1	White.
Mississippi,	Ter. Govt.,	1808,			sec.	1	Free white.
	Const.,	1817,	art.	III,	sec.	1	Free white.
Const.,	1832,	art.	III,	sec.	1	Free white.
Missouri,	Ter. Govt.,	1812,			sec.	11	Free white.
	Const.,	1820,	art.	III,	sec.	10	Free white.
	Const.,	1865,	art.	II,	sec.	18	White.
Nevada,	Ter. Govt.,	1850,			sec.	5	Free white.
	Ter. Govt.,	1861,			sec.	5	Free white.
	Const.,	1864,	art.	II,	sec.	1	White.
New Hampshire,	Const.,	1784,	part	II,			Inhabitants.
	Const.,	1792,	part	II,	sec.	28	Inhabitants.
New Jersey,	Const.,	1776,	art.	IV,			Inhabitants.
	Const.,	1844,	art.	II,	sec.	1	White.
New York,	Const.,	1777,	art.	VII,			Inhabitants.
	Const.,	1821,	art.	II,	sec.	1	Citizens.
	Const.,	1846,	art.	II,	sec.	1	Citizens.
North Carolina,	Const.,	1776,	art.	VII,	sec.		Freemen.
	Amend.,	1835,	art.	I,	sec.	3	Freemen. (Negroes excepted).
	Amend.,	1854,					Free white.
Ohio,	Const.,	1802,	art.	IV,	sec.	1	White.
	Const.,	1851,	art.	V,	sec.	1	White.
Oregon,	Ter. Govt.,	1848,			sec.	5	White.
	Const.,	1857,	art.	II,	sec.	2	White. (Negroes excepted).
Pennsylvania,	Const.,	1776,	art.	II,	sec.	6	Freemen.
	Const.,	1790,	art.	III,	sec.	1	Freemen.
	Const.,	1838,	art.	III,	sec.	1	White freemen.
Rhode Island,	Const.,	1842,	art.	II,	sec.	1	Citizens.
South Carolina,	Const.,	1776,	res.	XI,			“As required by law.”
	Const.,	1778,	res.	XIII,	sec.		Free white.
	Const.,	1790,	art.	I,	sec.	4	Free white.
	Amend.,	1810,					Free white.
Tennessee,	Const.,	1796,	art.	III,	sec.	1	Freemen.
	Const.,	1834,	art.	IV,	sec.	1	Free white.
Texas,	Const.,	1836,	art.	VI,	sec.	11	Citizens.
	Const.,	1845,	art.	III,			Free (Negroes excepted).
Vermont,	Const.,	1777,	chap.	II,	sec.	6	Men of quiet and peaceable behavior.
	Const.,	1786,	chap.	I,	sec.	9	Men of quiet and peaceable behavior.
	Const.,	1793,	chap.	II,	sec.	21	Men of quiet and peaceable behavior.
Virginia,	Const.,	1830,	art.	III,	sec.	14	White.
	Const.,	1850,	art.	III,	sec.	1	White.
	Const.,	1864,	art.	III,	sec.	1	White.
West Virginia,	Const.,	1861–63,	art.	III,	sec.	1	White.
Wisconsin,	Ter. Govt.,	1836,			sec.	5	Free white.
	Const.,	1848,	art.	III,	sec.	1	White.

[662]. Art. II, sec. 2.

[663]. Art. VII, sec. 1.

[664]. Const., 1799, art. III.

[665]. Const., 1845, art. III.

[666]. Art. II, sec. 1.

[667]. Art. III, sec. 1.

[668]. B. P. Poore: “Charters and Constitutions,” II, p. 1353.

[669]. Amends. to Const. of 1776, art. I, sec. 3, par. 3.

[670]. Congressional Record, vol. 33, part 8, app. pp. 297, et seq.

[671]. Art. IV, sec. 1.

[672]. Art. III, sec. 1.

[673]. Gillespie v. Palmer, 1866, 20 Wis. 544; Laws of Wis. 1849, p. 85.

[674]. Albert Bushnell Hart: “Slavery and Abolition,” p. 83; “The Realities of Negro Suffrage” in the Proceedings of the American Political Science Association for 1906.

