The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-07-13

4
The Demeer Farsy when In Costsel
Of the CoasttsastoaaI Conysntsos 81 1878
Accepted and Confirmed Ustssrsai Ne
ga suHrHgs - ~e have IL To-day ssd
now seeks Z" Overthrow Ia by . suassge
Amendments tina. Violates the Coa.ss-
tuition Of the atted states.
Editor CAUcAsI.x.l
When by one OF those convui-
sions, that are OF periodic recur-
renee in the body polite, the DEM
ocratic party found itself, most un-
expec: eddy in possession OF the re-
quisite three fifths Of the Legisla-
ture of 1874, it made haste to sum-
mon a Constitutional Convention.
And when afterwards, "by holding
Robson to save the State" or to
speak with entire candor and cor
rectness, "by stealing Robson to
hold the State" it secured q major
ity OF that convention, it proceeded
without let or hindrance, except
such as was enjoined by a power
higher than itself, to frame a new
Constitution, in accordance with it's
own sweet will and pleasure. Eve
ry section OF every article of this
new Constitution. from Alpha to |
; Omega, was the exclusive work Of |
its own hands, and is to-day the
/ organic law of the State. And by |
one of its provisions the negro was
recognized as sovereign in his
own right, and as such was clothed
with the elective franchise. as with
a royal robe and diadem, and in
] the following terms:
every male person horn ia the Uni
ted States, and every male person who
L has been naturaliZed, twenty zone years
f old or upward, who shall have resided
q in the State twelve months, and nine
ty days in the county in which he Of
o fers to vote, shall be deemed an ele'-
tor" Art. 6, Sec. l, Constitution 1875.
From this it will be seen that no re
striction whatsoever was laid upon
him. and no question was raised as
u to his perfect equipment and equal.
s. ity. No educational qualification
re was prescribed. And no petty prop
RI erty qualification in the shape of a
paltry poll-tax-receip was exacted
!" but absolute manhood suffrage was
d granted.
be Such then is the record which
n. the Democratic party has emilia
:. Zoned, in colors that will never
~ fade, upon the political history O
et this State. But now when it aban
he dons it's own record, and is seer
running from it in headlong re
treat, so sudden reversal Of it,
in attitude in respect to it prompts
49, the inquiry, Why and Wherefore
~ this change of base?
ne 1t cannot be because unrestricted
IT. negro suffrage was an untried eX
th pertinent in 1875, for we alread,
m had, at that time nearly ten year
r, of costly experience with it, Will
III emerging from the period of recon
9rs struction, which left nothing tina
Ill. was new to be learned upon tina
,rv subject.
Nor can it be because he is YER
much poorer now than he was the1
'st. and has thereby lost his interest i
ter the public welfare, for believe
as could be demonstrated that he sti
holds his own in the general an
'no increasing poverty eft the COMMIT
r'y nifty at large.
the Nor can it be because he is MOI
ub- illiterate now than then, for unles
nm. it can be shown that the percen
age of his illiteracy has been grea
leir ly diminished, the fact must
Vay confessed, that very expensiv
of system of public free-schools h;
nan been worse than worthless, so t,
as he is concerned.
hope therefore, that I may n
be set down as being his eulogie
or his apologist, or as claiming t.
much for him, if I should give it
CANT my modest opinion that he b.
lost little or nothing, in wealth
intelligence in the past twenty-fO
lin years, but that his fitness for Il
ity. suffrage, whether the same be me
und ured by property or by educatio
for is no less to-day than it was VIII
Mr.. the Democratic party, in it's Co
Bat vention of 1875, invested him wi
egi- highest prerogative of citizensh
ator But it is no part Of my purpe
ator to dilate upon his qualification
! in positive or comparative, past, pr,
But emit, or to come. That is none of 4
Off business, for have never been o
n in Of his advocates. My business
utz rather to expose, as briefly as c;
ten the insincerity, and shutting, tin
,ity. serving. and qualification, of t
M Democratic party in all Of it's de
nor ings with him. For it can not just
ime his equal admission to the elect
Ting franchise in 1875, and his part
y in exclusion from it now, upon
in ground OF his fitness then, and
and his degeneracy since. Such a pc
MIS- tion involves a multitude of G.
item tradict!ons, but it is the poslti
IN into which the Democratic pal
has been driven, and from it tn,
1ake is but one escape. Let it theref,
n he begin by disavowing. for once a
% a forever, it's long and loudly p
e so claimed friendship for the neg
leas- since it must be clear even to its
ex- that the force of deception can n
ling no farther go. And having tai
t in down that mask which no lon,
conceals any thing, it should, w
it's hands upon it's mouth, and
mouth in the dust, make the
and AniAoCInS CouAoooIoHs oAag ~
dom nallZed its advent to power tW
y is kty-fOur years ago by accepting a
i'm confirming universal negtO suffrs
and as we have it in North Carolina
lions dav and that s. did this thine u
the Hno.,u ond ~ ,.ooa s.i+h. n. -,
with :1 - 49, 1"i.n; W o1eo
icine ~ acquiC lcseii VI tne iuIi respoI
hole DIl1ty LOT Jne acGlOn ChaG was u
If it's taken, by protesting, as it has
and right to do, that it was done OF
elite in obedience to the 18th Article
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