The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-08
THE NEGRO VOTE NOT POLITICAL,
BUT ONE OF RACIAL ANITA
GONISM


The vote of the negro is not politi-
cal vote and has never been political.
1t is not an individual vote. You
might teach him from every stump
and school house and church in the
State for four long years that it is i'll
the interest of this country to have
the gold standard, for instance; yet
two weeks before the election five Re-
publican leaders could meet in Raj
eigh, declare for free silver and
vote the negro solid for the new plat
form. The negro vote is one of racial
opposition, intense in its unity and
indivisble. There is an illiteratc
white vote, but it is thinking vote.
1t divides. That which causes intclli-
gence everywhere TO take different
views of things political operates
with the illterate white voter and
causes n division and diversity of
views and action. The illiterafe white
! vote is intelligent. IT has behind il
| thousands of years of political wis
! dom 1T is not racial and clannish
! except as il is forced TO be so for self
preservation. On the other hand the
negro vote is an inert mass, handled
generally by irresponsible parties and
dangerous in proportion to the lack of
wisdom among those who essay 10
control it. If every negro in the South
were this day able to read and write
we should still need to meet this
! threatening menace to law, order and
/ prosperity. The negro must not seek
to control. The Republican party
must not seek to control by means of
him. For either to do so is to call
down the wrath of civilization upon it.
self. If it be said that the negro does
not control and rule because he rare
ly holds office, let it be answered
that he rules through those whom he
elects as certainly as if he himself
were elected. When his party is elect
! ed he regards himself as in the saddle
and in all the Eastern part of the our
, State becomes arrogant, vicious, self
assertiye and unbearablc.
HEART FOR TT; BUT STOMACH
AGAINST IT.
Many Republicans will vote for the
amendment for reasons herein set
J forth. Others will not. They are IN
! favor Of the law but are opposed to
| the bill" If it had been made differ
| ent: il it included all the negroes in
! the United States, if it were this way
or that way, they would vote for it.
! In 1881 Gov. Vance humorously indi-
! Gated the situation of such people
when he told the committee that wait
: ed on him in regard to the prohibi-
! ton of the liquor traffic, that his
heart was for it, but his stomach was
against it," so with these Republicans,
their hearts are for it. but their stom-
achs are against it. Like the dog res
turns to his vomit and the SOW to h&
wallow, so they fain would keep the
stencil of negro suffrage in Southern
politics, because they do not hope for
promotion from white men. The lead
ers know full well that if their party
should have an accession of respecta-
bile white men. they would soon he
statesmen without their jobs
LOSS OF POLL TAX BY THE
AMENDMENT.
! Both Senator Pritchard and Senator
Butler. as we'll as as chairman Holton
seem to think that there would be
great loss of revenue from the failure
of the DISTINGUISHED negroes TO pay
their poll tax. Let it be said that we
lose this poll tax already In one Of
the largest counties in the State in
/ 1896 fully 500 negroes failed TO pay
! poll tax. This was nearly half Of those
! subject to that tax. In that county
/ that year all the poll-taX went TO the
schools. Yet while the negroes paid
I only l-1Sth Of the tax they got 1-3d
of the school money; yet half Of them
lodged paying their pittance. These
are the voters who will be retired by
j the amendment. Most Of the poll tax
! delinquents in the State are negroes
! Under the last election law they came
! mp to the polls from the ends OF the
! earth and rendered their votes, yet
were listed for taxation nowhere. The
better class of colored men will con
tinuc to pay their pol. tax because
they have acquired some property and
| intelligence and they will generally
vote. As to the white poll tax. why
! the white men will vote il he cares TO.
! All those over thirteen now will vote
whether they can read and write or
not. and it will be "A great incentive
TO the IL year old boy to learn to read
and write il he would vote, Besides,