The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-19
HOW THE NEGRO CAME TO VOTE


The Chatham Record contains one of
the best editorials on the amendment
that has been published, showing that
the negro was given the ballot by mill
tary dcspotisn i'll order to humiliate
the South. The Republicans thought
when they gave the negro the ballot
that they hade made the South rerma-
Hently Republican. Instead of the en-
REIMBURSEMENT of the slaves iniuring the
South and the Democratic party it in
creased their power IN National poll
tics. The Republicans row admit, even
Tourgee among them, that universal ne
gro suffrage was Il great mistake. 1T
1t mistake, why should not The mistake
he rectifed in the orderly and legal way
proposed in the Constitutional Amend
n,ent that is to be voted ON in August?
The Record makes that point clear and
enforces it by the recital of history that
has a bearing today. 1t says:
IF negro suffrage was a new question:
in this State very few persons would
favor it. That is, if ignorant negroes
had not heretofore voted in North Caro-
lima there would be very few persons i'll
favor Of now giving them the right to
vote. If they had not been allowed 10
vote heretofore very few persons would
now be willing to give them that right.
If they had not heretofore been allowed
to vote very few persons would think
that the prosperity and best interests of
North Carolina would be best promoted
by now giving them the right to have
Il vote and voice in its government.
Does any intelligent and unpreju-
diced man doubt this? Does any UNI
prejudiced and intelligent man believe
that the white men of North CarOlina
would now vote TO enfranchise the ig-
norant negroes of this State if they
had not heretofore been enfranchised?
"Why, then. should they be allowed
to continue to vote? Has the expert
ence of the past thirtytwo years proved
their fitness for the proper exercise OF
the right TO vote!
How and by whom was that right
given to them: Our older citizens web
and bitterly remember how that was
done They remember-and will never
forget nor forgive-how our POOR old
Stpte was made Il military district
with its commanders headquarters 1t
Charleston, and how Il pretended Clec-
ton was held by our military rulers
(Gen. Canby) appointees and the re
turns of that election made TO him and
tile result declared by him. How. al
that election. twenty thousand Of the
best white men Of North Carolina We're
not allowed to vote, and every ignorant
negro, recently emancipated from slav
cry. was allowed TO vote All this is
still fresh in the minds of our older
readers, and they can never forget how
negro suffrage was forced upon the
South
And why was it? Was it for the beso
interests of the negroes or for the best
interests of the South? No, for neither,
but only for the purpose of humiliating
the white people of the South and per-
petuating the power of the Republican
party!
lit should never be forgotten that
prior TO that time negroes could not vote
in any Northern State, where of course
they were more intelligent and fewer
than III the South. Up to the time thal
the recently emancipated slaves of the
South were given the right to vote ne,
gro suffrage had been defeated in ev
cry Northern State whenever an cleo
ton on that question had been held. If
North Carolina should now refuse TO al
low ignorant negroes to vote we would
only he doing what every Northern
State had done prior to 1867.
And why should we not? Has the
experience of the lpast thirty-two years
showed that our State can be better
governed with ignorant negroes voting!
Let every good citizen seriously con
slider this question, and answer next
August whether or not he really believes
that our State can be better governed
with or without the votes of ignorant
negroes.