The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-01-10
THE NEGRO AND NEGRO SUI
FRAGE.

ocratic State Executive Committee
favors:
II. Submitting an amendment to the
Constitution, without any ConstItu-
UionaI Convention, embodying the main
points in the louisiana Constitution
restricting suffrage, or something
equally as good"
2. EnactIng a law providing for
white Democratic primaries, regulated
by law.
8 E acting a Jim Cow car law.
There is also a strong sentiment,
though not 50 pronounced, in favor or
two oEner propositions:
1. Dividing the achoo' fund TO the
races II the proportion paid by them.
3. Changing the time for holding the
S5ase election from November to July
or August, and separating the State
and national elections, Ii Chis "a done
the idea Is to submit the constitutional
amendment restricting suffrage a5 the
regular election" III August. IT was
suggested by one m9mOer from tie
| central section Of n State that this
would secure the united support Of all
VINO voted the Democratic ticket last
| November, whereas If the amendment
was submitted at a national election
there hight be friction on national IS
sues that would endanger the ratiicat.
ion of the amendment TO the ConstlCu'
ton.
AS for the louisiana law, which did
not go into eff=cg in that State till Jan
uary 1, 1899, we believe it will be an
nulied as o az the matter is carried
before the Supreme Court. Time used
in discussing this measure Ia, we be-
lieve time wasted. If the legislature
wants the Louisiana law, it should ad
| j)urn till the ma after can be tested IN
the courts, and so avoid the danger of
having the bitterness and expense Of
an election on the subject without re
suit.
This question OF abridging the right
Of suffrage is a Troublesome one.
louisiana and North Carolina are per
maps the only Southern States which
have election law g which mean what
they say and say what they mean.
Virginia. for instance, has what is
known as the Walton law, AMI OF it the
Richmond Times, n of the leading
Democratic deilies Of the Old Domin
ION only last week candidly said:
1T is a sham and a pretence. 1t
essays to be a fair Law under which all
| qualified voters may vote for the 8
dldates OF their choice, but Mr. Daniels
has discovered for himself that the
Walton law makes it difficult for the
ignorant to VOTE which being inter
preted means that the law makes it dIf.
1culs for all ignorant men to vote who
do not vote the Democratic ticket.
Herein is our obi ection to the law.
1t is dishonest In intent and too often
dishonest in it's operation. Hence we
are in favor Of a qualified suffrage. II
the negro is to be disfranchised let us
do it openly and above board, not by
Indirection and jaggiery, which is dis
honesty"
Again let US repeat the fact that this
is not Republican or P0puiis5 Jestimo
ny. 1t Is the ties lmony of a Demo
cratic daily-a Democratic daily, now
ever, which like many other Demo
crals, is disguised with law 80 dis
honest in intent and often dishonest
In operation. This is the feeling which
is at the bottom of the popularity of
the Louisiana Law, and the feeling which
will cause the adoption of tina, law by
every Southern State, If it is not an
nulled by the Supreme Court. The
prejudice against negro suffrage is
bound to live with whites as long as
he votes solIdly with one party; with
laOoring men, as long as his party
prejudice causes him to forget the in
terests of labor; and with honest 9
pie as long as he, when not ruled by
prejudice, sells his vose. When, then,
the negro vote is divided, when he
learns to put principles above party
and the power of the ballot above the
power Of a bride, the plans for re
stricting suffrage will be heard of no
more.
An example of the prevalence of the
third evil, the Negroes failure to ap
preciate the sanctIty of the ballot and
and at the same time an example of
Georgia's need of a good execution law
and the depths to which white politi.
clans sometime sink, is given by the
Atlanta Constitution. In it's account
of 9 recent municinaI election in An.