The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27
ote on January 1, 1867. or at anv

""AJ L, 1901, or at anV
tune prior thereto. is not against the
zero OH account of race, color or pr,.,
lous condition of servitude; but it is
asalnst lack OF knowledge Of how to
so,e ana an 1ncapacity to govern him
,sh anu cast his vote intelligently.
lans ignorance and incapacity is not
!ess dangerous to the government that
!. nlaS nave been caused by previous
So.luulion or servitude, or may be the
= aiacterlStlc or u particular race. The
LII the discrimination is on ac-
Guilt OF ignorance, whS teyer the cause
VI I'S existence. and not on account
u eofoI' race or previous condition Of
%, ,1'uue' prevents it being in conflict
Win the Federal Constitution.
Ihe uneducated man who could NOT
vote IN 1857. or at any time prior there
to, and who is not descended from nv,
ancestry OF voters, has not the Gualif;-
cations by education or Inheritance
mat entities him to vote. or enables
him to vote wisely and web, or to be
a desirable factor In politics,
A government is safe in the hands
OF Its citizens if they possess three
qualitica tons
1st. a goodness that causes them to
desire the greatest blessings to the
greatest numbers.
I'd. An intelligence to enable them to
what is for the best inter
est of the whole people and the best
means of obtaining it.
Sd. a conservatism and thoughtful
ness that prevents rashness which NAV
lead to revolution.
These qualifications may be obtained
by education. They surely can be and
are obtained by long experience, and
east by descent from father to son.
There is no doubt of M last PROPOSE
ton.
OUR WHITES QUALIFIED BY MA
TURE.
The white people of North Carolina
whose ancestors fought in the Ameri-
can Revolution for the freedom we
now enjoy, and who have, since that
time. by their own good sense, consid-
cred every public question that has
arisen. and solved it wisely; who have
selected their officers with 4 view to
getting the best men-have acquired
these qualifications to govern and have
handed them down to their children
after them. to the educated and I'M
euUcGleu alike.
The people Of North Carolina are to-
day in the very front in patriotism,
and conservatism, though they are be-
hind ali the other States in the Union
in education.
The une1ucated white men, as a
class. are better qualified to vote than
the educated negro. as a class. 1t is
4 condition which we must all recog-
nize, and of which every thoughtful
man may find more than one example
in his own neighborhood.
It Is then this capacity and ability
of the uneducare,i white man who is
not a foreigner and whose ancestors
voted prior to 1867, that section is
intended to give the State the bal-
eft Of.
The Supreme Court Of the United
States must, therefore, recognize this
based upon principle if the
question Is ever presented 10 it.
1t exists. and the Republican office
holders and ofice-seekers who wish to
burden the people of North Carolina
with a constant struggle to- prevent
negro domination, by opposing the
and declare the United
States Supreme Court viii not recog-
nize the distinction, thereby class the
white man with the ignor-
ant negro, and by such an argument
they insult every white man they ap>
peal to.
RACE OR COLOR NOT AN ELE-
MENT.
The requirement that the person who
could not vote in 1856! or prior thereto.
and who is not descended from ances-
tors who could so vote, shall demon
strate that 'he possesses some intelli-
gence by requiring him to read and
write any section Of the constitution
Of North Carolina, does not afford
alone a particular race. color or people
% any particular previous condition of
seryitude.
1t affects all alike, and there arr
negroes who can vote under section D.
and there are those who are not ne
grces who cannot vote under 1t. 1t is
the incapacity to vote wisely which, is
legislated against. 1t is true it exists
to q greater extent among the negroes
than others, but there are negroes il
North Carolina descended from those
free negroes who could vote in 1870.
and these can vote under section > OF
the proposed amendment. In some
States in the Union, prior to 1861.
negroes could vote, and if any of these
reside in North Carolina now or move
in later they and their descendants can
vote under section .. ANY race ana
any color who descended from an Az
cestry who could vote can vote under
section 5.
Those who cannot vote for Lack OF
e. SIav
The foreigner whose ancestors did
not vote in the United States in 1857.
OF prior thereto, and who did not so
vote himself, can no more vote With
ont having the educational qualitica-
ton required in section thaa the for
mer slave can.
Tho Discrimination, that nrayents SO