The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-08-23
rteptes Parry rtATFeas



The Peoples Party Ccnv~ntion
In Raleigh, April lstA.
the principles set forth II
the Peoples Party National plat
form adopted At st. Louis Ia lt<A
and instructs the delegates 70 xaa
National Convention At Sioux ~ ,ss
May 9Th TO vote for the nomination
Of William J. Bryan for President
We commend the present STATE
Administration for its high pei
sonAl and Official integrity. snh
challenge Q comparison OF ite rec
ord with any and all OF it, pfeds-
cessors.
We condemn the Democratic Lsgis-
lature OF 1899 for It's extravagaat sx-
p-nditures OF public money ,AmouatinG
20 l,59t, 7eS-76 In 1899. ~ opposed 70
/ 1888 81 IL, expended by the proceed
ing Legislature, IN excess OF e310,-
7s4.65, not including the sum Of $780,
900 for public education nor the s63 $50
for purchase OF State farms
We further condemn sald LeGisla-
tnFe for the Cas- css laundering and
careless legislation, including more
sross blunders and unconstitueionA
laws than ever before enacted by any
General Assembly in North Carolina.
We further denounce the machine
leaders Of the Democratic party for
laying the whip on the backs Of the
Democratic Legislature and s0rcing
them into eDacting and submitting
disfrshchising constitutional amend
ment in violation Of the solemn
pledges Of the party, made not only
officially in their campaign handbook
but by members Of the General Assem-.
oily and other Democratic candidates
for Office in their canvass before the
people. We denounoe them not only
for doing this in violation Of their
pledges, but also for submitting met
sure most odious in form and danger
Jus In effect. That General Assembly
being composed Of some Of the best
lawyers Of the party, must have
anown, or at least had q reasonable
ioubt, not only Is to the unc0nstitu-
tionality Of the monstrous provision Of
section 5, known as the "grandfat her
clause" in said amendment, but also
)f the great danger of that uncOnstitu.
tional sectional section falling, leav-
ing the remainder of the amendment
to stand, thus DISTINGUISHING by an ed
ucational qualification atty or sixty
thousand white voters of North Caro-
lima, who in 1893 gave the Democratic
party power In the Legislature, and
whose ignorance is no fault of their
own but is chargeabIe to the neglect of
che Democratic party, which now seeks
to disfranchise them and make their
ignorance q crime alongside that Of
the felon.
But even il the proposed amendment
we're not unconstitutional Gas it clear
ly is), still it is especially objection
able in the following particulars:
(a) In that 1t dignifies with the right
Of suffrage the most vicious, trouble
some and obnoxious class of the negro
population, and completely disfran.
chises the most faithful, kindly and Or
derby element OF that race.
(b) In that while ciamoring for white
supremacy and declaring that no white
man shall be disfranchised under this
amendment that every white boy be-
coming Of age after 1908 stands on the
same footing with the negro, and can
write.
W. LII CA0t W l0OVCA pHOVloAOAY
they have made it possible for the ed
lcated negro after 1908 to cast his bal
lot while the unfortunate son of the
white men who have been the strength
Of true democracy stands without
vote at the ballot box. They slaughter
che suffrage of the son whose father
they dare not openly attack.
(d) In that this suffrage amend
Of
politics or settle the negro question in
North Carolina.
(e) In that every voter who has not
months before the State election and
eight months before the national cleo
tiOn, shall be disfranchised as much as
an ignorant negro. The purpose of
this provision is not only to disfran-
chise every good honest citizen who
unfortunately cannot pay his taxes by
the first of March preceding the cleo
tion, but further to try to bribe the vo-
ter to surrender his suffrage at the ex.
pense of the public school fund of the
State, which is derived from DOLL taxes.
There turks behind this proposition a
still greater danger to the public
schools of the State, for with the adop-
tion Of the amendment the opponents
of free schools In North Carolina will
at once raise the cry that every dollar
raised for pu bile instruction means the
increase Of the number Of negro vo-
ters, and thus the poor white mans
son will be chained in bondage Of ig-
norance and disfranchised to prevent
the education of the negro voter.
There is no white supremacy In this.
The constitutional question pre-
sented by the proposed amendment is
one that must be determined by the
Judgment and conscience of each indi-
vidual voter. Therefore, we do not
make it party question. We state the
evils and dangers and leave the voters
Of all parties to pass their verdict in
the light Of these facts. The question
is above party, and no one should be
more active and anxious in our iuds-
ment to defeat it than the rank and
Ole Of the Democratic party.
The Peoples Party is and has always
been more distinctly than any other
party in North Carolina = white mans
party, and IL more anxious than any
other party to solve the race problem,
and to force all parties TO a discussion
OF the great economic issues 80 vitality
affecting the welfare of all wealth pro-
ducers of the State and nation and de-
cency in politics.
Therefore, We propose in lieu of this
amendment, the best solu-
tion of the race question that is posi-
bic rs long as the 18th amendment to
the Constitution of the United States
stands-a solution which deprives no
white man in North Carolina now or
hereafter OF his right Of suffrage, to-
wit.
Amend Section 6, Art. 6, Of the Con-
stitutioD of North Carolina by insert
ing among the disquali locations for
office, enumerated therein, the follow
ing, viz: All negroes and aN-persons
OF negro descent to the third genera
tion Inclusive.
II the Democratic Legislature which