The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27
White Supremacy Made Per-
mdneEt
mdneEt

Wnlte supremacy mdOc PcT-
manent
l. OFF the amendment is adopted,
will the negro be allowed to vote?
A-Only such negroes will be allowed
to vote as can read and write, or such
as are descended from those negroes
who could vote prior to the constitu-
ton of 1885, or who have come from
States where negroes could vote be-
fore 1867.
.. OWL the amendment disfran-
chise the uneducated whites?
,A-Certainly not. Under it any
white man who could vote at any time
before 1867 or whose ancestors that
is, his father, grandfather, great
grandfather, etc.) could vote at any
time before 1867, can register whether
he can read and write or not-any time
before 1908, and will always thereafter
be entitled to vote. This let's in every
white man and Croatan, however,
lacking in education, who has not been
convicted of an Infamous crime.
3. Q-Why this difference between
the white man and negro?
A-Why, bless your soul. it is.a mat
ter of natural understanding and ca
pacity. The white man has more sense
and capacity than the negro, and in
herently understands the duties and
responsibilities of suffrage and citi-
zenship better than the negro; and the
Democratic party holds that the I'M
educated white man can be trusted to
cast more intelligent vote than an
educated negro. That is what white
Democrats believe, whether white Re
publcans believe it or not.
T. OWL white men who are reg
istered before 1908 have to be able to
read and write to vote after that
time?
A-No. Every white man who reg
listers under the grandfather clause Of
the amendment before 1908 will be
placed on the permanent roll" and
will forever thereafter be entitled to
vote, although he may never know a
letter in the books.
5. Q-Has this amendment been
adopted and tried anywhere else?
A-Yes. 1t is the law Of the State
of Louisiana today.
6. Q-How has the law worked in
Louisiana!
A-Splendidly. The white people
there are delighted with it. 1t has
solved the negro problem there and
established white supremacy perma-
nently.
Z. Q-Has there been any registra-
tion under this amendment in Louiss-
ana?
A-Yes. The registratio under the
grandfather clause, so-called, of the
amendment was completed on the
31st day OF August, 1893, and the
permanent roll" of all persons emit
tied to register and vote because they
or their ancestors could have voted
prior to January 1, 1867, has been
made up and filed in the appropriate
office and every one whose name ap-
pears in that list can forever hereaf-
ter register and vote whether he can
read and write or not.
s. Q-Did the negroes in Louisiana
register under it?
A-Not many.
9. Odd the uneducated whites
register under it?
Ayes. Both the educated and I'M
educated whites registered under the
grandfather clause, and We're placed
on the permanent roll, and will not
have to register again in order to vote.
10. Odd the Republicans of Lou
isiana claim the law was unconstitu-
tional?
Ayes. They tried to fool and scare
the people there, just as they are do
ing here, by telling them before the
election that the amendment was I'M
constitutional and threatened the peo-
pde with the United States Court, but
the people paid no attention to them
as they will not here-anG when the
amendment was adopted there nothing
more was heard Of the cry about the
amendments being unconstitutional.
II. Q-Aou say the registration IN
der this clause of the Louisiana
amendment was completed September
1. 1898?
Ayes. The registration books
We're open all during the time from
May 10th. 1898, to September 1st,
1898, when the permanent roll was
made up.
-. Q-And the Republicans did
nothing to stop 1T or bring the ques-
ton of it's constitutionality before the
courts?
A-Why, dear me, no. They knew
the law was all right, and that it had
been Investigated by the greatest law
yers in the State and pronounced
sound and good. Why the Louisiana
amendment-which is in constitution
ally essential particulars the same as
ours-was prepared under the direction
of Judges Foster ana Semmes, two OF
the greatest lawyers not only in LOU
isiana, but in the whole South.
10. Q-Is the grandfather clause in
our amendment the same as in the
Louisiana amendment?
A-Upon this point, yes. The only
material difference is that under the
Louisiana amendment the permanent
roll was made up at the first registra
ton under that clause, and all subse'
quent registrations are made from this
roll, while under our amendment reg
istra tons under this clause will con
tinue until 19OS-so that all our white
boys now over thirteen years of age
can register under it-then registra,
tons under it will stop and perma
nent roll of all who have registered
under it during all this time will be
made up and they will forever there
after be entitled to vote because their
names are on this roll whether they
can read and write or not