davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27

come" The AnglO-SaxOns OF North
Carolina are the heirs of the qualities
that have civilized and ruled the
earth. Though sometimes unlettered
they are not unworthy to exercise the
privilege descended from their ances-
tors. Many Of them are men whose
veteran faces have burnt in battle
smoke, whose bodies bear the sears
made by steel that bristled on fields
of war. 1t was my privilege to see
one of these old men. with white
beard and head, sitting in the hall OF
the House of Representatives at Hal-
airh while the amendment was under
consideration. He understood that It
required an educational qualihcation
to vote without any exception. ne
could neither read nor write. with
tears in his eyes he declared that ne
would be ore who would willingly sur
render this right that he might help
10 save his State. Such are the men
whose lives have saved and sanctlned
humanity. Such are the men who WORK
in field and factory as in the Great
Task Masters eye. Such are the men
that have laid worldwide foundation
Of the empire of the Anglo-Saxon man.
They are the men who were remein-
bered by the servants OF the people
who wrote this amendment. Not one
will ever be DISTINGUISHED by the great
party of the common people.
THE BENEFITS TO ACCRUE.
The adoption of this amendment
means q purer political life in North
Carolina. 1t means that the necessity
IF the fierce and bitter race struggles
IF the past will cease; that ruin and
1<,vp
our State and her institutions. Though
,nwrittten it is the established law of
this land that white men shall make
md administer the laws. Its humane
Justice has been demonstrated by the
bitter experiences of the past. Not to
write it in the constitution would be
o shrink from responsibility, to invite
calamity, to encourage disrespect for
Jaw, and Generalization of the NAH
hood of our State, to transmit to pos
terity the settlement of the race Ques-
ton in a more aggregated form. Who
IN North Carolina does not believe in
white supremacy Then how shall it
DE established, if not by constitutional
amendment? That it will be is as in
evitable as the decree Of Him who
built the pillars of the world.
The Democratic party of North Caro-
Ina is descended from the lOins of the
men of Kings Mountain ana Guilford
Court House. The spirit of her pa
-riot sons is the unconquerable spirit
Of the men who sleep in the battle
scared bosom of old Virginia. The
men Of rs and their ''lineal descend
ANTS are worthy of the ancestors of
&c, and they will preserve from the
hand of the despoiler the institutions
of the fathers and the State Of the !.
Inheritance. There are some honest
men who will oppose this amendment.
Let them oppose. The hosts OF the
people have heard the clarion call to
duty. The enlightened conscience OF
North Carolina Will sustain it and
write it into the organic law of this
State.
The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27

were united In the opinion that it did
not apply to s'both races" And tue
man who knows NO law but
reads the amendment which is so
plain that all can understand it, will
not be deceived by the cry of those
office holderS who are fighting the
amendment because 1t destroys their
occupation as "nigger-uaders." They
know its adoption relegates them per-
manently to the shades of private life,
for they have never had a chance of
success unless they could start in by
using 10000 negroes to kill the votes
Of 10000 white men. With that pow
er taken from them, where will they
be able to even make a fight? They
realize this and that is why in Sheir
desperation they seek to deceive The
people by misrepresenting the true
purport of the amendment.
The amendment, stripped OF all eva
sion or Misrepresentation, means this
and only this: to make white suprem-
acy permanent by legal and cons,itu'
tiOnal methods. The white people Of
North Carolina have resolved that they
will rule the State no matter what the
cost of the sacrifice. They will never
again submit to having 10000 Mt
groes, acting with a few thousand
white men, control the destiny of the
State.
The sooner the Radicals and others
who have been manipulating the ne
gro vote realize that the determination
shown by the white men in 1898 was
out an earnest of the resolve to make
that victory permanent by adopting
The amendment-thes sooner they real
re this fact the better it will be for
them.
The white men will rule the land o.
die"
That is what the amendment is to
ona ranfpp
The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27
A Hartlnger of Good Will.

