The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-02
The Constitutional Amendment Made Plain
to Every Voter.


read and write or such as descended from those negroes
who could vote prior the Constitution of 1885, who have
from States where negroes could vote before SCI.
3 O. Will the amendment disfranchse the uneducated
whites?
A. Certainly Under il, any white who could vote
any time before 1861 whose ancestors (tha Is, ms
father grandfather greagranfaher ctc could any
time. before 1861 rogisterwhCther he read and
not-any time before 1908, and will always there
after be entitled to vote This lets in every white and
Croaan however lacking education who has not been
victed Of an infamous crime.
g. g. Why this difference between the white man and
negro?
A. Why bless your soul it is a matter of natural under
standing and capacity The white has and
capacity than the negro, and inherently understands the d
ties and responsibilities of suffrage and citizenship better
than the negro and the Democratic party holds that the
educated white be trusted to cast intelligent
vote than educated negro. That is what white Democrats
believe, whether white Republicans believe it or not
4. @. VIII white who registered before 1908
have to be able read and write after that time!
A. No Every white who registers under the grand
father clause of the amendment before 1908, will be placed
the permanent ROLL and viii forever thereafter be
tied to vote although he may know letter in the
books
5. @. Has this amendment been adopted and tried any
where else.
A. Yes. 1t is the law of the State of Louisiana to-day
6. Q. How has the law worked in Louisiana!
A. splenddly. The white people there delighted with
it. 1t has solved the negro problem there and established
white supremacy permanently.
Z. O. Has amy election been held under it in Louisiana?
A. Yes. The last State and National election in thai
State was held under it.
s @ Did the negroes in Louisiana register under it?
A. Not many.
8. @. Did the nneducaed white register under it?
A. Yes Both the educated and uneducaed whites reg
sered under the grandfather clause and placed
TO- O. Did the Republicans Of Louisiana claim the law
unconstitutional.
A. Yes They tried TO fool and scare the people there
just they doing here by telling them before the cleo
ton that the amendment unconstitutional and threaten
ed the people with the United States Court but the people
paid no attention to thcmas they viii not hereand when
the amendment adopted there nothing heard Of
the cry about the amendments being unconstitutional.
H. @. You say election has been held in Louisiana
under this amendment.
A. Yes Both State and Congressional elections
y. g. And the Republicans did not take it into the
A. Why dear me, no. They knew the law was all right
and that it had been investigated blythe greatest lawyers in
that State and pronounced sound and good. Why the
Louisiana amcnlment-whch practically the
was prepared under the direction of Judges Foster and
Semnes of the greatest lawyers not only Loulsanl
but III the whole South.
- O. Has the constituonaity of the amendment been
thoroughly investigated by North Carolina lawyers.
A. Yes Thoroughly fully and exclusively. 1t was sub
mitted by the Legislature select committee Of the able
lawyers that body Some of these lawyers had been study
ing ttor weeks and months before the Legislature They
had examined all the authorities and read all the books, and
they agreed constiutionally sound 1t finally pre-
pared under their direction by George
by the bar and bench of the whole State Of the koune
and greatest lawyers in the State Finally there were about
fifty awyersmlny of them the lest in the State-in the
Legislature, and every Of them voted for the amendment
and by that expressed their opinion under oath that it
CONSTITUTIONAL for member of the Legislature is under
the obligation Of oath for anything he believes
to be unconstitutional.
II. q. Who says the act unconstitutional.
A. WELL Hon Jeer Pritclard but he said there
negro domination in Wilmington before the election
and before the revolution hurled them from power and drove
their white allies into enforced exile.
Is. O. If Mr. Pritchard and the Republicans think the
amendment is unconstitutional, why do they trouble them
selves about it. for everybody knows unconstitutional law
no law all, and neither hurt help any one2
A. They merely playing politics They hope by mis-
representation fool the people and get back into power
They have vet learned that they fool all the peo
pie all the time.
16 O. Will the amendment be adopted!
A Yns Rv an overwhelming majority The white people