The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-12-13

The Peoples Party ConvsntioA
In Raleigh, April lstA.
readlrms the principles set forth II
the Peoples Party National plat
form adopted 1T st. Louis in LEA J
and instrucss the delegates - sss)
National Convention 1t Sioux YsI,s
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, and
:hallenge . comparison Of iss rec
ord with any and all Of its preds-
cessors.
We condemn the Democratic Lsgis-
latuFe Of 1899 for its extrlvAg11S ex-
penditures Of public money Amounting |
to 81 ,59s, 1856 in 1899, Is opposed 70 |
/ 1873 ,s7l.l IL, expended BY the prsosd- |
ing Legislature, an excess OF $780,
1874 65, mos including the sum Of e100,- |
90 for public education nor Shs 90, 80 |
for purchase Of State farms.
We further condemn said I-sgislA-
ture for the careless laundering and
careless legislation, including more
groes blunders and unconstitosionAl
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 forcing
them into enacting and submitting =
disfrahchisinG 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 thar
pledges, but also for submittj ne mea-
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
known, or at least had . reasonable
doubt, not only as to the unconstitu-
tionality Of the monstrous provision OF
section s, known as the grandfather
clause" in said amendment, but also
Of the great danger Of that unconstitu.
tional sectional section falling, leav-
ing the remainder of the Amendment
ucational qualification fifty or sixty
3 thousand white voters of North Caro-
: lima, who in 1898 gave the Democratic
) party power In the Legislature, and
, whose ignorance is no fault of theil
own but is chargeable to the neglect Of
): che Democratic party, which now SEEK
i TO disfranchise them and make theil
g ignorance q crime alongside that O
q the felOn.
But even II the proposed amendment
4 were not unconstitutional Gas it clear
q ~ is), still it is especially objection
O able in the following particulars:
ri (a) In that it dignifles with the RICH
:, Of suffrage the most vicious, trouble
some and obnoxious class Of the negr
t population, and completely disfran
j. chises the most faithful, kindly and or
q Derby element of that race.
I'll CO. In thai, while clamoring for whit
/ supremacy and declaring that no whit
J. man shall be disfranchised under thi
amendment, they have so written thei
coming Of age after 1908 stands on tn
same footing with the negro, and ca
not vote unless he is able to read an
write.
IT. (c) In that BY the latter provision
le hey have made it possible for the ed
r Icated negro after 1908 to cast his bal
= ct while the unfortunate son of til
white men who have been the strengt
J. If true democracy stands without
t. vote at the ballot box. They slaughte
" Ihe suffrage of the son whose fathe
20 hey dare not openly attack.
(d) In that this suffrage amend
], ment does not remove the negro frOl
y politics or settle the negro question i
" North Carolina.
=, (e) In that every voter who has NJ
=. paid his poll tax as much rs flv
;" months before the State election an
re eight months before the national elet
nj ZION, shall be disfranchised rs much Z
- # he were convicted of felony or vel
an ignorant negro. The purpose {
"a this provision is not only to disfrar
~ chise every good honest citizen VII
r. unfortunately cannot pay his taxes b
- the frst of March preceding the ele'
ia ZION, but further to try to bride the VI
e- Ter to surrender his suffrage at the e.
!" pense of the public school fund of II
III State, which is derived from poll take
There TURKS behind this proposition
y still greater danger to the publ
r. schools of the State, for with the ado]
zion of the amendment the opponent
uf free schools In North Carolina wi
at once raise the CRY that every doll,
B. raised for public instruction means Il
increase Of the number of negro "
Cers, and thus the poor white man
,r- son will be chained in bondage of il
r. torrance and disfranchised to prevel
or he education of the negro vote
There is no white supremacy In this.
~ The constitutional question pr
he sented by the proposed Amendments
rs one that must be determined by ii
tn Judgment and conscience of each ind
vidual voter. Therefore, we do n
Is make it party question. We state Il
les evils and dangers and leave the vote
No Of all parties to pass their verdict
VI the light Of these facts. The questi,
Is above party, and no one should
VI more active and anxious in our jud
as ment to defeat it than the rank d
nv hle of the Democratic party.
= The Peoples Party is and has alwa
- been more distinctly than any 9th
party in North Carolina q white maj
be party, and is more anxious than q
IA. other party to solve the race profile
sa- and to force al parties TO 4 discussl
lrs Of the great economic issues 80 vita
Pa. affecting the welfare Of all wealth pl
ducers of the State and nation and I
cency in politics.
Therefore, we propose in lieu of Il
u dangerous amendment, the best sol
m ton Of the race question that is pos
n BILE as long as the 10Th amendment
me the Constitution of the United Sta
ID stands solution which depfives
white man in North Carolina now