The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-09-19
IN DEFENCE OF THE AMEND
MINT.

U1IEGSpOuQ6uC6 u IL EIOkEOG5ANO @1A
In the last issue OF your paper, "Old
DAM takes me to task for defending
the proposed suffrage amendment and
gives his reasons for opposing it. Now
I believe "Old Dan" ia perfectly honest
10 his views, but I also believe he ls
wofully mistaken in his premises, and
I propose to take up his points one by
one and reason with him over the
matter.
seek only the truth; I am open to
conviction, and if anyone can show
me that the amendment would not be
for our best interests, I will Din him
in fighting it. And I want every reader
OF The Progressive Farmer to get ex.
actly 10 this spirit. OF If he opposes
the amend ment let him soy, ''show me
that it is best and I will support It.
It's O big question and we ought, for the
sake of our families and our children,
TO drop our prejndices and study 1t
with the solitary object Of finding the
truth in the matter.
But just let me say 1 am moved by
no prejudiced spirit in writing in sup
port of this amendment I cheerfully
guIped do Rn some disEastetul things
last fall and no one worked harder
than I to defeat the party in control o.
the last legislature, which drafted the
amendment. did this because [ be-
lisved and still believe the niger
racket was largely a humbug; because
/ believed that the Democratic party
would, il successful, make no effort to
eliminate the negro. Or if any effort
along this line was made, l expected a
Mississippi amendment which pro-
vides Cba5 you shall explain" the Con
stituuon TO the registrar. The regis
trar il in all cases a tool Of the party
clique. II you are willing to wear the
Collar of his ring, he gives you a line
or Two the meaning Of which is per
tecgly clear, and you, Cf course
explain il satisfactorily; if, on
the other hand, you have the manhood
to oppose his clique, he gives you for
explanation the most difficult section
possible and, being conec ~enceless,
may, no matter how intelligent you
are, declare that you do not explain it
to his satisfaction" Such an amend
menr would mean the death Of politi
ca freedom, and if the proposed amend.
-N~-m nnNknTnnh ~ thrVaNnT-W-
clause" as some of it's opponents have
been claiming, 1 would fight it to the
last ditch.
Bus no such amendment was pro
posed. The amendment upon which
the people OF North Carolina are to
vote nexf fall is perfectly clear in its
provisions
It proposes to disfranchise no one
exc pit
1. Uiiterate negroes.
2 Persons who refuse to pay their
taxes.
8 White boys under Ii years Of age,
VINO with free schools AM from nine
to twenty years notice, refuse TO
qualify themselves by learning to read
and write.
Nov let us study this matter item
by item. First, let us take iIliterate
negroes.
No one hates worse than l to take
the right of suffrage from sny man.
bus ia all matters Of government it is
our duty to work not for the good Of 6
few individuals, but for 1.-The greatest
good to the greatest mum 7er." And
while I hate to take from the poor
uliterato negro the right to vote. l
Gai- K for the public good it should be
done. II r do I think this unjust to
the BLACK NAN. His interests and the
inrerssCs OF white labor are identical
and why ehou'd he not let the white
laborer, more intelligent and broad
minded, take care of the interests of
both7
Free silver, anti trust measures, the
income tax, and other measures in
tended for the benefit Of labor, are
voted down By the Negroes aid, and he
thereby helps bind the chains of indus
trial slavery about the white laborer
as we'll as about himself.
l therefore feel no conjunction of
conscience in taking the ballot from
the illiterate negro. Having just
emerged from eyes OF barba=ism and
slavery, he is not, however good in
tentioned he may be, qualified to solve
the great problems Of government and
to say what sort of laws should be
made and who shall make and execute
these laws for the government OF not
only himself, but the great Anglo Saxon