The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-07-11
Swain county, N. Q.
TIE CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND,
MgNT.

/ correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
In your paper of the 276h of June
Performer" asks why no one has re-
piled to his first article in favor Of the
adoption of the Trojan horse, that was
publicly denied aud rejected in aG-
vance, both by it's projectors and by
those into whose keeping it has been
surreptiously thrust. First, let me
ask will the people do with it as the
Trojans proposed to do with the wood
en- horse when they had dragged it TO
the summit7"
As a reason for not adopting the
amendment to the State Constitution,
l need only to refer to section 2, article
IA. of the amendment to the Oons.itu-
ton Of the United States, to say moth
ing Of the 18Th amendment, a%nnulling
the ssh section Of the amendment in
question, and rest there until August,
1900 or the year 2 600, for that matter.
Republicans say, why should we
oppose it when we are to be counted
out whether adopted OF no7
The Democrats said they meant to
disfranchise no one, and that no such
thing was intended.
But let Us critically examine this
Trc An horse for a moment,
We have here In North Carolina a
large body of white and colored vet
ers, widely scattered over the State. 1t
is proposed that this body Of voters be
marched up to the registration pen,
that opens up in vi2w before them in
the distance the franchise gate. As
they enter a bar i5 crossed and the
whites are on the inside, and the
blacks without the enclosure, Is not
this the bar OF race, color or previ0ue
condition OF eerviEude' OF the 18Th
amendment, that forbiGs this very
thing, and will not the Supreme Court
SO d9clare2 II not, then what magical,
marvellous. invisible, intangible bar Is
this, that in tine past has escaped the
test Of scrutiny Of talents end OF lime
since the franchise was bestowed upon
the colored people?
Will the authors OF the amendment
tell us2
Again, is not section 9 of the amend
ment in contradiction of section 3 Of
article Is Of the State Constitutlon9
and how can either be set aside and
new methods of amend zlent be addedY
and how can section 9 stand adopted
when section 2 is left unrepealed2
The adoption of the amendment set
ties nothiGg since at the end of elk
years both races stand on the same
footing as application is made for regta-
tration.
In ghe cases passed upon from the
far South embocying property ana
educational qualifications and declared
constitutional by the Supreme Court.
Justice McKenna used this language:
There is no evidence Of an evil eye or
an ungq Gal hand"-tha5 both races haa
been ,rested alike.
Ia this tiua OF section 5 in the amend
ment 0 before us3 VIII Y o
dare to ssy thls4
Ii the amendment il not within the
rule laid down in these cases, then can
our white people risk the disfranchise-
ment of from 60 600 ~ 80 600 of the
white people OF our State If the fifth
section should be declared uDconstiEu-
tional by the court of last resortR
Can ''Reforner" tell US how the
other sections are in any manner de-
pendent upon section 5 that shall in
validate them in the event of the decis
ion referred &C above, when the educa-
tional ard property qualifications of
the other sections have been declared
valid by the lame court Of last resortl
Will "Raformer" say OF tee ABOVE
II am ready TO hear it" and tell US. if
he can, if the ghost Of negro d0mina-
tioE Is 10 be reEuyrected in 1900, the
shot gun again invoked, the whites
ssalnpeded, the negroes bought or
driven from the State, end the ballo5
boxes aeizs d on the niRhs of the eleo.
ton, or will 1t be a quiet, orderly count
out, arranged beforehand and diffused
az the mid night school house orgies of
the party of good government"
II, P. HARREtL.
BERTHE Co, n. @.
Charlie (aSed srx-es tho hos. aoIo