Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-01-25

previous year. Taxes are due In the
fail. Any man proposing 10 vote must
show that he paid by the first OF March
the pol! tax due the previous fall, That
might be 4 hardship in some individual
case, hu. i Will ensure the prompt
payment OF The poll tax: and the poll
tax goes 20 ne puollc schools. Il IS
the educational tax. ari as there IS 70
be an educational Qualification for yo.-
ing. the poll lax should oe duly pais-
But Senator Butler sees N this only
a Democrats scheme - disqualify
men who cannot pay their Hol AK
before March lst. That IS all that
his Logic can fnA in it--"a scheme 10
disfranch.se" while il i. plainly 4 pro-
vision 10 induce prompt payment o.
the educational tax on which the pate
lie schools 50 largely depends
A RESUME.
To sum up senator Bu.ler's argu-
ment. then: He makes the ridiculous
suggestion that the 5;h section may
be held unconstitutional" since il :
admits people 10 she halo: box: and
bas.ng an argument on that absurd
suggestion, he argres that many illlt-
crate white men IN the Stale may be
disfranchised Bur even II the court
should hold that ,le IN section WAS
all right, and that The entire plan is
absolutely awful AMI constitutional. he
absolutely awful and constitutional he
cause. first. the town negroes are not
disfranchised while the country ne
groes are How long will il be- be-
fore M- Butler Will be holding night
+~cauc,lses with the leaders 81 these
des pisei town dark :. and sending
them cut into the country 70 irfiame
the good country darkies he talks
about against the white ara 10 put
him back in office; and secondly. be-
cause the negroes are SILL allowed 20
hold office: ard third. because some
boys OF twelve years Of ago now may
not learn how to read AMI write by
the year 1905, and fourth becaus"
some men may not pay rhe.r poll tax
before the first Of March
And yet he says that he decided that
ne would support the amendment Il
1t was constitutional and would result
in making it less possible for the
Democrats to use the negro any in
politics, and If there Was no danger
behind 1t.
There is indeed but one way to test
] it, but one way 10 ascertain whether
| it is constitutional or not. and that Is
to adopt it and SEQ '>lat the court has
! to say about u. To vote ii down pre-
vents the court from having chance
to pass on its constitutionallty.
+ If it is good thing IL can have life
only from tie breath Of the voters. II
| it is a good thing. it should be given Il
chance-not killed at the polls because
somebody SAYS the court might say II
| is unconstitutional.
But If the court would pronounce It
constitutional, then il ought not TO he
killed at the polls-if it IS good
thing
And so, after all, tho question for
the voters of the State IS: Is this
measure one that appeals 10 our best
! Judgment az q proper exercise OF our
power for the advantage and benefit
OF the people Of North Carolina?
! The people should ask themselves
Do We want this measure DO we want
to have the law so tina: all white men
can vote and all iIliterate negroes can
not vote? Do We want 70 have the faw
so that the mass of iiliterate negroes
will not terr0riZe communities where
/ they are crowded together and doani-
nate the politics Of the State? TO We
want 70 have the law 50 that great
crowds of ignorant negroes cannot put
! in power and sustain in power VICIOUS
| and vile rulers. who arc an onense 70
decency and who degrade the admins
tration of public affairs? II 80. here is
a measure calculated and intended tp
! correct that evil. The remedy Is sub
! mitted to the people o- No-rn taro-
lina bv the State Legislature for their
approval ID they 1pproV" II, II -
let them say 50 AZ II" polls
/ THE SENATOR'S PERSONALITIES.
More than Il halt Of : n1tDr Bit
le-'s long article discussing th.s con
s,ituticaal amen dment is taken III n
G. ecurrious attack ON Mr.. +. NJ. SIN
mons and IN aDauing the Democratic
party
We advert 70 this fact only - say
that By Juggling in such mater - NJ
M. he shows conciE@!vely that he
could find nothing better oea-ing on
the question aud that would sustain
his position against the am m@ndment
TIE nsnwoman harangues IN Dt!-
nngsaate when her anger deprive her
Of reason. Marion Butler follows her
example For some reason he - irr!-
ta,ed with NJ simmons all be can
not explain Ms views 81 70 fae aivsn-
tage - the public of adopting o. ."-
iec..ng proposed CONSTITUTIONS!
arrndmen. without personal "ltHpe-a
,icn and slanicrous assaults on an IL
d.viduaI And indeed tac ereass@r par
y, his article II devoted - abuse of
Nj Simmons aid the Dr-no~-a1e
ya-.y. Ra- ]. IS TO -"~ .hirg tha.
~ Simmons and the Democratic pa:
Is - no- pIsase H-. Butter. ~ =
matte o. IA. they dp r0- seek -
pleas. him and a." quite uEc1rcerf4.I
thai he hurls v.Fup<-at.c.. q .t---a-