The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-09-19

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common people, and you must preserve
their rights. Your oppressors will be
educated and will educate their chill
dren, In order to properly combat
them and preserve the rights OF the
great common people, you too must be
educated. The free schools are here
and as an evidence that you appreciate
the privilege of suffrage, you must
learn to read and write. If you will
not, then the duty of governing the
country must devolve upon your
brother who will read and study the
questions that the young men of tC-
morrow must solve" In this we do
not take the right to vote away from
him; we offer it to him under easy
conditions. And Ibis forefathers who
shed their life blood" for their country,
cid not expect that shiftleas sons who
refuse, with ten years notice, to qualify
themselves for voting should govern a
country which they sacrificed all to
perpetuate.
But it's taxation without represen-
tation," Gays another. 1t is not, ex
cept to those who do not care enough
for representation to prepare them
selves for the duties of citizenship.
And the negroes interests are ''repre-
sented" by the white workingman.
But some one sheds crocodile tears
for fear of bad election laws, etc. After
the amendment is adopted ! do not
fear bad election laws. All power will
then be in the hands of the plain white
people Of North Carolina, for every
white voter will continue to vote, and
they can divide into as many factions
as they choose without fear OF the ne-
gro's political influence. And we will
at last have absolute independence in
politics. ALI that will be necessary to
defeat any party then will be TO prove
it guilty of corruption in elections. It
cannot then be said that they must
cheat to perpetuate white rule, and
the party that attempts cheating will
go down just as the Democratic party
went down under the charge OF a dis
honest election law in 1894 The peo-
pie won't stand such now, and they
will stand less of it after the amend
ment is adopted and the ''nigger rule"
issue killed.
The biggest fake yet brought forward
Is that Of having q property q lalifca-
ton after the amend eDt Is pass d.
Such rot carries no weight with think
ing people. With the amendment
adopted the poor white man will still
vote, and every man who votes now
will vote as long as he lives.
And there is not the slightest prospect
Of a property qualification.
Another pretends to believe that the
niger scarecrow would still be an issue
in politics. Let us look at the figures:
The negro voting population oe this
S ate at the last census was 109, 900 out
Of a total of 343 900. AS, according to
same census, three fourths OF the ne
groea are illiterRte as against one
fourEh OF the whites, an educational
qualification for both races would dis
fran 3bls9 eighty Thousand negroes and
Sky thousand whites, leaving the
white voters in q majority of six to
one. The amendment submitted, how
ever, proposes to disfranchise the
eighty thousand iIliterate negroes while
permitting the sixty thousand illiterate
whites to vote, thus leaving the whites
in a majority Of fully ten to me-. What
FOOL will howl white supremacy" or
Niger rule" under such conditIonsG
Tden we can hope for some purity in
politics; Issues wall be discussed; pria.
cEples, not prejudice, will rule, and we
Will nc longer b9 bothered with the
politician vino penders TO she negroes
IN order to secure their votes, or the
equ Ally IN prlpcjpled demagogue who,
without the character necessary 10
command support" wniKs the unwil-
ling voters into line with the CRY of
white supremacy.
Aud Odd DAMS talk Of distranchis-
ing moro p~enitentiary birds carri.s no
terror to honest men.
Tne fight is on. Toe amendment
means education and progress. The
chief argument of it's opponents is a
falsaho3d-that it Strikes at the poor
white man. THIS miserable lie will do
them 10 good. The people will think
for themselves.
As an Allianceman and a re'ormer.
I muat support the amendment. Toe
nigxer scaTecrow and the ignorant
voter have been monopo'y's most
powerful weapons The emnDdment
wi;I help me rid the State of them and