The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-06-06
The ELECTION LAW AND THE
CONSTITUTIONAL AMaND.
MINT.

These matters were discussed in our
last issue by Mr.. D. II. Gill, OF Vance
county We cannot endorse all Of Mr..
ellis attacks upon the Constitutional
amendment, but we are free to say
that his attack upon our new election
law is fully justified by the facts. We
have vet to hear of a single man OF
any party who has examined it and
will say it is fair. On the other hand
men of all parties admit that it gives
all the power to n political machine.
In conversation with the writer re
Gently, a man prominently spoken OF
as the Democratic candidate for q high
Office, admitted that the new election
law ia one of the most IN Warranted and
unfair la ws ever placed upon our statute
books. He found, he said, that fear of
the election law was at the bottom Of
much of the sentiment against the
c. institutional amendment. In the
next campaign honest men in all par
ties should have their Legislative q
didates pledge themselves to vote for
a fairer ana better election law-one
that will recognize more than n
party in the appointment CT registrars
and election officers. Make your can
didate define his position-give you
something definite as to his idea of a
fair election law. Nearly all the MON.
bers of the last legislature were pledged
to enact a fair and just" election law,
but they failed TO define their ideas Of
Justice and fairness and the result the
world knows.
We think Mr.. Gill errs, how
ever, when he says that any con
siderable number OF boys in this State
have cot sufficient educational advan
tages to enable them to learn to read
and write the Constitution before 1908,
or that any considerable number have
not sufficient time to seize these OPP
portunities. Great economic, social
and political problems are to be solved
by the young men Of to day and the
boys who become men within the next
score OF years. These young men
should be prepared to vote and reason
il selligentIy when these great prob
lens present Themselves for solution.
The oppressors Of the plain people will
be educated-no doubt about that.
The poor must be educated in order
that they may not be Guped into vot-
ing against their own interests.
The time was when to vote intelli.
gently rsq lired no education. Then
the political Issues were comparatively
simple. The most ignorant could de.
eide whether he wanted or did not
want a protective tariff. But such
Issues have sunk into insignIfcance.
Nowadays the voter is called upon to
solve greater questions and more intri
cate problems To vote intelligently
be must understand the causes and
effects of trusts and mO1opolies; the
advantages and disadvantages OF free
silver, aud must know something Of
many other great questions OF which
the illiterate nan cannot get a clear
idea. Ignorance and prejudice are the
tao great foes Of political pUriCy-we
mightsRy they are one and i~nseparRble,
for ignorance inspires praj0dice and
prfjl1ice fosters Ignorance by pre-
venting 8 desire for real enlightenment
EiucatiOn alone can conquer these
two enemies Of all real political pro
gress The Constitutional amendment
may have some Objectionable features,
but we do not think the fact that it re
quires an educational qualification for
all voters who become of age after
1908 is an argument against it.
All must confess that the average
voter does not vslue the privileges of
citizenship high enough. This should
be a matter OF concern to every citizen
for the voter who for money, or
through ignorance or prejudice, helps
elect corrupt or incompetent officer s.
not only cutters the evils of bad gov
eminent himself, but also forces the
officers Of his choosing upon the minor
ity. Let US impress upon the voters
the power Of the ballot ard the respon.
sibiligy resting upon these who use it;
and let voters impress upon politicians
the sancsity Of the ballot and the
righteous demand for fair aad JUST
election laws.
"PROMIsas, LIKE PIe-CRUsrS,"
In the last National Republican plat
form was the following plank:
t,Tha civil s-pruica La wns nlncnG On