The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-18
A new REPUBLICAN PARTY
WOULD DISCARD THE OLD
CLASS OF LEADERS.
TIE MOTHERS AND CHURCHES ARE FOR IT
The Adoption Of the Amendment Would Only
Put the State in Line With the Nation
in Dealing With Colored
Races.

Vd|VSs
The great vitory won by the people
of North Carolina last year Is about
to culminate in the final settlement of
the negro problem as related to the
politics of the State. The Constitu-
tional amendment which will be adopt
cd in August, 1900, will mark the be-
ginning of a new era. With the con-
elusive establishment of white suprem-
acy on permanent constitutional ba
sis, larger political freedom and Il
greater liberation of opinion will come
to all of our people. Freedom of cleo
tions and the sanctity of the ballot
will be secured The Democratic par
ty will be set free from the trammeis
of the race issue and can enter upon a
career of economic study and legiSia-
ton. The Republican party will be
freed from the stigma of being called
the Negro Party" and interfering it
self from the rule of cliques and fac
tions will greatly gain in character anu
will have somewhat more of influence
in making and shaping a wholesome
public opinion. Discussion of policies
and principles will take the place of
heated defamation and partisan
abuse. In that day. bad. as the prln-
iples of the Republican party are, if
it should come into power in the State
one might reasonably hope To secure
even from it decent aud economical
administration of public affairs. The
terrible strain of such a campaign as
that OF 1898 will be a memory of the
past. Preachers of the gospel of peace
cam proclaim the glad tidings of great
joy to all the people unhindered by fear
for the safety of the State. Prop
erty will be secure in all OF its just
rights and labor shall not be oppressed.
The safety of the white womanhood of
the State absolutely unattached any
where in the broad borders of the State
since the Sth of last November will be
forever secured. Peace will become our
permanent heritage and prosperity the
easy achievement of our own industry
and economy. Education will be univer-
sally recognized as the right of every cit
izen and the duty of the State. Power
will come with knowledge and nothing
will be lost in the tillage of the poor
for the lack of wisdom" Material and
moral questions will command the best
thought of the people and politics will
cease to be our chief concern. In or
der to secure these blessings the Dem
ocratic party will. in the coming cam
paign. advocate the constitutional
amendment. Many Republicans will
support it. and Populists, who are Pop
ulists, will be found advocating it. AT
the close of the last campaign when
Democratic success had become history
and while the Republican leaders were
yet daZed by the size Of the Democratic
majority, many of them rushed into
print in the shape of interviews, and
many others Ill private conversation eX-
pressed the urgent hope that the Iegis-
lature would disfranchise the negro.
recall distinctly that one of them. who
had enjoyed to the fullest the honors and
emoluments of office given him by the
undivided support of the negroes said to
me very soon after the election Il hope
you Democrats will disfranchise the
negro-we have carried him on our
shoulders long enough-when the negro
question is settled many white men will
vote the Republican ticket That man
now is opposing the constitutional amend
ment. Why! He says because he is
afraid it will be held Unconstitutional.
He is not afraid of any such thing.
What he is afraid Of and what he may
justly be afraid of, is that with the
elimination of the negro from politics, Il
better Republican party will he formed
in the State. which WILL if it comes into
power, put better and more grateful men
in office than he is. No people that de-
serves to be free can long be governed
by lngrates and towards, and this man
knows that with the advent Of a braver,
stronger Republican party ne will be
without a job, hence with him the
amendment Is unconstitutional. 1t viii
he so with all his Glass. But with that
larger and more respectable class of Re
publlcans Ill the State, who really be-
licve III the principles of the Republican
PARTY. and who are Republicans through
evil and good. the elimination of the me-
gro from politics will be the beginning Of
brighter day. They will vote for the
amendment. But the Republican lead
ers are beginning to express their ankle
ty lest the uniettered white voters shall
be disfranchised. Since nearly all of
this lnettered white vote is uniformly
cast against the Republican party we
must greatly admire the generosity Of
these Republican leaders. The truth
however. compels me to say that they
have no such fear. The amendment ex-
pressly provides that every man who
could vote in 1861 and the descendants
of those who could vote in 1867 can for
ever vote i'm North Carolina, whether
they can read and write or no. This pro