The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-09-12
OPPOSES THE AMENDMENT.
"Old Dan" Replies to "Reformer" and
Gives His Reasons for Opposing the
Proposed Suffrage Amendment.

Gives HIS Reasons tor Opposing the
Proposed Suffrage Amendment.
correspondence of the Progressive Farmer.
Same few weeks ago a Of your
correspondents ever the nom de
plume" of R 3former," wrote an ar
ticle which appeared in The Progress
i've Farmer favoripg the proposed Con-
stitutional amendment to our Consti-
tuition. A few weeks after wards he
c1mpleinsd that no one had under-
taken TO c0ntrovert his argument in
favor Of tbs move. Toe only argument
that we could f4d IN the article was,
That the ballot in the hands Of voters,
who did not kno y how to use it is a
dangerous weapon, az dangerous pc
liticaily as a or pistol in the
hands Of a child" or words to that
ef>c5. If the editor will permit as
space in the columns Of The Progress
i've Farmer, we will state some Of the
arguments entertained by many voters
against this dangerous measure.
The first thing calculated to alarm
the voter as to this dangerous thrust
at political liberty is the method
to be used for the purpose of carrying
the measure at the polls. In discuss
ing the measure, however, it strikes ue
that the first question to be settled is
the object sought to be obtained by
this step. II must be n or the other
of two things, to wit: first, to place
the State government forever in the
hands OF the party in power at the
time OF it's adoption regardless OF the
wishes of a majority OF the peopl3, by
tieipg their hands 10 such g manner as
to forever prevent their being able
hereafter to undo the evil. Now every
int .ligen5 voter knows how diff cult il
ia to have some laws repealed. and
what is more, how hard it is 10 change
the organic law when once it gets on
the hooks az a part of the Constitution.
Clearly, the first object is to disfrau-
chjs9 enough voters TO enable the pro
fessioDals and politicians to hold IN
limi5el sway W the masses.
This frst proposition is clearly
proven by the methods to be employed
in order to carry the amendment into
effect. We refer to the election law
uoder which it is to be voted Gu. No
unbiased man will deny that the pres
ens election law in North Carolina is
stuffed with fraud from beginning to
end, by it's being carefully constructed
with provisions FOR the practice Of
fraud. TIE law in fo' c } in 1892 end in
1894 was far better than the present
law, with all its loop holes for the prac
tic3 OF fraud. Look AZ the power con
ferred On tue registrars who are nearly
always under the thumb of tbs ma
chine; is it not all that a parry could
wish, that intended to contr0l the cleo.
tion in tneir own favor? No one can
or will deny this fact.
Why then Yves il found necessary to
devise sucn q l2w7 To this there can
be but nj answer, and that is, that
che promoters Of this radical change
kpew that If all who were entitled to
vote undar q law like the e in force
from 1888 to 1895. Grained and passed
by Democrste) they would defeat this
proposed amendment; hence a law
suited to ;ha occasion muat be passed
b7 which enough voters would be dis
franchisod TO enable the amendment to
pass. Had no evil designs or sinister
motives been intended, then a gag elec
ton Law like the present one would