Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-06-14

TIE challenger ana IN favor of letting
| The name remain on the books No
amount OF testimony showing disauali-
hcatlon was, as a rule, sufficient TO sa:-
| sly these partisan boards. There arr
instances, which have developed since
tne rIectien. III many ef tho negro
counties where negro election officers
nave been shown to have persuaded ne
groes 70 register. knowing them to
have been ex-convicts or under age, as
surfing them that their right ia vote
would be sustained by the board. If
questioned, The honest voters OF Nortn
Carolina win say that the law Of 1895,
framed to secure and protect fraudulent
registration and voting as above
| shown. was bad enough: but the
! ame ndments which were passed by the
I legislature Of 1897 were even worse
! hder these amendments, while any-
body might register as before, who
was willing 10 take the oath, one wish
ing to challenge his right to register
/ vas required 10 state, upon oath. the
SpeciflH cause or causes Of challenge
! lie was required to cause to be served
upon the party challenged notice by
an officer of the law and to pay that Of
/ iicer the sum Of twenty-five cents for
! serving the notice If the challenge is
/ successful, the money thus paid for
/ serving The notice was refunded. other
] wise the challenger must lose it, Like
/ the law Of 1895, it cast upon him the
/ burden Of showing the facts Of dis
/ qualification, but made no provision
! for paying him for the expense and
! trouble Of securing the attendance Of
i witnesses to prove these facts
Its manifest purpose was to prevent
! and defeat challenges and thereby
make It easy for bad and corrupt men
/ to pad the books with fraudulent reg
i iStratOn
Under the election law of 1895 the
| Democrats did have some voice in the
! selection of election officers and some
! representation upon the several cleo
! ton bOads, though it was always mi
I n0rlty representation. but the legisla :
! lure Of 1897 by a combination between
the Republicans and minority POpu-
lists, passed a law which deprived
them Of all representation on these
boards in the negro counties in the
east. 1t placed the entire election ma
chlnery in the hands Of theclerk, regis
ter Of deeds and chairman Of the board
Of commissioners. 1t was we'll known
othe combination which passed this
amendment to the law Of 1895. that as
"A result OF tho election Of 1905 oil those
/ offices in most of the negro counties
We're held by Republicans or POpuliStS,
and that by cooperation between the
parties the Democrats would have alb
sOluteiy no voice in the selection OF the
| election officers in such counties. The
/ object of this combination in making
THE hanEe in the law Of 1895 is appar-
/ ent. They wanted absolute control OF
! he election boards in the counties in
which they expected large fraudulent
negro registration For the sake of Sc
curing he control OF these boards
! where they would be Of most value to
them they We're willing to risk giving
the Democrats q control which they
j had not heretofore had in Il few white
counties in which the Democrats We're
III power. Tnuder the election law ot
1898. as we have said before Negro
BOYS under y years af age, negroes i'm
ported from beyond the borders Of the
state. negro eX-convictS and negro re-
peaterS We're registered and voted ga
lore The doors of fraud were thrown
wide open TO those irresponsible and
ignorant voters and no protection
whatever was afforded to the homes
voters OF the State. The amendment
cf S97 threw these doors still wider
open and left to rhe white Of NortE
Carolina no protection against thi:
fraudulent registration save wha
their courage and Anglo Saxon man
hood give them. 1t must be manifes
10 every one that these laws Of 1895 an(
honest elections. We're intended to Civ
what they did in 1896 NEST effectuall,
gike-thc negro an advantage over tn
white man. and 10 increase and multi
ply ais vote But this is not all tha
the election lavE Of 1875 and 1897 wer
intended TO do and have done in Nortl
Carolina The Republicans, not salts
fed with 4 law which enabled them t
pra tice these frauds upon the homes
suffrage of the State. passed anothe
llw the manifest purpose Of whlc'
was 10 vote the negro solidly for tn
official ticket O. the Republican part,
and 10 prevent the illiterate voter gen
orally from expressing by his baiio
his individual choice for candidates.
ought forever 10 damn the Republican
party and minority Populists who pass
cd il with The illiter-te voters Of Mort
Carolina
/, provided for what may be- calle
an official ballot. Each party may fl
i list Of the candidates OF that part
for the State officers with the Seere
tarv OF state. and a list OF the candi
dates OF that party for county officer
With the clerk Of the court. and des;s
, nate a device 10 be printed upon Il
ticket with the names on it. This, the
! became the official ballot o. that party
This law hade Il a mlsdemeanor fo
any one not only 10 vote. but 10 hav
in his possession With this device upo
il. a ;ieke, with the name OF any pe;
son printed upon IL whose name IA
not been filed with tle clerk Of II
court or Secretary Of State. rs he sas
may be, as candidate Of the party &C
opting that device.
II has been q right immemorially er
-, joyes. by the free people OF North Care