Extract from letter of Gen. A. D.
Cowles, leading Republican of Iredell
county, speaking Of the adoption of
The amendment he says:
The Republican, party has all to gain
and nothing to lose. From 1876 to
1894 every election year it hurled its
serried ranks against the invincib1e
nhalanx of the Democratic party. Its
struggles were heroic, but-useless. BY
combining with the Populists in 1894
the Democrats were OverthrOwn, but
aow the Last condition of the Republi-
-an party is worse than the first. This
S the beginning of an honest effort to
solve by legal and peaceful methods
-he most nomentous question now be-
fore the people of the State, and I'M
Ter the guidance of a kind Providence
that has 50 sing1llarly preserved the
South through all its vicissitudes in
the past 1 hope every endeavor in
that direction may have the blessing
Of God and lead to a completion of a
perplexing problem. The success of
the amendment will surely be har-
binger of goodwill between the races
and usher in better day for all of
our people.
This is a measure justified on the
highest grounds OF public policy to an
equal extent with the Chinese exclu-
sion act. These Acknowledged gentle
children Of the fowery kingdom were
not desirable citizens as they came
here with the animus revertendi.
Amalgama ton was inexpedient and
elevation impossible. They degraded
manhood and decreased the scale of
American labor. The great West
prayed for relief; the prayer was an
swered and nation with literature
as old as the pyramids and a sublime
code Of morals was shut out. Was it
right? The World says it was, for
public policy demanded it. The igno-
rant negro degrades the franchise and
decreases the scale Of American man.
hood. His suspension, till qualified, is
justified on the same high ground of
public policy. 1t is against public
policy to commit murder; therefore the
criminal forfeits his life. 1t is against
it to steal; the thief is deprived of his
liberty. And it is against public policy
for the ignorant negro to vote, there
fore suspend him."
The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27
extracts from Speech of George
Rountree. ESQ

Beyond question the State may re
quire a certain amount of intelligence
an acquaintance with, and an attach
nle1rt to, the principles of the constitu
ton as a condition of the right tC
vote.
Indeed, this is required by the gen.
eral government as a condition of nat
iralizatiQn.
Revised Statutes, section 2165.
In re Bodek, 63 Fed, S13, S15.
And this is what is proposed by this
amendment-it is the fact of the pos
session of a certain amount of intelli.
gence, the faculty Of elf-government-
which eonfers the right to vote. How
the fact is to be proven is within the
discretion of the Legislature, provided
the ethod is at all reasonable, and
as will subsequently attempt to show
by the decisions Of the Supreme Court
We might have provided that this
fact must be shown in the case OF
each elector by a personal examfna-
ton; but this was thought to be i'm
practicable as well as affording too
great an opportunity for fraud and op-
preston on the part of examiners.
We have preferred a test so easy
that every person in the State could,
without difficulty, prepare himself to
comply with it by the time it comes
into operation on the first day of July,
19O2-the test of reading and writing
any section of the constitution, supple
by the proviso that all of those
who are universally known to possess
the requisite intelligence, those who
have themselves been participating
ngly in the conduct of the
since january /, 1867, or
prior thereto, or the descendants of
such persons, of whatever race or ma
not required to submit
to this test.
john Stuart Mill in his book on
Representative Government makes
this very clear. lie shows that whetil-
er people are capable of self-govern-
ment depends almost entirely upon
their traditions, haDrts and customs,
and he observes that a free and en-
lightened government could scarcely
be imposed By force upon the peoples
Of the East, or upon many of the peo-
pies Of Europe, and that a despotic
government cou4d not possibly be i'm
posed upon such a people as the de-
scemdants of the founders of the
American States.
Judge Hare, in his work on "Amer1.
The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27

honest ii mistaken opinions, we renew
tne contest Let the banner Of 1898
Oe again unfurled. Let It still be in
ecrtbed with the motto 'fWhite Su-
premacy, but shove that let there
also appear as bhe aim and end of
white supremacy, good government
Tor all, absolute Justice before the law
and mQuestioned Liberty OF opinion.
The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27
Extracts from Speech of Geo
-Rountree, ESQ.

