Arizona republican., 1899-02-13
North Carolina Negroes to
 Be Differentiated.
Proposed COnSfiiutionaI Amendment Follows inc Lines of that Adopt ed in LOui1iana, Giving Right of Suffrage 10 White lIliferafeS,

based on the election law contained in the code as amended in 1885 and 1889 The amendments which are incorporat- ed in the new law provide for a state election board of five discreet persons. to be elected by the legislature every two years. This board will organize this year by electing one Of it's mem-
 bers, chairman and another secretary. It will have power to appoint county election boards, and, with the governor and secretary of state, will constitute the state board of canvassers
 The county boards will call all eIec- ti0ns, appoint the registrars and pcll- holders. who shall be men Of good
 character, and fill all vacancies occur ring. The county returning boards are re-established. Many of the duties inn
 posed upon the sheriff under the old
 law are placed on the chairman of the county election board and the chairman
 of the county board Of canvassers.
 The democratic caucus has also
 agreed to submit to the people at the
 general election on the first Thursday
 in August, 1900, an amendment to the
 constitution, limiting suffrage. This
 is the most important work of the leg
 islatUre. It disfranchises the ignorant negro vote. The estimate is made that
 it will eliminate SO,0OO negro voters
 It does not disfranchise any white voters. It is the belief that it will be
 an incentive to education.
 The state elections will be held in future in August, so as to disassociate them entirely from the congressional elections. All the voters, white and black, will vote on this constitutional amendment. So far &s the vote on it is concerned, there will not be the slight est a-5ridgement of the franchise The test of whether the majority of the people of the state desire it will thus be perfectly fair and complete.
 The democratic members of the leg islature are, of course, unit in favor ing the amendment. Some of them said in caucus that they had promised during the campaign they would not vote to disfra1chise any one. But it WAS pointed out to them in the caucus that they did not really vote for dis franchisement; that they merely car red out the idea cf the referendum and | submitted the entire question to all the voters of the state for settlement
 The pOpulist leaders say they will | urge the populist members to vote for the amendment, on the ground that they cannot refuse to submit this or any ether great question to the refer endum.
 The suffrage amendment is, broadly speaking, based on that adopted in Louisiana, and as drafted by the spa- cial committee and submitted to the caucus it is as follows:
 Section 1. Every male person born ir the United States, and every male person who has been naturalized. twenty-one years of age, and possess ing the qualifications set out in this article, shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people in the state, ex- cept as herein otherwise provided.
 Sec. ?. He shall have resided in the state of North Carolina for two years, in the county nine months, and in the precinct, ward CT other election dis trict in which he offers to vote, six months next preceding the election. *
 Sec. 3. Every person offering to vote shall be at the time legally reg istered voter, as herein prescribed, and i in the manner hereafter provided by law, and the general assembly of North l Carolina shall enact general registra- tion laws to carry into effect the pre- visions of this article. (
 Sec. 4 Every person presenting ! himself for registration shall be able ( tc read and write any section of the l in the English language; { and, in addition thereto, shall have ( paid, on or before the first day of Feb ' ruary, of the year in which he pW- t poses to vote, his poll tax, as prescribed i by law, for the previous year, and he C shall exhibit his receipt therefor. Poll l taxes shall be q lien only on assessed c property, and no process shall issue to a enfcrce the collection of the same ex- S 3ept against assessed property. a
 Provided, that no male person who was, on January 1, 1867 or at any time prior thereto, entitled to vote under he laws of any state in the United D States, wherein he then resided, and o 10 son or grandson of any such per e son, not less than twenty-one years fl id at the date of the adoption of this il amendment to the constitution, shall t, ,e denied the right to vote at any elec- 0, ion in this state by reason of his fail Il Ire to possess the educational qualifCa- S ions prescribed in section 4 of this ar o icle; provided, he shall have regis 0 cred in accordance with the terms of u his article prior to December 1, 1904, e.