The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-14
Politics and Politicians.

Senator Pritchard, as announced in
the press dispatches, has asked the Uni
ted States Senate to declare in advance
the proposed amendment to the North
Carolina Constitution, restricting sur
frage. unconstitutional. He does so in
the following resolution, the amendment
not yet having been voted upon:
"Whereas, the Legislature of the
State of North Carolina, at its session
of 1890 submitted to the people OF that
State for ratification, or rejection, a
proposed amendment to the State Con
stitution, rs follows:
Section 4.-Every person presenting
himself for registration shall be able
to read and write any section of the
Constitution in the English language;
and before he shall be entitled to vote
shall have paid, on or before the LIST
day of March of the year in which he
proposes to vote, his poll-tax as pre-
scribed by law for the previous year.
Poll taxes shall be lien only on assessed
property, and no process shall issue
to enforce the collection of the same
except against assessed property.
Section 5.--No male person who was
on January j, 1867, entitled to vote un-
der the laws of any State in the United
States wherein he then resided, and
no lineal descendant of any such per
son, shall he denied the right to rgis-
ter and vote at any election in the
State by reason of his failure to pos
sess the educational qualifications pre-
scribed in section of this article; pro-
vided, he shall have registered in ac-
cordance with the terms Of this section
prior to December /. 1908. The General
Assembly shall provide for a permanent
record of all persons who register under
this section on or before November /,
1908, and all such persons shall be en-
titled to register and vote at all cleo
lions by the people in this State. un-
less disqualified under section 2 of this
article; provided. such persons shall have
paid their poll-taxesA as required by
law.
And whereas. section Of the pro-
posed amendment undertakes to confer
the right of suffrage on one class OF
citizens of said State, and to exclude
another class of citizens from the en-
joyment of said privilege:
Resolved, That section ) of the pro-
posed amendment is in contravention of
the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments
to the Constitution of the United States,
and that any State that adopts said
provision as a part of its organic law
does not possess a republican form OF
government, as contemplated by the
Constitution Of the United States"
Senator Pritchard has also announced
that he will speak to his resolution i'm
january next. Senator Morgan, OF
Alabama has also announced his inten-
ton to reply to him.
Now the purpose Of Pritchard in in
Producing this resolution is as plain as
the nose on Cyrano de Bergerac's face.
He doesn't expect the resolution 10
pass. He has never dreamed of its doing
so. In fact that is not the object OF
its introduction. 1t is simply to be used
as peg TO hang a speech on which
the government must pay for printing
and circulating.
In other words Mr.. Pritchard is start
ing scheme to make the national
treasury contribute to the Republican
campaign fund in North Carolina.
Pritchard will make a speech and have
it printed in the Congressional Record.
Butler possibly will make a speech and
have it printed, and maybe other Re
publicans. Then copies of the speeches
will be sent broadcast ali over the State;
and always under a frank the govern
ment thus being made to pay even the
postage for circulating this campaign
literature.
This is Pritchard's scheme for opening
up the anti-amendment campaign.
The fact that the name of Judge II
q. Ewart, whose appointment as Uni
ted States Judge of the Western dis
trict Of North Carolina during the re-
cess of Congress was not again sen1
in to the Senate in the big list OF nomi
nations, is causing his friends here and
elsewhere considerable uneasiness.
Ewart is opposed by Senator Butler.
and is strongly endorsed by Senator
Pritchard. 1t is expected that Pritch-
ard viii this week see the President in
Ewart's behalf There has been Iona
struggle to secure Ewart's confirmation
by the Senate, and if it fails again, an
other name will be sent in.
And just who that other name will
be is already beginning to cause flut-
fer among Western Republican politi-
clans. Among the names mentioned
are Jas. Z. Boyd, J. NJ Moody and
v. s. always, of course, provided
Pritchard doesn't want it himself.
Among those prominently mentioned
for the Democratic nomination for State
Auditor are Mr.. Vitruvius Royster, o.
Wake, and Dr. b. r. Dixon, of Cleve
land.
A MONSTER DEVIL FISH
Destroying its victim is type of Con