[675]. Ala., 1867, art. VII, sec. 1; Ark, 1868, art. VIII, sec. 2; Fla., 1868, art. XV, sec. 1; Ga., 1868, art. II, sec. 2; La., 1868, tit. VI, art. 98; Miss., 1868, art. VII, sec. 2; N. C., 1868, art. VI, sec. 1; S. C. 1868, art. VIII, sec. 1; and Texas, 1868, art. III, sec. 1.

[676]. Art. III, sec. 1.

[677]. Art. II, sec. 2.

[678]. B. P. Poore: “Charters and Constitutions,” II, p. 1353.

[679]. Laws of Colo., 1861, pp. 71–72.

[680]. Ibid., 1864, pp. 79–80.

[681]. Pub. Acts of Conn., 1865, pp. 94–95.

[682]. Laws of Minn., 1865, pp. 118–19.

[683]. Laws of Wis., 1865, pp. 517–18.

[684]. Congressional Record, vol. 35, part 2, pp. 1270 et seq.

[685]. Laws of Ia., 1868, pp. 290–91.

[686]. Art. VII.

[687]. Laws of Dak. Ty., 1867–68, p. 255.

[688]. Congressional Record, vol. 35, part 2, pp. 1270 et seq.

[689]. Art. VII, sec. 1.

[690]. Amend., 1870, art II, sec. 1.

[691]. Art. III, sec. 1.

[692]. Const., 1867, art. I, sec. 1.

[693]. Neal v. Del., 1880, 103 U. S. 370.

[694]. Laws of Ore., 1870, pp. 190–91.

[695]. Laws of N. Y., 1870, I, p. 922.

[696]. 16 Stat. L., 140–46, chap. 94.

[697]. U. S. v. Reese, 1875, 92 U. S. 214.

[698]. U. S. v. Canter, 1870, Fed. Case No. 14,719.

[699]. U. S. v. Crosby, 1871, Fed. Case No. 14,893.

[700]. Anthony v. Halderman, 1871, 7 Kan. 50.

[701]. Kellogg v. Warmouth, 1872, Fed. Case No. 7,667.

[702]. U. S. v. Given, 1873, Fed. Case Nos. 15,210 and 15,211.

[703]. U. S. v. Cruikshank, 1874, Fed. Case No. 14,897; 92 U. S. 542 (1875).

[704]. U. S. v. Petersburg (Va.) Judges of Election, 1874, Fed. Case No. 16,036.

[705]. Bernier v. Russell, 1878, 89 Ill. 60.

[706]. Ex parte Yarborough, 1884, 110 U. S. 651.

[707]. Minor v. Happersett, 1874, 21 Wall. 162.

[708]. 92 U. S. 214 (1875).

[709]. Ratliff v. Beale, 1896, 20 S. 865.

[710]. Const., 1890, art. XII, secs. 241 et seq.

[711]. Const., 1895, art. II.

[712]. Const., 1898, arts. 197, 198, and 202.

[713]. Revised Stat., 1905, secs. 4315–17; Const., 1875, as amended 1900, art. VI.

[714]. Const., 1902, secs. 177–82.

[715]. Const., 1902, art. II, secs. 18 et seq.

[716]. Laws of Ga., 1908, pp. 27–31.

[717]. W. P. Pickett: “The Negro Problem,” 1909, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, p. 250; Laws of Md., 1908, pp. 301–04.

[718]. Const. of U. S., art. I, sec. 8, par. 4.

[719]. 22 Stat. L., 61.

[720]. Federal Stat., annotated, vol. 5, pp. 207–08.

[721]. Hedgman v. Bd. of Registration, 1872, 26 Mich. 51.

[722]. The American Political Science Review, vol. 4, p. 63 (Feb., 1910).

[723]. 31 Stat. L., 82–83, chap. 191; Sixty-first Cong., 2d sess., H. Doc. No. 615; Congressional Record, vol. 45, p. 1199.

[724]. Williams v. Miss., 1898, 170 U. S. 213, at p. 225.

