The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-18


| now under Is years of age will, III order
to vote when they become Il have to
learn to read and write. To meet this
| emergency the Democratic Legislature
increased the school fund 100000 this
year. 1t will continue to increase this
fund until by 1908 we shall be almost If
not quite free from illiteracy among the
young. at least. SO far as the whites are
concerned. The Democratic party
through its amendment gives to every
white man and boy over Is years of age
the absolute and nnquestioned right to
vote in consideration of the inadequate
facilities which we have heretofore
had for education. and it says to ev-
er child under Is. we undertake to
provide you with full opportunity to
learn to read and write and in addi-
tion to this free gift from the State
we offer as a prize for learning to
read and write participation in the gov
ernment of the State. Can any
man doubt the splendid results of this
provision? Each party will vie with
the other in providing for public
schools-all other expenses of the gov
ernment will be rigidly scrutinized and
appropriations will be held down 10
the most economical basis in order to
save money with which to educate the
children of the State. This political
virtue will become likewise a private
virtue and citizens everywhere in the
borders of the State will begin to cut
cT useless and injurious expenses in
order that their children may become
yerltable kings and rule the State.
Economy, self-sacrifice, the seeking to
work out through our children greater
and better things than we have been
able to do will be some OF the fine
results which shall come to us from
This provision. Against these things
that awful demagoguery which seeks
10 Eerpetuate illiteracy in the State
will beat in vain. | have known few
men. whether they could read and write
or no. who were willing for their chill
dren to grow up in ignorance | have
never known one mother who did not
earnestly desire for her offspring some
thing better than she had The teach
ers of the State will surely he with us
on this questionable mothers and
churches are with us. Who can prevail
against us? But say the Republican
leaders: We are afraid that the Su-
preme Court will declare the desc ndant
clause unconstitutional, aud the other
clause constitutional. and thereby bring
upon the State-white men as well as
negroes-a suffrage qualified by the re-
quirement to read and write 1t is per-
tinent to ask of what Supreme Court
these leaders are afraid? Surely not the
North Carolina Supreme Court, a ma
jority Of whom are Republicans. Ger
tainly Senator Pritchard and Governor
Russell and the other Republican !eal-
ers in the State who are so afraid that
some white men VINO habitually yG;e
against them may be disfranchsed. do
not expect Il Republican, Supreme Court
to be anxious to do what these leaders
are so anxious shall not he done. Aud
unless the court is anxious to 10 so
how will they he compelled so TO decide
when almost every constitutional lawyer
in the State worthy of the name who
has investigated the question. believes
the amendment onstitutiona1! Then 1T
must be the Supreme Court of the tn,-
ted States of which these gentlemen
are afraid. But that too is Republicans
and equally anxious not TO disfranchise
anybody unless compelled TO. Tnree
Southern States have adopted conStltu-
tional amendments looking to the settle
ment of the negro question. The SUI
preme Court of the United States has
been appealed to in vain from South
Carolina and Mississippi to save the ne
gro from exclusion from the ballot box
These constitutions stand and the negro
does not vote and the whites do vote.
In Louisiana constitution similar to
nJ hoe
i'll operation ever since. Under its pro
visions the whites do vote and the ne
groes do not vote. Where IS the SUI
Ereme Court of the United States and
What is it about? the Republicans III
Louisiana had fears identical with those
OF Senator Pritchard and Governor
Russell But the constitution Of that
State still stands The truth is that the
negro has proved such a failure as a vo
ter that great change of opinion has
come about in the United States and
that change has been 50 marked and
strong that even the Courts have been
affected by it. The whole country at
last realizes that the destiny of this
government. State and national, is to
be wrought out by the white man it
is his burden-the negro himself is q
part-a very large part of that burden.
Congress first took the matter in hand
and solved the problems in the District
of Columbia, by dsfranchising every
citizen, white and black. South Caro-
lima. Mississippi. louisiana Nortl
Carolina have all in turn taken up the
question. Congress has come back tt
it in dealing with Hawaii and elimi
mates the negro without the slightest
hesitation. and without exciting on the
part of Senator Pritchard any feal
of the "wreck of matter and the crusl
Of worlds in Cuba, Porto Rico, and
the Philippines the negro not only
does not vote but is shot by our gov
ernment for even wanting to vote, while
Senator Pritchard calmly votes approp
ratfons to shoot them into obedience
saving. however, time enough between
appropriations to weep over the sac
fate of the brother in black" in North
Carolina. If it is manifest destiny
and the white Mans Burden" to civil
lie and govern the weaker and more ig
norant races in the Philippines, it can
not be treason to undertake to shape
that destiny and bear that burden here
We began the good work in 1898. The
sacrifices of that great campaign were
worse than useless if we lay down the
,,.a,.I~ ,nG,,;cbod Wa have put on,