The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-11-27
The Only Negro Senator
Writes to His Race.
MUST BE INDUSTRIOUS
THE NEGRO MUST SHUN AN
ARCHY AND RIOT.
POLITICS or SECONDARY CONSIDERATION
TO the Industrial, Literary and Religious Inter-
ess of the colored Race.
by Thomas 0. Fuller Senator-Elcct)
Warrenton, y. c.

w uTItHlDll, ~. -
TO the Editor: North Carolina has
lust witnessed one Of the most re-
markablc and exciting political con
test in the history of the State
And as the supreme issue was Negro
Domination or White Supremacy"
the overwhelming victory has filled the
minds Of the great masses of our people
with the most serious apprehensiOns.
Since it was wcll-nigh the unanimous
verdict of the people on the 9Th of No
vcmbcr that / should represent you IN
the Senate branch of the next General
Assembly of North Carolina, / take 1t
as an expression of confidence in my IN
tcgrity and judgment, and perhaps, a
word of counsel, ut this time would not
be considered out of place. Permit me 10
say that ] am not Il politician nor do /
pose as your political leader. 1t IS wei
known that i am an educator ana Il
humble Christian wOrker-unwllllng to
serve in any capacity that Would
ieopardize the great work to which my
life has been given, yet, ut your soilcl-
tati0n. | have become your representa-
tive and my love for you and my IN
terest in the welfare of my State VIII
call forth my best efforts and energies.
But you are asking the question: WHAT
will the next Legislature do! WIN IL
disfranchise the negro and divest him OF
his citizenship" | regret to say that
the majority of you do not read the pa
pers nor have you acquainted yourselves
with the provisions of our State and FED
eral constitutions. Section of the
Thirteenth Amendment to our Federal
constitution reads:
Neither slavery nor involuntary. ser
vitude, except rs Il punishment for crime,
whereof the party shall have been duly
convicted. shall exist within the United
States. or any place subject to their Ju-
risdctiOn.'
Article I, Section SO of our State CON
stitution affirms the same.
Section l of the Fourteenth Amend
ment to the Z. :. constitution reads:
"All persons born or naturalHed IN
the United States and subject to the
jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the
United States and of the State wherein
they reside No State shall make or en-
force any law which shall abridge the
privileges or immunities of citizens OF
the United States, nor shall any State
deprive any person of life, liberty or
property without due process of law;
nor deny to any person within ITS Juris-
diction the equal protection of the laws.
Our constitution affirms the same.
The Fifteenth Amendment, Section /
of the Federal constitution reads as fol-
lows:
THE right of citizens of the United
States to vote shall not be denied or
Il L,.k
State on account of race. color, or preVl-
Gus condition of Seryitude."
You must see from the foregoing that
the color of your skin can never become
legal barrier to the exercise of the
right of franchise. The constition of
North Carolina. Article 6, Section D,
thus defines what classes of persons are
Ineligible to office in the State:
First. All persons who shall deny
the being of Almighty God. Second.
All persons who shall have been convict
ed of treason, perjury, or of any other
Infamous crime unless
such person shall have been legally re-
stored to the rights of citizenship
We find embodied in the fundamental
laws of our State and nation all the pro-
visions and safeguards known to free
government. Yet we must confess that
the execution of all laws, however just
and equitable can be guaranteed, only
by the existence of righteous, whole
some and vigorous public sentiment, and
it is true, beyond question, that 'All
governments derive their right from the
consent of the governed" Without
doubt, the field of expedients will he
swept by the next Legislature in order
to counteract the influence, or obstruct
the exercise of franchise by the ignOr
ant cOlored element of the population,
which franchise is held to be dangerous
to our free institutions. Whether it
will be an educational, or property quail
ticatiOn, no one knows at present The
constitution of Mississippi provides that
an electOr must be able to read and write
and must have paid all taxes legally re-
quired of him. An exception is made for
those who cannot read, that they must
be able to understand the constitution
when explained to them or give a rea-
sonable Interpretation thereof" BY this
provision it was easy to eliminate the
ignorant vote and the United States SUI
preme Court. in Il recent decision held
it to be constitutional, since it 'discrimin
ated against no particular class" In
rendering its decision, the Court said
concerning our race. "A patient. docile
people; but careless. landless, migratory
within narrow limits; without fore
thought-the convention (of Mississippi
discriminates against its characteristics
and the offenses to which its criminal
members are prone. They reach weak
and vicious white men as well as weak
and vicious black men: and whatever is
sinister in their intention, if anything,
can he prevented by both races by the
eXertiOn of that duty which voluntarily
pays taxes and refrains from crime"
Hence. we see that the highest court
of our land holds that we are careless,
landless and unnecessarily migratory
We must be able to feel the force of
this significant declaration. Since il is
claimed that legislation is aimed at our
moral. industrial and intellectual unfit |
ness. the remedy is not far to seek. 1t
is not with the office-seeker, the profess |
sional politician nor with those who
claim the inherent right to govern. 1t |
is with you and with me. Every home |
must become a school of industry and |
economy with a positive and rigid code |
of morals. There must be general