The validity of this. amendment de-
Ponds solely upon its repugnance to
the Fifteenth Amendment, and I con-
ndently believe that we need give our
serves little concern as to its conStitu
tionahty. 1t is not only sustained by
reason, but by precedent.
AS have said it is drawn upon the
model of the suffrage provision OF the
recent constitution Of Louisiana, which
Is said to be the work of that most
eminent Southern jurist, MIR. Thomas
]. Sen1mes.
The election law Of the great STATE,
or Massachusetts, as it stands today,
Is as follows:
Section 10. Every male citizen of
twenty-one years of age or upward,
not being a pauper or person under
guardianship, who is able to read the
constitution of the Commonwealth in
the English language and write his
name, and who has resided within tht
commonwealth one year and within
Cne city or town in which he claims Z
right to vote six calendar months next
preceding "A State, City or town cleo
ulOn, may have his name entered upon
the INST of voters in such city or town,
ana shall have the right to vote therein
II any such election, or in any meeting
Leld for the transaction of town at
1a1rs, upon complying with the require
ments hereinafter set forth; ana, ex-
cep as above provided, no male per
son shall have his name entered upon
the list OF voters. or have the right to
vote, except that no person is who pre-
vented from reading or writing as
aforesaid by physical disability, Or
who had the right to vote on
the first day of May in the
year one thousand eight hun
dred and difty-seven, shall, if 9th
erwdse quaEned, be deprived of the
right to vote by reason of not being
able so to read or write"
Manifestly this law is essentially
similar to the one now proposed by
your committee. The exception in the
massachusetts law is evidently direct
ed against illiterate and incompetent
Immigrants, whereas this is directed
against illfterate and incompetent ne
groes and foreigners. If the one is
repugnant to the Fifteenth Amend
ment the other is, for it is we'll known
that while the primary purpose of
that amendment was to secure to the
negro the right of suffrage, it is
equally applicable to all other races
who may become citizens by naturali-
Zation.
There is one other difference, and it
Is this, that in the Massachusetts law
the exception is confined to the indl-
v1duals themselves who voted on the
first day of May, 1857, whereas in this
amendment it is extended to the de-
scendants of those individuals. This
we do not regard as material, because
the exception in either case can only
be sustained upon the ground that it
Is reasonable; that it meets present
conditions; that it excerpts only those
who are now known to be capable of
voting inteNigently, of which the Leg
tslature is the proper judge.
The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27
The Amendment Misrepre-
sented-sThe Whites Will
Rule"
Uosephus Daniels in News and OBJ
Server)

Server.)
The Progressive Farmer has come
down from it's perch Oh the fence and
Is Joining hands with Pritchard and
other opponents Of. Write supremacy
In fighting the constitutional amend
ment. We had expected all along that
Its devotion to negro rule, as shown
so plainly in the campaign of 1898
would cause it to join hands again
with those who want North Carolina
ruled by negroes and selfish or cor
rupt white men. In standing with
Pritchard and Isaac Smith in this
fight, the Progressive Farmer shows
that 1t Is a Radical paper through
chick and thin. We would not refer
to that paper at all, however, for IL
has only come out in the open on its
own level, if 1t had not made two in
correct assertions. 1t says:
1T Is admitted that il the grand
father clause is unconstitutional the
educational qualification will apply to
whites and blacks alike"
Admitted by whom? We know that
dt was net admitted" by any lawyer
In the General Assembly. AS a mat
ter of fact there isn't fedgeling law
yer In the State who does not know
that If the Federal Supreme Court de-
clares the grandfather clause unconst.-
tutional, the whole act will be declared
uncons titutional for they are not such
provisions rs can be separated. They
all stand or. fail together. So much
for that assertion.
Again the Progressive Farmer says:
1--WE believe the amendment was
drawn with this purpose Ito establish
an educational qualification for both
racesD in view, and the files of the
Raleigh daihes will show that the
question was duly considered"
That paragraph is disingenuous If
mot dishonest. The Farmer first states
that 1t believes the amendment was
drawn to establish IAN educational
qualified ton for both races" and in Or
der to strengthen its faith adds ..rhe
files Of the Raleigh dailies will show
that the question was duly consider
ed" Considered by whom? And what
was che result? The Progressive Far
mer was right In saying that it was
duly. considered" No sooner had it
appeared in print than the Radicals
cried out that it made an educational
qualification for both races" In
view of that cry it was "duly consid-
cred" by the Democratic caucus and
every lawyer in that body stated thai
by no possible construction could the
apply the educational
to any white man or
white boy over thirteen years of age.
Not only did the legal members of the
Legislature come to this opinion after
1t has been duly considered" but
eminent membets OF the bar, ex-judges
Of the SupEame and Superior Courts.
The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27

The speech of Geo. Rountree E,,.'
and the argument of Major W. a.
Guthrie upon the constitutional d l'F ,ia.
ment have been printed in paa,,i'ati
form and extensively cTe"'. -
Chairman Simmons has few 'oP',
left, and will be plased. upon r''"g',
to furnish copies to persons de'''-'
them.
The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27

Interest in the proposed fon>,''u
tiOnal amendment is growing I .l 'I,.n
are beginning to talk about u M~.a a
they meet. 1t appears now that 'Fo
will be no difficulty in gett.ilS II ."5 I,
fed. Intelligent people are -Af2e'l 80
favor Of it. Some men ana l.t .'
pers, with what sort OF sp.l't =
not conceive, are making the 'nt''
sion that it will disfranchise W|'t w.
liens. 1t Is not so.
The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27
North Carolina Baptist.

