The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-11-30
The Amendment to the Constitution.
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sons for its adoption, we too, for the
purpose of meeting them At every
point, will discuss matters not strict
ly included in it. They seem to ignore
what every one else conceivss, that in
the essential requisites OF the best and
safest suffrage one race Is, and nee
esssr,ly so, from it's history, environ
ynent, nature and condition, inferior
to another, and that under any rea-
sonaple rule intended to separate the
fit from the unfit voter, larger pro-
portion of the inferior race neccessa-
rily will be eliminated than of the SUI
perior race. No rule will be perfect.
No law can be devised that will ad-
NIT every fit voter and reject none,
and reject every unfit voter and admit
none. 1t is submitted that the pro-
posed amendment contains as nearly a
perfect rule under present condition
as the wisdom of any legislature is
apt to devise. Its extension OF suffrage
10 more white than negroes is natural
and necessary in distinguishing the fit
from Unfit voter. A Statehas the right
to adopt any reasonable qualification,
rule, line of distinction or expedlent
to separate fit from the unfit voter not
vlolative of the 18th amendment.
A voter should be patriotic, desiring
his countrya welfare, Conscientious,
loving right above all things, intel
llgent, fairly understanding the general
principles of government and the Or
binary matters presented for his SUI
frage, and fearless, acting upon his best
intelligence. He should vote honestly
without fear, favor or corruption. The
ordinary Ignorant negro is not pre-
pared for the duties Of suffrage.
Political motives, when the best in
we're not heard, endeavored to elevate
the former slaves in a day to the high
position tor which white men nad
struggled for ages, but even then their
right to vote WIS not insured, but it
was merely prescribed that it should
not be denied or abridged On account
of three particular things. There are
great differences between thu al Iii led
and the unqualified voter und ,r our
amendment, regardless of these three
things, and it is natural tia. under 1t
as under any reasonable rule more
blacks than whites will be disqualified
The unlettered negro usually knows
nothing of and cares not for public
questions. He does not openly vote
contrary to the other Negroes In
many counties should he on cleo lion
day announce his intention to vote the
Democratic ticket, the others would,
except for the presence of wh!to laen,
drive him from the polls, and alter
wards persecute him.
The unlettered white man on the
Contrary, has the courage of his con-
slct.ons. He is intelligent. He il su-
perior to the unlettered negro in In
formation and intellectu al grasp. He
is patriot. He fought at Kings
Mountain, at Alamance and Guilford.
He was with Washington at Yorktown,
with Jackson at New Orleans, with
Lee and Grant at Appomattox. His
moral faculty and firmness OF purpose
exceed the Africans. He has exercised
governmental rights for hundreds of
years. Seven centuries ago he wrung
the great charter from tyrant King
John. He made Luther's reformation
successful. He shouldered his rifle,
builded his cabin on the frontier, and
laid the foundations of our country's
greatness. Is he not better qualified
to exercise patriotic, intelligent, in
corruptible ballot than an uneducated
man whose ancestry and race have
never approached the white man in
government, in liberty, in progress, in
m1nd' The white man conceived the
railroad, steamboat, telegraph; printing
press and other inventions that bless.
He organized our government, created
our educational and developed our
religious systems. He has come in
contact with the brown man and his
has appeared. He has met
the yellow man, and the yellow man
has given him the way. He has faced
the red man and the red man is dis
from the earth. He has
touched the black man in his native
African home and the black man
yielded to him. Yet when the people
of North Carolina, believing in the
1arpor canacitv hottor int o1,,ro,oo -