The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-11-15
WANTED: A NEW ELECTION LAW.


The fight for supremacy In the
South, especially in North Carolina,
is now between ignorance and intel
ligence between the illiterate and
prejudiced negroes led by few
shrewd politicians on the one hand
and the intelligent tax-paying whites
on the other.
THE SENTINEL believes the latter
should rule. AS it is at present the
negroes virtually rule in many
counties. Although Forsyth county
has no negro officers, it was the ne
gro vote that elected the Republican
candidates over the whites, against
the almost unanimous protest of the
white men of this county. What is
true here is true in many other coun-
ties.
Now this is totally wrong and The
SENTINEL wishes to see it remedied.
AS remedy, we suggest the South
Carolina election law, which can be
passed by the Legislature. This
law provides that voters shall regis
ter several days before election, thus
giving the officers time to investigate
and decide whether there are any
registered who are not entitled to
vote. In the second place, the vot-
ers pass singly into a room where
the judges are and every man must
deposit his own ballots in the box
es which are plainly labeled. If
ballots are deposited in wrong box
es they do not count.
This is virtually an educational
qualification. If voter can't read
he may not put his tickets in the
right box. This is as it should be,
no man should vote who. cant read
his ballot. Here is an extract from
a recent sermon by DIR. Talmage
which THE SENTINEL heartily en-
dorses:
"Other things being equal, the
more intelligence man has the bet
ter he is qualified to exercise the
right of suffrage. You have been
ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty years
studying American institutions, you
have canvassed all the great ques-
tons about tariff and home rule and
all the educational questions, and
everything in American politics,
you are well acquainted with. You
consider yourself competent to cast
avote next Tuesday, and you are
competent. You will take your
position in the line of electors, you
will wait for your turn to come, the
Judge of election Will announce your
name, you will cast your vote and
pass out. Well done.
But right behind you there will
come man who cannot spell the
name of comptroller, or attorney,
or mayor. He cannot write, or if
can write he uses small ''i" for the
personal Psenoun. He could not
tell on which side of the Allegheny
mountains Ohio is. Educated cana
ry birds, educated horses know
more than he. He will cast his vote
and it will balance your vote. His
ignorance is as mighty as your in
telligence. That is not right. All
men of fair mind will acknowledge
that that is not right"
Now let every man who believes
that the above is true, write or talk
to his county representatives and
ask them to vote for law similar
to that in South Carolina. There
the intelligent white man always
wins and it ought to be SO in North
Carolina. The next Legislature
ought to pass the law the first day.
If they do it they guarantee good
government and white supremacy
for years to come. If they don't
do it they leave many counties, and
possibly the state, at the mercy of
their enemies.