The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-11-22

taken from a TsC9 whose ignorance,
venality and cowardice has been a
standing tenn ptation to fraud, corrup-
ton and violence
And less than a month ago the news.
paper organo Of another great religious
denominaLi9n-we now refer TO the
| Biblical Recorder, organ of the North
Carolina BAptists advocating an edu-
casional qualification for voters, de
clared THAI North Carolina could never
make any material progress as long as
she had 1OO, OCO Ignorant negro voters,
hanging like q milestone about her
neck" Last week the same paper
said:
''It the Anglo Saxon residents of
North Carolina shall control the State,
let the world know that it will do so
by lawful means, not by fraud or in
timidation or violence. A thousand
times better for every good interest,
better for every inhabitant, white or
black; better for the reputation of our
State abroad, that we have laws like
those In South Carolina and Mississippi
than that our Commonwealth be rent
and torn every other year by threats,
by night meetings of incendiary char
acter, by red snirt brigades, by viol
ence and by fears of q race wer Such
q campaign as that now in the past is
bad for morality, hurtful to business,
and more than d~iscouraging to religious
interests. Let US have peace, and hon
est, intelligent government by law. 1t
is possible. We cannot seek to insure
it too DON How many campaigns like
that which has ended we might sur
vive, cannot be known. It's fruits wall
be forthcoming for twenty years; it's
effects will grow. Let US never have
another
The Raleigh Post of Nov. 16 h de-
clares that the South Carolina and
Mississippi laws are but temporary
makeshifts" and says that our next
legislature should propose an amend
ment to the Federal Constitution dis
~tranchising all except whites
The party, victorious in the recent
election is understood to favor an edu.
cational qualification for voters, look
ing TO the elimination of the negro
vote, and doubtless thousands of Popu
lists and Republicans voted with the
Democratic party in the recent cleo
ton from a desire to end the negro
racket by an educational qualification
or something of the kind. Negro Off
Gals r dissast9ful to the people Of
North Carolina, and prominent Rapub-
lioans now declare thas if the negroes
again vote the Republican ticket they
will do so not from a desire to obtain
Office, but from a desire to retain the
right of suffrage. Democrats also de
clare that negroes must not hold Office
in this State.
In such a state of affairs, the negro,
If he retains the right of suffrage, will
Of course sell his vote to the highest
bidder (and no a could bla me him for
such a course). Thus the negro vose
would become the most fruitful source
of political immortality and CORFU ption,
a menace to good government and to
liberty.
And yet while the majority of the
Democrats Of the s late and of the Pop.
ulists and Republicans who voted with
the Democrats in the late election may
favor an educational qualification for
voters we do not believe that many
could be found who favor a property
qualification. And if in the question
Of an amendment to our State Con
sTitution, the proposition for an eduoa-
tional qualification is linked with q
proposition for a pr perty ratification,
we feel safe in predicting that both
will go down in defeat.
For our part, we would fight the
greatest reform imaginable if coupled
with a proposition for a property quail
fication for voters. For, il we do not
allow those owning less than 500
worth Of property to vote, how long
before the right of suffrage will be
limited to those owning property worth
81 600 Oh moreG Then hos long before
iC will rfquire property worth $40. OOOQ
And 800, C0OQ And 81. 900, OOO9
Similarly some might ask il we re-
strict the right of suffrage to those VINO
can read and write, how long before
only college graduates will be allowed
to vote, etc, etc? This, however, is
not pertinent, for the educators and
college graduates are making no IF ri
to get the power Of government Intc
their hands. while the mOnopollsts are
making every tfJrt 10 make them
selves rulers.
The e6 vocatcs OF the dis'rancbise
ment Ct il~liaerates say shat the negro