[725]. Mills v. Green, 1895, 159 U. S. 651; Jones v. Montague, 1904, 194 U. S. 147; Selden v. Montague, 1904, 194 U. S. 153; Giles v. Teasley, 1904, 136 Ala. 164, and 193 U. S. 146; Giles v. Harris, 1903, 189 U. S. 475. For discussions of the constitutionality of the suffrage laws of the South see The American Political Science Review, vol. I, pp. 17, et seq., and John Mabry Mathews: “History of the Fifteenth Amendment,” 1909, The Johns Hopkins Press, pp. 97–127.

[726]. Mathews: History of the Fifteenth Amendment, pp. 125–26.

[727]. Raleigh, N. C., News and Observer, Nov. 9, 1907; Feb. 24, 25, and 28, 1909.

[728]. See Poindexter v. Greenhow, 1884, 114 U. S. 270, at p. 304; and Spraigue v. Thompson, 1886, 118 U. S. 90, at p. 95.

[729]. Laws of Md., 1910, chap. 253.

[730]. The Harvard Law Review, vol. XXIII, p. 169.

[731]. W. P. Pickett: The Negro Problem, pp. 259–84.

[732]. Kirby’s Digest, 1904, sec. 2767.

[733]. Const., 1880, art. II, sec. 1, as amended 1894.

[734]. Const., 1876, art. VII, sec. 1, as amended 1893; Revised Stat., 1908, secs. 2027 and 2146–50.

[735]. Const., 1818, art. VI, secs. 2 and 3, as amended 1897; General Stat., 1902, secs. 1593–94.

[736]. Const., 1831, art. IV, sec. 1.

[737]. Const., 1887, art. VI, sec. 1; General Stat., 1906, sec. 170.

[738]. Const., 1889, art. VI, sec. 2.

[739]. Const., 1870, art. VII, sec. 1.

[740]. Const., 1851, art. II, secs. 84–85; Burns’s Stat., 1908, II, sec. 6877.

[741]. Const., 1881, art. II.

[742]. Const., 1859, art. V.

[743]. Const., 1891, sec. 145.

[744]. Const., 1819, art. II, as amended 1893.

[745]. Const., 1867, art. I, secs. 1–3.

[746]. Const., 1780, as amended 1821 and 1857.

[747]. Const., 1850, art. VII, secs. 1 and 8.

[748]. Const., 1858, art. VII.

[749]. Const., 1875, art. VIII, secs. 2, 8, 10, and 11.

[750]. Const., 1889, art. IX.

[751]. Const., 1866, art. VII.

[752]. Const., 1864, art. II.

[753]. Public Stat., 1901, pp. 136–37.

[754]. Const., 1864, art. II.

[755]. Const., 1894, art. II.

[756]. Const., 1889, as amended, sec. 121.

[757]. Const., 1851, art. V.

[758]. Const., 1907, art. III.

[759]. Const., 1859, art. II.

[760]. Const., 1874, art. VIII.

[761]. Const., 1842, as amended 1888, art. II.

[762]. Const., 1889, art. VII.

[763]. Const., 1870, art. IV.

[764]. Herron’s Sup. to Sayles’s Civil Stat., 1906, p. 165.

[765]. Const., 1895, art. IV.

[766]. Statutes, 1906, p. 104.

[767]. Const., 1889, art. VI.

[768]. Const., 1872, art. IV, sec. 1.

[769]. Const., 1848, art. III.

[770]. Const., 1889, art. VI.

[771]. Code, 1907, part V, sec. 199.

[772]. Revised Stat., 1901, sec. 2282.

[773]. Revised Laws, 1901, secs. 18, 60, and 63.

[774]. Organic Act, 1850, sec. 6; Compiled Laws, 1897, secs. 1647, 1672, and 1677–78.

[775]. The Outlook, vol. 91, p. 78.

CHAPTER XII
RACE DISTINCTIONS VERSUS RACE DISCRIMINATIONS

Heretofore, the writer has let the legislatures and courts speak for themselves, withholding personal opinions and refraining from making deductions from the facts revealed. Now, however, that the various race distinctions have been reviewed at some length, it may be worth while to consider what conclusions the facts warrant and what practical lessons they suggest.