The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-07-27

OF the state, nelCNE VI WuOm Gull
read and write, let two of them be
white men, one a uRtive North Caro-
linian, who has lived here all his life,
one a Pole or German, who has only
been 20 years in this country; let the
other two be negroes. one of whom
has lived in the Stat all his life, and
the other one who hbs recently moved
to the State, let US say, from Massa-
chusetts, where he toted before 1867,
or whose ancestors were free negroes
and could vote before 1851 Now, I'M
der the constitutions amendment one
OF these white men can vote, and one
of these negroes cat vote; while the
other white man (tte foreigner) and
the other negro cannot vote.
The white man and the negro who
ed to vote for the sane reason, because
they or their ancestors could vote be-
fore 1867. The white man and the ne
gro, who are excluded from voting,
are excluded for the same reason, be-
cause they could neither read and
write, nor did they or their ancestors
vote in this country before 1867. l
suppose no one will contend that the
foreigner, who is excluded from the
suffrage under this amendment is de-
MED the right to woe ''by reason of
race, color or previous condition of
servitude.. Then upon what princi-
pie of law or common sense will the
courts hold that the negro, who is ex-
cluded with him is denied his right
to vote ION account Of race, color or
previous condition of servitude?"
But it is suggested that the courts
will not construe this amendment by
it's terms, but that it will look beyond
and outside of the amendment, and
consider any historical facts connected
with its initiation ard adoption, and
INQUIRE into the motive and intent OF
the measure.
Well, for the sake If the argument,
let us admit it, although it must be
confessed that this would be a novel
method of interpreting a written con-
stituuion. 1t isFcontended that the
court has only to LOOK to we'll known
facts concerning OUT population and
the facts connected with the emancipa-
ton of the negro to see that only a
very few negroes could qualify them
selves for suffrage u1der the so-called
grandfather" clause while all the
white people except few foreigners
could qualify themselves under it and
therefore the court, predicating its &C.
ton upon these facts de hors the
amendment would held that the OBJ
ject Of this clause was to "deny and
abridge" the suffrage Of the negro ION
account of race, color or previous con-
dition of survitude. But North Caro-
lima is not the whole of the United
States.
HOW WOULD IT BE IN NEW
YORK
Let US suppose that an amendment
identical with ours should be submit
ted to the people Of New York and
ratified by them, and case to test
its constitutionality should be taken to
the Supreme Court and that court
should apply the rule Of construction
contended for, as above stated; what
would be the result?
New York has an enormous popu-
lation; there are some negroes, but not
many, probably twenty-five or thirty
thousand negro voters in the State. A
large part of it's white population are
foreigners who have moved into that
State since 1867. A large proportion
Of this foreign element are utterly
ignorant and often depraved. There
are probably more than 100000 such
voters in that State today.
Does any one suppose that the court
looking at these we'll known facts con-
corning the population of New York
would say that such an amendment
was intended or had the effect OF de.
nying or abridging the negroes right
to vote ION account Of race, color OF
previous condition of servitude?" On
the contrary, wou4. not the court and
every intelligent person see that fo1
every ignorant negro effected by the
amendment in any way there would
be from 8 to 10 uneducated foreign.
ers effected in the same way, and
would not the court and every inteln
gent person say that the amendment
was aimed at the ignorant foreign vote
Of that State and that though the ne
gro was effected thereby I'm the same
way as the foreigner the suffrage OF
neither was denied or abridged ''on
account of race, color Or previous con
! dition Of servitude," but on account Of
presumed unfitness and mental and
moral delinquences, as well as because
OF defective training and inadequate
education in the republican principle:
| 0f Solf- o,l --xo,,1d &l,<