The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-10-24

economy, and that the day was IN
sight when combinations would be
formed regardless of past party afd}ta
tons, by productive labor, with a view
of getting control of the laW-making
power, when these great octopi would
be made to pay their just share OF the
taxes necessary to run the government.
Something had to be done and the
amendment is the result.
"R sformer" says he would withhold
the ballot from the negro until he is
sufficiently educated to know how to
use it, and he uses the pist and razor
10 the hands OF a child as a illustra
ton Of the danger of the ballot IN the
hands of the negro, as if anyone ever
heard of a ballot exploding, or going
off half cooked and killing somebody,
or of a ballot swiping across some ones
throa'! This is truly refreshing. Has
{ r 9former" lived to this age and failed
to learn that a majority of the people
never study politics, never give the
subject a thought until the hireling
ne wspapers begin to deal out the or
ders Ut the moneyed bosses and the
candidates mount the stump and cell
OF the other fellows meanness9 Clerks,
statesmen, mechanics, lRborers and
farmers generally vote according to
their prejudices or environments.
Uc,,lS hO Tho ballot guopo oil
these voters until they vote as he votes9
Well again: If a little educational
qlalifc alton is right, would not
of it be better if that were the object Of
the conspirators engaged in this pLot9
II it is right to require a voter to be
able to read and write, would it not be
better to require him so be a graduate?
All, there is the rub We must not be
understood as defending negro suffrage,
for VIC are opposed to it. 1t was con
ferred upon him against Il consent;
we had 10 voice in the matter; but we
are so situated that ne can pass no
law to dis{ranchise him 5ha5 does not
also disfrauchise the white man, even
il he Is q turk just landed on our
shores and Daturalized.
No, my countryrnen; for the more
we look into the matter, the more ap-
parent does the diabolical conspiracy
so establish g landed aristocracy in
North Carolina become.
Have any Of the advocates OF the
measure save those engaged il tns
dark plot looked into the effect this
scheme ia designed 20 ac3omplish2
Why was it that sections 4 and 5
we're not placed in one section inst9ao
of two2 Ao! There is where tbs
cloven foot first appears. There is
where the dangerous barb on the hooa
is concealed
There is couched in this trap the
most dangerous snare that ever threat
ened the rights and liberties OF u
people. Have the advocates of the
plot thus far failed to see that if this
emendmsn5 Is carried, the educational
and poll tex qualifications go imme-
dia,ely into ef5cs7 IT IS so And
j lsG here the decaitful, and desperately
zlcked design OF toe plotters is seen
For although the courts may declare
one Of Vhese sections unconstitutional,
5he designers 50 arranged the matter
shat the one intended to accomplish
the dendish purpose Of the mon opolist
would stand. They cannot plead ign, r
ance, for the last legislature was com
poee1 largely Of the cream of the in
telligence of the State, aided by The
ablest lawyers In the South. There
we're doubtless block heads in both
houses who failed to see the effect Of
having tive sections instead OF one; in
deed it was not intended that they
should know what they were doing
Had they seen the great fraud thpy
were aiding aud Rbetting. in fastening
a landed er~istocracy on the people,
many Of them would have OPP jeed il.
But il was the coveted chance CT a
life time with the money power l.
vas then, or PROBABLY never with
them.
These shr8wd plotters knew thai a
majority nf the pa0nle ara nnDoaad to