Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-09
FOR WHITE SUPREMACY
Amendments to the North Carolina Statutes
Under Consideration.
Repeal of Williams Law and Propo-
sition Presented in Legislature
to Restrict Suffrage.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
RALEIGH, n. C. January a.-rhe legis-
laturc Of North Carolina is losing no time
in endeavoring to redeem the promises
made by the democratic managers during
the last campaign to so enact legislation
that white supremacy" In the old north
state shall continue.
As a starter in this direction. the Peg
Leg Williams" law, to which reference was
made several months ago in The star, has
been repealed. 1t will be recalled that this
was law to prevent any one from m
ducing colored men to leaving the state
and Ii worked to a charm. the penalty for
violation having been so severe that no one
apparently cared to run the risk Of doing
so.
1t was at first the intention Of the demo-
cratic managers to have a constitutional
convention provided. for by the Legislature.
with the special viSw OF thus dealing with
the suffrage question. hut this project has
been abandoned as unnecessarily expensive
and dangerous, and II now seems certain
that the present general assembly viii SUBJ
init an amendment to the constitution and
that 1t will in most respects Ice like the
Louisiana method.
Amendment Restricting Suffrage
Mr. Winston. a member Of the lower
house Of the legislature, has prepared an
amendment restricting suffrage. which
with possibly a few unimportant amend
ments, will probably be adopted by the gen
eral assembly and submitted to a vote OF
the people at the next general election.
Mr. Winston's proposal is that Every
mae person born in the United States and
every male person who has been natural
lied, twenty-one years old or upward who
shall have been an actual. bona ide resi-
dent in the state for two years. and pos
sessing all the qualifications. shall have
tn NTFaFn any ala.a#f
may be otherwise provided in the amend
ment.
But no person may vote that has been
convicted or confessed his guilt in omen
court upon Indictment of the following
crimes: Bribery. burglary In any degree
larceny, receiving stolen goods arson oh
tanning money or goods under false pre-
lenses, perjury, forgery, cmbeZZlcmcut
rape, assault with intent to commit rape
fornicatiop and adultery, higamy. incest,
removing crop before paying rent or before
satisfying liens thereon. disposinS Of mort
gagged property with intent to dvfraud the
mortgage, crime against nature. sale Of
cotton within prohibited hours. dueling.
gambling, conducting lottery. injuries To
houses, churches and fences shooting at
or throwing into cars, locomotives or trains:
SANDER of an innocent woman. seduction
under promise OF marriage. or Of an at
tempt TO commit any of said offcnsas. or Of
any felony prohibited by the laws oE North
Carolina or which may hereafter be pro-
hibited by the laws Of North Carolina: or
of any crime whereof the punishment NAV
be Imprisonment in the penitentiary. unless
the person shall be first restored 10 citizen
ship in manner prescribed by law. And
II shall not be necessary that any punish
ment has been imposed to bring persons
within tho prohibition of this section
Those under suspended judgment are pro-
hibited as well as those under sentence"
Must Read and Write.
After providing for a system Of registra-
ton the amendment declares:
Every person presenting himself for
registration shall be able to read and write
intelligently, and he shall demonstrate his
ability to do so when he applies for regis
tration 10y making oath to the facts: but
IL the applicant be not able to read and
write, then he shall be entitled to register
and vote if he shall at the time he offers
to register be the actual and bona hde own
er of property assessed TO him I'm he state
at a valuation of not less than $500 on the
tax lists of the current year in which he
offers to register, or on the tax lists Of the
preceding year, if the roll of the current
year shall not have been completed and
filed
mo person less than sixty years Of age
shall be permitted to vote at any election
held by the people of the state who shall
have paid or before December 81 of each
year for the two years preceding the year In
which he offers to vote the poll tax assess
ed against him for those years. which tax
is imposed on every male resident of the
state between the ages of twentY-One and
sixty years not otherwise exempt accord
ing to the constitution"