Indications multiply that the consti-
tutional amendment will be carried.
We would advise that every citizen
get a copy and study it for himself.
1t means much for US as q State.
The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27
CONGRESS TOOK THE INIT1A-
TIVE.

Congress d1rst took the matter In
hand and solved the problem in the
District of Columbia, by DISTINGUISHING
every citizen, white and black. South
Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, North
Carolina have all in turn taken up the
question. Congress has come back to
1T In dealing with Hawaii and elimi-
mates the negro without the slightest
hesitation and without exciting on the
part Of Senator Prttchard any fear
OF the wreck Of matter and the crush
OF worlds" In Cuba, Porto Rico and
the fMnppines the negro not only does
not vote but Is shot by our govern
ment Tor even wanting to vote, while
Senator Pdtchard calmly votes appro-
praations to shoot them into obedience,
saying, however, time enough between
appropriations to weep over the sad
tate or the brother in black in North
Carolina. If dt is manifest destiny, -
and the white Mans Burden to civ
anze and govern the weaker and more
ignorant races DIN the Philippines, IL
cannot De treason to undertake to
shape 6hat destiny and bear that bur-
oen mere. We began tho good work
IN 1893. The sacrt6ces Of that great
campaign were worse than useless IL
We LAY down the work unfinished.
NO TURNING BACKWARD NOW.
We have put our hands to tho blow
and we will not turn backward. In
1s9s we unfurled the Democratic ban
ner 10 une breeze emblazoned with the
relying cry of white Supremacy"
We volunteered under that banner to
the end Of tho war. We have won
the outposts ct che enemy. we have
driven them back in disorder and they
arc making enc last desperate stand
reforming their broken Ines behind
the breastworks OF prejudice and dem
agogy. They form In vain. The tradi-
ttons Of North Carolina Democrats are
nfled with glorious achievements: their
courage ds Of the best, THEM determdns-
ton is unyielding. their Certainty Of
victory amounts to inspirataon. For
peace. for prosperity, for universal cd
ucaton, for that day, when. tlhe race
Issue forever settled, we can have an
absolutely free ballot and a fair count,
FOR the glorious privilege of being in
dependent" for general toferutaoa Of
The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27
THE FITNESS OF THE WHITN
NAM

The men whose SURFACES are protect
ed by tbs amendment are the descend
ants of twenty centuries of se,f-gov-
erning ancestors. Says Mcneil, the
German historian: while sages of the
East were teaching wisdom beneath
the palms; while the merchants of
Tyre and Carthage were weighing
their heavy anchors and spreading
their purple sails for far seas; while
the Greek was making the earth fair
by his art, and the Roman founding
his colossal empire of force, the Teu-
ton sat yet child, naked among the
forest beasts, and yet unframed and
IN his sport he lorded it over them, for
the child was Of royal race and des-
tined to win glory for all time to
The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27

buC the RepubHcan leaders are IN.
ginning to express their anxiety lest
the unlettered white voters shall be
disfranchised. Since nearly all Of this
nnlettered white vote is undformlv
cast against the Republican party we
must greatly admire the Generosity of
these Republican leaders. The truth
however, compels me to Say that thev
have no such fear. The Amendment
expressly provides that every man who
could vote in 1867 and the descend
ants OF those who could vote in 1887
can forever vote In North Carolina.
whether they can read and write or
no. This provision protects everv
white man and every Whita bow over
u years Of age except perhaps q few
foreigners. Children now under II
years Of age will, in order to vote
when they become q, have 10 learn
to read and write.
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES PRO
VIDED.
To meet this emergency the Demo.
cratic Legislature increased the schoo1
fund 100000 tnis year. It viii 49,.
tinue to increase this f,,nd ur+i, f.,
19OS we snail be almost H nat nu;+a
Tree from ilhtsraey among tho youap
at least So far a. the whites are cans
cerned. The Democratic party thramrh
LIS amendment, gives to every white
man and boy ever Is years of are tia
absolute and unquestioned right "a
vote in consideration Of the inadenu.+e
faculties which we have heretofore
had for education, and it says to evsrv
child under ID: We undertake. tn ,,r,s.
woe you with full opportunity to learn
20 read and write and in addition ia
The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-05-08
SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.
ARRIVALS.

