The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1870-12-14
Disfranchisement.

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The radical Democratic Legislature now
10 session passed a bill Yesterday amending
the charter of the town of Wilmington. A
provision of the bill requires of all persons
who propose to vote in the municipal cleo
lions of that town, a residence of ninety
days in the ward in which they propose to
vote. This provision is at variance with the
latent of our State Constitution if not un-
constitutional. The Constitution requires
residence of twelve months in the State and
thirty days in the county to entitle person
to vote. The ninety days residence is a blow
at the cOlored voters. II is well known
that colored men work wherever they can
get work-they are without land, and a
great many of them are without any fixed
residence. This bill will disfrarchise great
many colored men. 1t is done for the pur-
pose of placing Democrats in control of all
the towns in the State. Instead of following
the requirements of the State Constitution,
the Democrats go beyond that instrument
and requires ninety instead of thirty days.
This is consistency! The groans of those
who are prohibited from holding Office by
the Constitution of the United States have
been heard all over theA country, and the
representatives, of that party which has COM
planned OF the Acknowledgement of the intel
ligence of the South. now proceed to put
into operation law that virtually disfran-
chises colored men. If I'VE requirement had
been thirty days we could have made no
objection because that would have been. in
conformity with the State Constitution. 1t
is bad enough for the Democrats to intimi-
date and kill through the agency Of their
chief ally-the Ku Klux Klan-but to pass
a law DISTINGUISHING great many men is
worse than we supposed apologists for mid
night murders and members of the Klan
would do. ...
One E. j.. Warren, Senator from Beaufort,
originated this bill. This man would have
accepted the Republican nomination for a
Superior Court Judgeship had it been it
been rendered to him by the nominating
Convention of 1868. Because he did not
receive the nomination he went over to the
Democrats and is now the chief radical of
that party.
We call the attention of the Congress to
the course of the Legislature. We had
hoped bitterness and prescription had seen
its day, but it seems that the Democrats in
tend to drive the Republicans of North-Ca
DINA to the wall and that every means both
fair and foul will be used to accomplish that
end We shall fight the devil with fire, and
we begin by asking the Congress to scan
carefully every bill introduced to remove po-
litical disabilities, and to lay on the table
every bill that contains the name OF Dem
ocrat. Let Vance, Rogers, and Waddell,
remain under the ban until their friends
learn to respect the Constitution of North
Carolina. We are ready and willing to
bury the hatche., and We hoped the last
campaign had obliterated all radical ideas
from our people, and that moderation, pru-
dence, and justice would reign throughout
the State We had hoped the Legislature
would not pass extreme measures or do any
thing rash. 1t seems that persistent, ag-
grcssive war is to be made upon the Repub-
lican party, and as far as it lies in, our pow
er blow for blow shall be given. We ask
no quarters and shall give none.