The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-06-24
THE CHANGES IN
THE AMENDMENT
And Why the Legislature
Made Them.
Mr.. ROUNTREE WRITES
Certain That it Must Stand or Fall as
Whole.
THE POLL TAX PROVISION STRICKEN OUT
The More the Amendment is Studied The More
Strongly One is Impressed With Its
Necessity, Its Justice and
Legality.
Mr.. Editor:

TIE changes made by the present ses-
sion of the Legislature in the Amendment
are, that we have placed beyond the pos
sibility of honest doubt the fact that it
must stand of fall as a whole. We have
stricken out the provisions that poll
taxes shall be lien only upon assessed
property changed the time of paying
the poll tax from March 1st of each year,
and have stated explicitly that poll taxes
cannot be collected from those now ex-
empt by the Constitution-those over
fifty years of age; and have changed the
language a little to make more clear
and explicit the intent that those who
register before December 1st, 1898, will
thereafter be entitled to vote unless they
become disqualified by crime. 1t was,
and is, the opinion of every member of
the committee that that was sufficiently
clear before, but to allay the honest fears
Of some we have thought it wise to con-
soldate sections and 5, and express the
intention in terms that the whole must
stand or fall together.
With these exceptions the committee
and the General Assembly, after having
thoroughly reconsidered the question in
the light of the arguments and objections
which have been offered against the pro-
posed Amendment since the adjournment
of the General Assembly in March 1899,
are, If possible more strongly impressed
with its necessity. justice and legality
We have assumed in free and enlight-
ened system of government that the right
to participate in the selection of officers
and the conduct of public affairs should
be extended to all who are capable of
exercising the privilege in a manner not
plainly contrary to the general welfare
of the community. But we think all rea-
sonable men will agree, that it is unsafe
to intrust the elective franchise to a large
mass of voters entirely unacquainted, by
habit or tradition with the principles of
free government, thriftless, migratory,
emotional, 1ocile, the easy dupes of dema-
gogues, and who vote, with rare individual
exceptions as a mass at the dictation of
a boss. Nea
Such at any rate has been the unhappy
experience of this State with the negro
suffrage.
When the right of suffrage was
conferred upon the recently emancipated
slaves, the mass of them being kindly,
but stolid and ignorant, with little moral
sense and utterly Impractical in the arts
of self-g government, its advocates defend
ed it upon the ground that it was neces-
sary to do so to preserve the fruits of the
war, but the wisest of them frankly
admitted that they were apprehensive
of the result.
Their apprehensionS were more than
realized; the result was appalling.
For few years, as all the world
knows, there was in the State an orgie
of lawlessness, corruption, crime, in many
places a veritable reign of terror; but
by an almost superhuman effort the virtue
and intelligence of the State regained
control.
Then followed a period of peace and
quiet, prosperity and happiness law was
nrmly administered to rich and poor,
white and black, with an equal hand;
schools were established and asylums
built; taxes were reduced and the busy
hum of industry began to be heard.
During all this time the great mass of
NEGROES seemed to make little, if any,
progress in acquiring an understanding
of the principles of government; they re-
sisted all efforts-and many were made
to induce them to take intelligent, ndi-
vidual interest in men or measures. but
they continued to take a keen interest
in the act OF voting, and invariably voted
solidly and under dictaton, and, there
fore, continued to be a menace to those
communities in the eastern part of the
State where they constituted large ma
jority of the voters. This menace only
those could know who lived in that sec
tion.
In 1894. for various reasons which it
is not necessary here to state, there was
a great difference of opinion among the
white voters of the State on political
questions, and a Fusion" was arranged
by few men between this great mass of
negro voters, numbering perhaps one
hundred and twenty-five thousand, and a
comparatively small number of white
voters, which was successful in the cleo
tions of that year.
In 1896 a similar combination was made,
and in the elections of that year the
State. in all its departments, executive,
legislative and judicial, passed into the
control of the Coalition.
1t was again, and finally, demonstrated
that the overwhelming majority of ne
groes did not vote freely, independently
and upon choice of best. but as a brute
mass at the dictation of a party leader.
who could, AND DID, as easily dispose
of their votes as he could dispose of his
chattelS, condition of the suffrage in