New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-20
A DISFRANCHTSING SCHEME
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE
NORTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTION

HOW 1T IS PROPOSED TO DEPRIVE EIGHTY THOU
SAND NEGROES OF THEIR voTEs-DoUBrs
OF ITS coNsT1TUTroNALrTY.
Raleigh. ". G.. March 10 (speciaD THE following
is the proposed amendment to the Constitution
regulating the question Of suffrage
Section /. Every male person born in the United
states, ana every male person VINO mas been ma .
uralze1 twf nty-one years OF age ana possessing
the qudiiilc lions set out In this article. shall be
entitled any election by the people In the
STATE. except as herein otherwise PROVIDED
Sec - He shall have resided In the State OF North
and IN the precinct ward or other lection dstrlst
IN which ne offers 10 vote four months next proceed
ing the election Provided. that removal from one
precinct. ward other election district 10 another
tn tho same county shall not operate TO deprive any
person Of the right vote IN the precinct ward
or ether election district from which ne nas re-
moved until four months after such removal No
person who has been convicted, or VINO mas con.
iessed ms sJit IN 9pen cpu' upon ,i''i' -.
any crime the punishment or which no" rs or
may hereafter be Imprisonment IN the state Prison
shall be permitted TO vote unless the said person
snail Doe first restored to citizenship In the manner
See 8 Every person offering 10 vote shall be- AZ
the time legally registered voter as herein pre-
law and the General Assembly Of North Carolina
shall enact general registration laws 10 carry into
Sec 4 Every person presenting himself FOR regis
traton snail be able 10 read and writ" any section
before ne snail be entitled 20 vote he shall have
paid on or before tho Isl day OF March OF th"
prescribed boy law. for the previous year Poll
taxes shall be- a lien only on assessed property
and process shall issue 10 enforce me collection
Of the same except against assessed property
Sec. .. No NAL" person who was on January D.
under the laws Of any State in the United states
wherein he thea resided and no lineai descendant
register and vote az any election IN this state ny
reason Of his failure to possess inc educational
Provided be- shall nave registered IN accoroano"
with The terms Of this ection prior 70 December D.
permanent record OF all persons who register under
this section or before November l''' and 40
in all elections by the people IN this state. un css
disqualified under Section : Of ms article Pro Pro-
Sec 8 All ecrrions bv the people shall he by
ballot and all elections 10y the General Assembly
Sec T. Every voter In North Carolina except as
but before entering upon the duties OF The once ne
shall take and subscribe IN" following oath
support and maintain the Constitution and avs -
the United States and the Constitution and laws
OF North Carolina NOT Inconsistent herewith and
that I will faithfully discharge the duties 81 my
Office So help me God
disqualified FOR Office First. all persons VINO shall
deny the being OF Almighty God second per
their guilt on indictment pending and whether
sentenced or not 81 any treason or ielony or any
other me for which the punishment may b" I'M
i.igor ,ha I"nitsJ STATS of rorrupton and
restored to the rights Of citizenship In manner
Sec O. That all the provisions OF tho constitu-
ton relating 20 sunrAgr. registrations ana cleo
lions as contained In this act amending ny con,
July. 1902 n a majority u the qualified voters Of
the State - declare az the next general election
Sec no. This amendment shall De submitted az
the general election TO the qualified voters ~
the State IN the same manner and under the sam"
rules and regulations as IS provided IN me law
regulating general elections IN This state and in
SON dos frf fg Tor
cast d written or printed ballot with the wOrds
For suNragc Amendment thereon and those
printed ballot with the words Against Suffrage
Amendment thereon.
EIGHTY THOUSAND NEGROES DIsFRAN-
CHIsED
T. Will be observed that this amendment dis
franc hises all the negroes excepting those who are
able TO read and write any section ~ he Con
stitutlon There are about one hundred thou
sand negro voters In this State The adoption OF
this amendment will deprive ar least eighty thou
sand Of this number OF their right 70 vote The
Republicans and Populists charged In the recent
campaign that the Democrats intended 10 pass
some such measure A. this. and they bitterly de-
MED It through r NJ simmons chairman Of the
Democratic State Committee. through their speak
er- Oh the stump and through their newspapers
Of the seventeen thousand majority obtained hy
the Democrats In November a@f az least fifteen
thousand votes were cast boy negroes II theF had
admitted that they intended % dsfranchse tho me-
groes they would not have been able 20 influence +
or buy any OF them to vote their right " suffrage
away II the amendment adopted the poll-taX /
requirement VIII lose the State not less than $1,000
a year IN taxes from this source Men who can :
not vote Will not pay taxes ou their heads After /
December 1875 no man Will he allowed 10 register /
and vote VINO cannot read and writ" any section /
OF the State Constitution and in addition 20 this |
requirement must have paid his poll tax ana eN- !
hibn ais receipt therefor Tn" State r. not now |
ana will NOT then be able fo furnish more than ,
two months o. free public schools and there viii /
be- thouranis OF white people. as well a. negroes.
who Will be- dsfranchl-ed II this amendment Is |
adopted.
There is really no reason FOR TINS amendment
lle Supreme Court OF tns state IN the decision
of Harris ys Wright, iu the l2lst report OF me |
supreme Court. at page ~ held that the Consti-
tuition did not require the government OF me vari-
Uniform Under this decision the Democrats by
simple enactment through he Leg stature now IN
session could nave successfully PROVIDED az alhsi
any negro holding office In any Of these sub-dl-
visions o thr ai.t. 'oVttnn'hl so as 10 nav en-, en-
he Popuiists and a great many Republicans would
have joined ne Democrats IN legisaton 81 TINS
character and Tor the OBJECT AZ herein stated
The Democrats have ena ted a new election law
turing the present session whereby they can count
'Earacter Of the ballots that Will be deposited IN
he boxes unless the white people become aroused
Is they were In 1874 ana lN~ ana force free ana
honest election. Of course the appeal viii be
made 20 the white Democrats that the adoption
II this amendment viii rid the Democrats Of the
Eighty THOUSAND negro voters who have heretofore
)een their opponents. and % this extent Demo /
ratio ascendancy vii Doe secured Tor another
luarter Of Cd century This appeal may rally the
Democrats and cause them 90 poll "A full for |
lie Amendment There are signs that tho Popusts |
nay also support the amendment bat this not
ct certain
THE LIQUOR ELEMENT
There IL another element that may enter largely
nto the campaign OF next year. That Is the lquor
non 81 the State The dist.lers the wholesale
md retail dealers and the men whom these men
ontro. will reach At least twenty thousand voters
NE present Legislature has passed a number OF
avs establishing dspensares in several counties |
ne liquor men Indignant and threatening
hat II this legislation continues they will or
anize aud fight the Democratic party next year
nd oppose the adoption OF the amendment The