▁under ▁them .” ▁This ▁statement ▁held ▁even ▁after ▁the ▁state ▁admitted ▁that ▁its ▁administration ▁of ▁these ▁prov isions ▁had ▁been ▁carried ▁out ▁with ▁a ▁disc rimin atory ▁intent . ▁Ess entially , ▁the ▁court ▁ruled ▁that , ▁since ▁the ▁laws ▁had ▁the ▁potential ▁to ▁be ▁applied ▁to ▁anyone , ▁they ▁were ▁techn ically ▁n ond isc rimin atory . ▁Any ▁target ing ▁of ▁African ▁Americans ▁specifically ▁was ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁bias ▁in ▁the ▁people ▁enfor cing ▁the ▁laws ; ▁the ▁laws ▁themselves ▁did ▁not ▁disc rim inate , ▁they ▁only ▁gave ▁administrative ▁officers ▁the ▁option ▁to ▁disc rim inate , ▁which ▁was ▁not ▁in ▁viol ation ▁of ▁the ▁Four teenth ▁Am end ment . ▁ ▁After math ▁ ▁Other ▁southern ▁states ▁created ▁new ▁constitution s ▁with ▁prov isions ▁similar ▁to ▁those ▁of ▁Mississippi ' s ▁through ▁ 1 9 0 8 , ▁effectively ▁dis enf ranch ising ▁hundreds ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁black s ▁and ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁poor ▁whites ▁for ▁dec ades . ▁▁ ▁Although ▁some ▁northern ▁Congress men ▁proposed ▁reducing ▁southern ▁states ' ▁app ort ion ment ▁of ▁seats ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁to ▁reflect ▁the ▁numbers ▁of ▁African ▁Americans ▁who ▁were ▁dis enf ranch ised , ▁no ▁action ▁was ▁passed . ▁With ▁one - party ▁rule , ▁white ▁Southern ▁Democr ats ▁had ▁a ▁powerful ▁voting ▁block ▁which ▁they ▁exerc ised ▁for ▁dec ades , ▁for ▁instance , ▁to ▁reject ▁any ▁Federal ▁legisl ation ▁against ▁l yn ch ing . ▁( See ▁Section ▁Two ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 4 th