The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-02-19

III III OF Il Quallty InaI IL NdppeHS ~ HUN
to great extent.
1t is urged by Senator Franks that
this act may deny the right 10 vote 10
some son of a poor Confederate soldier
who died in battle. and whose widow
was unable to spare him from the fields
long enough To learn 10 read ana write.
| will remind him that that boy must
have lived 80 years ago. That he viii
he u years old long before 19OS-that
his ancestors could vote prior to 1867,
and that all such can therefore register
under section ). That will he permanent
record TO be fled with the Secretary of
State, and all men whose name appears
thereon, will be entitled to vote as long
as they live. whether they ever read and
write or not.
Every white man in North Carolina.
and every white boy now eleven years
old, will be entitled TO 20 on that rec
ord. without reading and writing. and
can always thereafter vote if he pays
his poll tax. Every white boy now UNI
der eleven years old if he cares any
thing for the privilege of voting. GER
tainly ought to be able to learn to read
and write i'll the next ten years. He
is put on notice and given ample time.
In reply to the objection by Senator
Franks that it ,eprives of his vote the
man who does not pay his poll tax, and
the man who might sell his poll tax re-
ceipt. / want to say that Of all the men
who ought not to be permitted a voice
in the government it is the one who has
no higher sense of his duty to his conn
try than to refuse TO contribute his pro-
rata of its support. and the one who
thinks no more of his vote than TO sell
it for dollar.
Senator Wilson said his name was the
last on the roll of the Senate and the
last on the roll of honor. As the last
Senator to vote it was the pride of
his life to lower the capstone on the
editice of white supremacy.
The roll call showed the following
Senators voting aye:
Senators Brown. Bryan. Butler, Cheek.
Cooke, Collie. Cowper Daniels, Davis.
Eaves, Fields, Glenn, Hairston, Harris.
Hill, jackson, James, Jerome Jones of
Harnett, Jones of Johnston, Justice.
Lambert, Lindsay, Lowe, Mason, Miller,
Mcintyre. Murray, Osborne, Robinson,
Satteriield, Skinner. Smith. Speight,
Stanback, Thomas. Travis, Ward, Whit
aker, Williams and Wilson,
Those voting no" were:
Senators Campbell. Crisp, Franks,
Fuller, Goodwin and Newsom-6
Absent: Senators Black and Cooley
=.
Senator Goodwin, Populist, voted
against the amendment. Senator Har-
ris, Populist, voted for the amendment.
All others voting for the amendment
were Democrats and all others voting
against it We're Republicans.
When the vote was announced the
chair declared the amendment had pass
ed by more than the requisite three
fifths. The bill was put on its third
reading and passed by the same vote
as above.
Earlier in the day the bill
to validate the bonds of Mad
ison county was subject of spirited
controversy, the end Of which is not
Yet. The Senate Judiciary Committee
reported the bill unfavorably. but Sena-
tor Osborne for the minority Of the com
mittee submitted a report recommending
that the bill pass. When the minority
report came up Senator Osborne took
the floor in favor of of the bill.
He said it was Il fair and honest debt
In the year 1887 the county of Madison
could not pay running expenses: $500
witness tickets sold for 30 cents. The
bill to issue bonds passed the House
properly; through some neglect the bill
was read twice in one day in the Sen
ate. The Supreme court held that the
law was not valid. The representatives
of Madison on both sides were pledged
against the bill, but other members Were
not pledged against it, Men who be-
lieved i'll paying honest debts could reach
but one conclusion. The Democratic par
ty is not a repudiating party: that was
an attribute of the populist concern. The
people of Madison declare that they
want to pay the debt. but they can not
pay it unless an enabling act is passed.
Senator Murray said he believed in a
county paying all honest debts, but he
did not believe in discriminating between
honest debts The bonds had been
bought by spectators, without being adj
yertised for 33 cents OH the dollar and
sold for 80 cents Madison county had
not been legally bonded Now it was
sought to bond Madison coun-
ty in opposition to the wishes
of its Senator. which was to
nut stain upon his cheek. to brand
him as unwilling to do his duty. He had
made a pledge in the campaign not to
bond Madison county. He wished for
the bank of Western North Carolina TO
get its money. Madison county would
pay. but it wished to pay each debt alike.
Senator Fields said he could not vote
for the minority report. The matter,
both sides of it, had been heard before
the judiciary committee 1t had not
appeared that Madison county had done
or had attempted to do any wrong. From
1887 to 1897 Il tax had been levied.
There had been no attempt to repudiate
the bonds. For ten years the taxes had
been collected. If the people of Madi-
son were paying taxes to meet the debt,
he saw no reason to legislate contrary
to the wishes of Madison's representa-
tives. If the debt was not paid il was
the fault of the officials of Madison not
of its people The bank should sue the
officers of the county. Then if the in
validity was pleaded in bar would be
time enough to pass a compelling act.
There was no attempt at reputation.
Pritchard had declared in the last cam
paign that he would put the Democratic
party in a hole: if the officials refuse to
pay the debt. it is through the advice of