The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-10-24
IN REPLY TO RRFoRMRR.
correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.

In your ISSUE OF S0pG6mO0E 4S1Q 6D"
peared an article by "Reformer" in
which he promised to take up" Old
Dams points one by one, which ap-
peared in the issue of September 18Th
land reason with him" In vain have
we waited to see how he was going to
controvert our views. But, alas q
long lecture on education, with now
and then q fling at those who oppose
the amendment, is all we got out OF
| the three dry columns of his article.
| People are waking up, and speaking
in high tones OF appreciation of the
stand taken by The Progressive Farmer
in sho wing a disposition to deal fairly
by opening it's columns to allow the
great plain people to express their
views on this momentous qlestion-a
thing which the monopoly controlled
secular press of the State appears
afraid to do.
Performer" starts out by declaring
that 'Oid an" was wofully mistaken
in his promises" N1w Cd Dams
premises we're two in numoer The
first was, that the amendment had for
it's object one or the other OF Two things:
first, the establishment OF an educa-
tionaI quali6c alton as q condition for
the people ia exercise the right of
suffrage, which ia the dearest right be-
quea5hed 60 a free people. We sho wed
by incontrovertible evidence that this
was not che objaca History and facts
supported that proposition. Second,
that the first not being the obi ct; then
it follows that che object is solely to
fortify the dominant party in power
forever, regardless of the rights of q
majority.
Performer" begs the question, as
sumes the point in debate without Civ
ing auy proof whaaev8r, and hides
away in the dust he raises over the
subject OF education; apologies to the
negro for seeking to dEstr8acnise him,
and gives for hi3 reason for so doing,
That the negro usas his bail0E to vote
down tree silver, ANTITRUST measures,
the income tax and other Measures 10
tended I benefit labor"
This is equivalent to saying that he
favors the amendment because it dis
franchises his political opponent, and
it is the only 9ason he gives except
possibly one other, and that n is that
it DISTINGUISHES the negro: this ia 5ne
only reason go far given by all the sd
vOcates Of the measure. This is a fatal
delusion and a snare, for it nowhere
appears On the face Of any section of
the whole ea7ur that the Object Il
to d~istraDchise n race m )re than the
other. The c0nspirators doubtless
knew that a majority Of the white pee
pie IN the South, and particularly in
North Carolina ere opposed co the
Negroes voting or citing on juries to
try white men in court. and so arranged
the bait in order to catch the preju-
diced white voter. Tnis dangerous
b3r0 in the hook should put every
voter on bis guard. Bu5 this Is nos eli /;
there is concealed In this dark con
spira1y against the rights OF the plain
people OF the State the most dangerous
s5JacK on their rights and liberties ever
conceived by corporate monopoly,
which we will ex plain as soon es we
fnIsh skinUing "R5tormer." With all
my bitter partisan prejudice, I have
never yet confessed mat l would sup
port q measure 80 dtabolicai because il
distrsnohises my political opponents
It has been said that q drowning man
will each at a straw" We did not
intend to drown Reform eF (0" but his
weak and silly effore to conceal the in.
ability Of thousands OF f4rmera. labor
ers aud mechanics in the State, co
spare ahair chitdrea from toll IL oder
so send them ID school is a little anus
ing aud betrays a state of ignorance on
his part as TO the real condition OF tie
people OF his native State Lot him
tramp over the c ntral and eastern Dor
tions OF the State es we have done on
several &C ;asions during the last dec.
ade, aud he may not feel quite so will
ing to rake up n poor solitary case
of a womaa sending her little tots TO
school up in his country, therefore
there ia no such inability Il the State
as you fellows complain about.
We must give him credit for one
powerful strong argument advanced in
favor OF the measure; it is over whelm.
ing and we snuddeT at the task OF con
troverting it. Is is this; nov listen.
"All your argument is a miserable lie"
How are we who oppose the measure
to meet such an arguuent9