Saturday, May q.
Stmr Kinau, Freeman, from Hilo
and way ports: 234 bags potatoes, &c
bags corn, So bags coffee, 81 bundles
hides, 1876 sheep, 25 cattle, p hogs, 2
horses, 175 sundries.
Stmr Helene, Macdonald, from Ka-
waiahae: $4,000 bags sugar, 80 cattle.
Stmr Kauai, Bruhn, from Lahaina
7105 bags sugar, 2 rollers, sundries.
Stmr. Iva, Kaufman, from Oahu
ports: 20 bags of rice.
Stmr ]. A. Cummins, Searle, from
Waimanalo: 1900 bags Waimanalo
sugar.
Stmr Mokolii, Dudoit, from Molokai:
IL cattle, calves, 80 sundries.
Stmr Noeau, Peterson, from Kukui-
haele: 416S bags sugar, . sundres.
Sunday, May T.
Stmr Claudine, Cameron, from Maui
ports: 2S99 bags sugar, 1877 bags pota-
toes, 1926 bags corn, A hides, 40 hogs,
81 sundries.
Schr. Keoukaouli, from Hawaii: 1000
bags sugar.
Schr, Mokihana, Irving, from Hama
lei.
Schr Concord, Harris, from Molokai:
firewood.
Stmr. he Au Hou, Mosher, from Ma
kaweli: $3.50 bags sugar, sundries.
Monday, May s.
Am. schr. Mary E. Foster, T. Thomp-
son, from San Francisco April %: 1000
tons general merchandise, 10 horses, 2
mules, cowes, 16 dozen chickens.
The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-05-08
PASSENGERS.

Per stmr. Kinau, from Hilo and way
ports, May &C. G. Alferitz and wife,
T. Cervetsky, G. B. Curtis, C. S. Greg
Dry, H. A. Allen, W. l.. Biswulk, Cr. w.
Giddings, G. E. Thrum, Il. j. Higgins,
Rev. ]. H. Evan, V. NJ. Fulcher, Cap
tain Merriweather, C. S. Slider, H. j.
Lyman, w. Kinney, Mrs. O'Brien and
five children, r. Jink, j. S. Canavaro,
d. Conway, Wong Chung Hoon, Miss
H. Parker, r. Hind, Jr., A. p. Boiler,
Mrs. G. Schmidt, E. A. Fraser, j. Win
ter, A. N. Kepoika, w. r. Castle, w.
Blaisdell, T. Wolff and "a deck.
Per stmr. Claudine, from Maui ports,
go, Mrs. w. H. Winchester, H. P.
Baldwin, Mrs. Malulu, Miss Malulu, r.
e. Maynard, H. L. Houston, H. II.
Clark, S. Forth, Mrs. L. Castro, Mrs.
c. Copp, Jr. and two children, Mrs
Emmesley, j. Cook, d. b. Macnachie,
r. H. Gibson, Mrs. j. j. Abreu and two
children, Young Kin, Mrs. Young Hee
S. MotOmura, Rev S. Imai, j. f. Nc
Crosson, j. j. Drummond, Mrs. A.
Guild, child and servant, w. G.. Hy
man, Miss j. Murray and 101 on deck.
Per Br. S. S. Garonne, from Seattle
May 6.-Mrs. G.. w. Prichard, Mrs. A.
p. Prichard, Mrs. L. w. McGinnis, Mrs.
o. Sprague, Miss Sprague, Captain E.
Il. Caine and WIFE w. Fink w. II. Lee
hl IlOoNGI, MISS IlObNtl, IL II .
Brown, Mr.. and Mrs. Domergue, j. r.
Wiegle, Mr.. and Mrs. H. r. Chaffee and
Mrs. G.. b. Wright
Per stmr. Ke Au Hou, from Maka-
well, May Mrs. Carlson.
Per stmr. Noeau, from Kukuihaele,
May 6.-L. d. La Ward and deck.
Per stmr. Mokolii, from Molokai, May
&C. Cockett and deck.
Departed.
g.,
ma, May 6.-Mr. and Mrs. Strong, Mr..
and Mrs. G. r. Carter, Mrs. H. L.
Achilles, Mrs. II. n. Lund, Miss r. p.
Lund, w. f. Dodd and secretary, T.
Matruoka, X. Tnouye, NJ. Morioka H.
MizunO, c. Saito, S. Horiye.