The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-20

fcaton. Second. Persons who are
idiots, insane, paupcrs supported ut the
public expense, and persons confined in
any public prison.
section :. The General Assembly
shall provide by law for the registration
of all qualified electors. and shall pre-
scribe the manner of holding elections
and Of ascertainng the results of same
Provided. AT the first registration under
this Constitution the registration shall
be conducted by three discreet persons
in each county To be appointed by the
Governor, by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate"
"ln 1896" said Senator McLaurln.
"thc General Assembly passed II regis
tratiou law carrying out all these pro
visions of the Constitution; and also nm
election law. in which was retained the
eight box feature Of the old law.
ut will he observed that on the face
of the Constitution and the registration
law there is no discrimination between
the races. In the execution of the regis
tration law. the Boards, in the exercise
Of the discretion given them to judge of
the qualifications Of electors. can easily
discriminate. either by submitting to the
white man such clause of the Constitu-
ton as he can read or understand, or if
he can not read it, by answering that he
can understand il. In this way the
Boards can legally and easily register
every white man. while many of the
colorcd applicants are judged to be dis
qualified, after futile attempt to read
or understand a very difficult clause OF
the Constitution submitted to them.
but. in my judgment while these
safeguards are effective, the primary
election system is equally as potent in
the maintenance of Write supremacy in
South Carolina. Our elections are near
~ all settled in the primary, and if
man desires to exercise any influence
in governmental affairs he must 60 into
this election and take his chances. These
primary elections are protected by I'm
Act of the General Assembly, providing
that they shall be conducted in accord
ance with the Constitution and rules of
the Democratic party, and that Illegal
voting in them shall be punished.
In South Carolina we always accept
the deliberate judgment of n majority of
the white people speaking in the prim-
airy election and everybody falls into line.
In part, all candidates are required to
file pledge that they will abide by the
result of the primary election. No de-
feated candidate would dare violate his
pledge and run at the general election.
by means of the primary system the
twelve thousand registered negro cleo
tors are impotent, because as Repubi
cans they are not allowed to vote, and
as n consequence lose all interest in po-
litical matters.
THE white people of North Carolina
must learn to settle all their political
differences among themselves. If three
fourths Of the negroes should be dis
franchised and the contest be left to a
general election the remaining one
fourth would be solid unit holding the
balance of power, and be able to dictate
terms. One side or the other of the di
vided white people would always bid for
their support. With proper suffrage
qualifications and registration, and the
primary system, there will be no danger
in North Carolina of negro domination i'll
the future, either from fusion or other
wise"
Those who will soon he called upon TO,
deal officially with the problem of stuff
rage will find the above statements by
Senator McLaurin valuable, for the ex-
perience of our sister State will furnish
light for our guidance in condition
that calls for the exercise of the highest
wisdom.
y
Tomorrow / will give the Mississippi
plan as explained by Senator Money and
Representative Patrick Henry, and fol-
low that letter with interviews with
Senator Gallery and other Southern
Senator's and Representatives about the
regulation of suffrage in the South.
j. ID.