The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-03-24
WILMINGTON. n. C.
FRIDAY, MARCH "a, 1898.


IttE Ns ~
The Charleston News and Courier is
not friendly to the action OF the demo-
cratic legislature of North Carolina
relative to the constitutional amend
ment as to the elective franchise. 1t
thinks there is a vital objection TO 1t
because sit places a premium upon ig-
norance among the white people of the
state, while it makes ignorance among
the negroes an objectionable political
sin. We believe that the negroes ought
not to be allowed to vote, because they
are negroes; but we also believe that
ignorant and illierate white people
ought not to be allowed to vote, and be-
cause they are ignorant and illiterate."
Probably our able Charleston contem-
poray is not informed as to all the
facts and considerations that influence
ed the legislature referred to. The
white people had had more than enough
of negro domination. They resolved to
have no more. Able and elevated men
after much consultation adopted the
plan L" = embodied in the act Of the leg
islature, as the wisest, surest, safest
and most honorable. They were tired
of seeing the negroes bulldozed or
cheated of their votes and resolved a
plain, open, above board plan to prac-
tically eliminate them as political fac
tors henceforth in North Carolina.
They wanted no more race wars or rev.
olutions. They wished to p%erpetuate
beyond all possible doubt the reign of
law, the preservation Of order, the
safety of white women and children
and the supremacy of the white men.
1t was a movement, open and brave,
for Anglo-Saxon supremacy. II the
News and Courier were a North Caro-
lima newspaper we would expect to see
1T warmly supporting the amendment
as the best possible thing obtainable
under the circumstances. If it were
fully informed of the great difficulties
to obtain anything efficient and salts
factory in the way of legislation to cure
negro rule, and all the reasons that
controlled ina action it would be more
apt to stand by the whites for Anglo
Saxon rule altogether than for barbaric
y domination and more bloody work.
The amendment is a peace Offering.
We have purposely not gone into par
ticulars or entered Upon an argument
to satisfy the News and Courier. When
the campaign opens a month or two
hence there will be ample time for dis
cussion. Wilmington at least WISHES
peace and prosperity for all, and would
avoid all occasion if possible for anoth-
er revolution.
Senator Osborne of Mecklenburg,
possibly the most brilliant if not the
wisest man in the legislature, in a
speech said it was a great pain to him
To vote for the amendment. He did not
vote, he said, for it as a democrat or
because it was a democratic measure.
He said he verify believed that it was
better for his party "for the negro to
continue an issue in politics." with
which sentiment we disagree out and
out, for that means race collision OF
direst consequences. But the senator
voted for the amendment because of
an altogether different reason. He
said: Il gave that vote because l felt it
would be better for the poor old negro
we nave learned to love. for his faith
fulness. 1. voted for it to put an end to
election frauds, to intimidations and
murder"
By the way, in South Carolina ne
groes are greatly in the ascendant we
believe. The whites always easily con-
troll elections and the negro vote is very
small. Will the News and Courier be
good enough to state how it is done.
It is white mans government down
there and has been for twenty years or
more we think. Was it bro ght about
by treating the negro fairly, with equal
justice by a fair, pen ballot and an
homes. count-was it by "a fair and
square educational test" it speaks Of?
Did the people wait for IAN educated
citizenship before they set the
negroes aside as in politics never more?