The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-02-22
Trying to Keep the Hegro In Politics.

Trying to Keep the Hegro In Politics.
The following extract from Senator
Buffers speech GU the amendment in
United States Senate is here repro
duced to show how anxious the Demo-
Gratis are to keep the Negro in politics ::
A few days ago prominent citizen
who Ia opposed TO this amendment gave
out an interview in which he stated
that he was satisfied that majority of
the white voters of the State were
against the amendment and would
vote against it if it could be calmly dis
cussed on the stump and the speeches
voter - the State.
To that end, and to make it impossi-
bic for politicians who want to appeal
TO race prejudice and prevent discus
sion from doing so, he suggested that
the negro should not register or vote
i n the coming election. but leave thu
proposed amendment to be discussed
and settled by the votes of the white
men alone.
Would you not think that every
Democratic paper and politician who
has appesled ana yelled for "white su-
premacy" and loudly objected to ne
| groes voting at all would have gladly
| Endorsed that suggestion to have one
election in which the colored people
would take no part, but stand aside
and let the white people settle it? 1t
will surprise those who think so to be
| told that at once the newspapers sup
| porting the amendment began to de
bounce the suggestion and redoubled
their efforts 10 step discussion and to
| apneal to race prejudice.
One of the leading papers in the
State supporting the amendment, pub
lished at Raleigh, as a cOuntermove 10
this proposition for the negro not to
| take any part in the campaign, pro-
| ceeded TO interview negro and got an
opinion from him for publication to
the effect that he did not approve of
! this plan,
The editor, after stating the plan.
| said:
"As to the success of this plan. how
ever. there is considerable room for
| doubG"
And then proceeded to publish the
following interview from negro polI-
| tician:
DO they expect us to stand idly by
while our liberties are in dangerP'.
ierday. eff they do, they'll be badly
fooled Well do nothing of the sort.
Ii We did, we'd deserve to be disfran-
chised. just now the negro is dazed.
He doesn't know where to turn or what
! to do; but, mark my words, you'll hear
from him later on in the campaign"
The paper proceeds to comment on
that LegrO politicians interview as
! follows:
whether their leaders wish it or not
She negro is going to be very much in
| the com ng Campaign"
L he above is from the Raleigh News
and Observer of Wednesday, January
81, 1900
Mr.. President, submit to the Sem
ate and TO candid public that the ed
itor of newspaper, claiming to be in
| avor OF removir & the negro from pol
| tics, yet who goes out to hunt mp ne
| gro politicians and secures and pub
fishes interviews from them to the
effect that they are not In favor of such
! plan TO leave the white people alone
| TO settle this suffrage question, is not q
| lit man to advise the people how to
| vote on such question or aLy other
question.
| submit that it has the earmarks of
desiring the negro Question to stay in
the campaigns in order to hide the real
issues and to enable politicians to ap.
peal to race prejudice instead of to ar.
gument. This is the first step to try to
bring the negro into the campaign,
and this from source that is support
| ing this amendment. This same editor
in the last campaign in my state ad-
vised negroes to become candidates for
various offices in order that he m, 9ht
have text from which TO apI cal Co
race pre- judice TO say that such con-
duct is contemplate Is to express it
mildly.