The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-06-23
FOR WHITE SUPREMACY
The Importance TO Both Races OF the
Adoption of the Proposed Amend.
ments G the State Constitution
Communicated.

The great victory won by the people
Of North Carolina last year is about
10 eliminate in the final settlement OF
the negro problem as related to the
politics OF the state. The constitu-
tional amendenent which will be adopt
ed in August, 1900, will mark the be-
ginning Of a lev era. With the con-
elusive establishment OF white suprezn-
acy on a permanent constitutional ba-
Sis, a larger political freedom and q
greater federation of opinion will come
10 all our people. Freedom OF cleo
lions and the sanctity OF the ballot
will be secured. The democratic par
" will be set free from the trammels
Of the race issue and car enter upon q
career Of economic study and legisla-
ton The republican party will be
freed from the stigma OF being called
the Negro Party" and interfering it
self from the rule OF cliQues and fac
tioAs will greatly gain in character and
will have somewhat more OF influence
in making and shaping a wholesome
public opinion. Discussions of policies
and principles will take the place OF
heated defamation n partisan abuse.
In that day, bad as the principles
Of the republican party are, If 1t should
come into power in the state one might
reasonably hope to secure eve from
it a decent and economical administra-
ton of public affairs. The terrible
strain of such a campaign as that OF
1898 will be a memory OF the past.
Preachers of the gospel OF peace al
proclaim the glad tidings Of great JOY
to all the people unhindered by fear
for the safety of the state. Property
will be Secur in all OF is just rights
and labor shall not be oppressed. The
safety OF the white womanhood OF the
state absolutely unattached anywhere
in the broad borders of the state since
Il 8th Of last November) will be for
ever secured. Peace will become our
permanent heritage and prosperity, the
easy achievement Of our own industry
and economy. Education will be uni
versally recognized as the right of
| every citizen and the duty of the state.
Power will come with knowledge and
nothing will be lost in the tillage Of
the poor for the lack OF wisdom" Ma
y q Ia IN AuColloAo vi AOAAA
mand the best thought of the people
and politics will cease to be our chief
concern. In order to secure these bless
ings the democratic party will, in the
! coming campaign, advocate the con-
, stitutional amendment. Many republic
| cans will support it and populists, who
are populists, will be found advocating
it. AT the close of the last campaign
when democratic success had become
history and while republican leaders
| were yet daZed by the size of the dem
ocratic majority, many Of them rushed
into print in the shape of interviews,
and many others in private converse
ton expressed the urgent hope that
| the legislature would disfranchise the
negro. l recall distinctly that one of
them, who had enjoyed to the fullest
| the honors and emoluments Of Office
given him by the undivided support Of
the negroes said to me very soon after
the election: Il hope you democrats
will disf1anchise the negro-we have
| CARR d him on our shoulders long en-
| ough-when the negro question is set
tied many white men will vote the re-
publican ticket" That man now is
opposing the constitutional amendment.
Why? He says because he is afraid
it will be held unconstitutional. He is
not afriad of any such thing.
What he is afraid OF, and what he
may justly be afraid Of, is that with
the elimination of the negro from poll
tics, a better republican party will be
formed in the state, which will, if 1t
comes to power, put better and more
grateful men in Office than he is. No
people that deserves to be free can LONG
be governed by ingrates and towards,
and this man knows that with the adj
vent OF a Drawer, stronger republican
party, he will be without a jobA hence
with him the amendment is unconsti-
tutional. It will be so with all his
class. But with that larger and more
respectable class Of republicans in the
state, who really believe in the prin-
ciples Of the republican party, and who
are republicans through evil and good,
the elimination Of the negro from poll
tics will be the beginning of a
brighter day. They will vote for the
amendment. But the republican lead
ers are beginning I o express their anx-
iety lest the unlettered white voters
shall De disfranchised. Since nearly
al vi nix uAiCIkClCA III NoIV q uAl
forml- cast against the republican
party We must greatly admire the gen
crosby OF these republican leaders.
The truth, however, compels me to say
that they have no such fear. The
amendment expressly provides that ev
~ man who could vote in 1867 and the
descendants Of those who could
vote in 1867 can for ever vote
in North Carolina, whether they can
read or write Or no. This provision
protects every white man and every
white boy over Is years Of age except
perhaps a few foreigners. Children
now under Is years Of age will, in or
der to vote when they become 81 have
to learn TO read and write. To meet
this emergency the democratic legis-
/ lature increased the school fund 800,
900 this year. It will continue to in
crease this fund until by 1908 We shall
be almost il not quite free from Hitter
acy among the young, at least, so fal
as the whites are concerned. The dem