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

tlonal opportunities, for any boy.
care not how poor he may be, CROWN.
up to manhood without being able to
read anu write. In saying this l am
nVI ignorant or unmindful Of the struy
sies OF the poor boys. l grew ur
a .,s ,hem and l have lived anon.
~ tnen an my life. l know they hav,
~ "orA, 10 toll and strive, and yet
"sr. tney may. if they will, learn 10
~. 'u ana write before they are TWEEN.
~ Une years old. l also know that
"! parents have been Indifferent to
e"rat!on OF their children, and
nave failed to send their hoys to
SchoOl when they might have done 50
nut l cannot. suppose that any father.
.nls amendment Is adopted, will
~. nleaIter neglect to send his boy 10
~ coniihon schools, where he may
aln 10 read and write. However
,.;noa me father may need thet SER
$3.50 oi the boy he can, if hexwili,
spare MIN from his labor long enough
-, :" Narh to read and write before he
~. tr"l mes tWenty-One. Father and son
VII VIII nave a motive they never had be-
!ort Tor the boy to go 10 school, and
-; ~ ihiS L see the day coming when
:. 'a,hot De said. as now, that there
1,e thousands of white men in North
oa.oiiha who can neither read nor
write.
10 INCREASE SCHOOL FACILI-
TIES. s~s.. ',
II the people shall saw. by ratifyiuc
this proposed amendment that tn,
young men who become twenty-onG
years ola after January 1st, 1908, must
We aoie to read and write in order to
vore' then it will be the duty of the
people to so improve and extend the
tolnlhon schools as to bring them
wilhih the reach Of every boy in the
state. These schools belong to the
people, and l am sure they will make
them sufficient TO fit their boys to be-
come qualified voters. SO assert that
one of the effects of this amendment
upon the white people will be to give
them better schools, and to the Stata
q more Intelligent population.
GOOD GOVERNMENT. wv
Another effect upon the white popus
lation will be to secure to them good
government in State. county, city and
town. administered and controlled by
Intelligent white men. Neither the ne
can again dominate our local govern
mpntS and re-cnact the scenes OF
strife and riot and ruin of 1865 and
1869. Good government is an abso-
lutte essential to the peace and pros
perity of Il State. This is too plain
to need argument. We have seen it in
our own State. To establish and
maintain it in Cuba, in Porto Rico and
Philippine Islands the President and
Congress have called upon the Ameri-
can people to pay taxes to carry on
wars and to mourn over their sons
slain in battle. The negro has demOAs
strated the fact that he cannot gG/
ern. 1t is likewise true that the white
man who is dependent upon the ne
gro for his place and who is dominated
and controlled by him is equally unfit
to govern. The adoption of this
amendment eliminates that class Of
white men as well as the negro from
prominence in political matters in this
State and inSures to the intelligent.
worthy white men the management of
public affairs. Page after page might
be written along these lines OF
thought. but l must abandon this in
yitin" field for the present and has
ten on to consider our second general
head. lest | make this paper too long.
This. then, brings us to brief discus
sion Of
THE EFFECTS OF THE AMEND
MENr UPON THE COLORED
POPULATION. i. !
Jts first effect upon this race will he
10 greatly reduce the number OF col
oroI voters in this State, and cOnsc-
nuently to practically eliminate the
coloreti man from politics. Will this
| he = blessing or 4 curse to his racer
After thirty years of earnest endeav-
or to advance the negro race IN all
that nertains to their best interests, l
viwe i as my opinion that it will be
= hlossino to them to eliminate the
~roat BODY of them from politics. They
ware suddenly changed from slaves to
! savareirrs. Without any preparation
fnr !, nranpr discharge of the Important
am,ios of American citizenship, they
,,oro Inv military edictS clothed with
oI its prerogatives. powers and priv
! ;Iaoas II is but natural that they
shonll have priced these newborn
rights above everything else' 1Dlu
1 should have reveied Ill aheH' rol
.,';rtv wears they have devoted them
~. to notifies only to find that 1t
go not bring to them that which
~. ~ most need. The negro race.
a%oye nil things else. need homes for
.h.ir families and mental. moral ana
;n n1 training for their children.
rnsv cannot get these out or politics.
WILL MAKE THRIFI'LEss Ne
/ GROES THRIFTY.
Tho colored race may he divided into
o,asses-those who are trying to
wv something, to acquire something
10 ~, ~ make something out OF them
,a,,os and their children. ana those
selves n, ve no concern for anything be-
w VIII" one days rations. The nrst class
mas III Vic belong to the first class Will
Am Az fit and qualify themselves ana
. soon off If spring to become voters under
tne'r unused "n amendment if it shall be
lne a p'od Those who belong TO the
aaop ,'I class will soon learn that they
s seuSt 10 better or forever he cut on
mus mus IN The ballot-box. 1 believe this
,n,,i anneal to them as nothing else
Viii Mil When they see a rart o. the.r
r w,.e. walking up to the ball t';, and
n mar, in all the privileges SO, o.