The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-04-12
PLAN To SOLVE RACE
ISSUE IN POLITICS.
PROHIBIT NEGRO FROM HOLDING
OFFICE.
Its Copstitutionality Established 10y DE.
bates In Congress.
ny JAMES u. LLOYD.

tlOh was hOb dBINolCu anu uiobbooV'
and no doubt many thought that it ha
been permanently settled, out, lik
Banquo's Ghost, 1t seems that it wi
not down.
AT each election the agitation Of tn
race question is begun anew for tb
purpose largely Of exciting racial an
tagOnism, but more especially to "hol'
men in line" for the dominant party o
the South. On account Of their iDheren
prejudice against the negro that ex
lists, not alone in the South, but il
other parts of the country, men VIII
live in sections where the negro popU
latiOn is numerically strong are no
infreQuently constrained to stifle thei
convictions on many OF the paramount
economic and political questions. Thi
Ia due, however, to the activity of tn
negro ia politics and the possibility o
his holding office should there be any
large division or serious dissensiOn ir
the ranks of the white voters.
When the cry ot"negro domination
10 raised it has the effect OF immedi
atelV solidifying the white voters re-
siding in counties where rhe negro
voters Outnumber them. Whether there
isany danger of NEGRO domination" OIL
not, this battie-Cry 80 intlames the
whites that no appeal To reason, OF
force of argument or strong preseDta
ton of real issues has any weight.
The purpose of this article Is 30 pre-
sent q plan-a solutiOn-that will In
my judgment put an end to this annoy
ing problem, 80 that for all time men
may discuss the great issues in the pO-
litiCal arena from the standpoint OF
reason and sound policy, fortified by
Arguments, facts and figures, without
having race antagonisms or hatred in
jected into the debates to sway mems
passions aud excite their prejudice.
II such a plan as shall propose were
adopted | am confident that the great
bette nOir of "negrO domination will
pass forever from political discussion,
and CHS will. indeed, be happy and
fortunate day for the whole South.
think | can safely assert that there
would be no danger or fear OF the so
called NEGRO domination If the ne
gro could not hold political office ;
and the old slogan that rallies men to
the standard of the dominant party
would no longer be effective, and the
men who profit by this issue would be,
like Othelio, with their occupation
gone; for II the negro could not mold
political office then he could not dom
mate" Besides, when he Is denied the
privilege Of holding office then the in
centive to political zeal and activity is
removed and he will no longer be DIS
turbing factor in the politics of the
south: and there would certainly be a
division Of the white voters who now
subordinate or sacrifice their cOnviG-
tiOns on account of the fear of the ne
gro holding office.
But the question naturally arises,
Can the negro be PROM bited from hold
ing political office without violating
the Constitution of the L nited States?
An examination Of the debates in Con-
gress when the Fifteenth Amendment
was adopted, furnishes positive and
convincing proof that the Fifteenth
Amendment WAS intended to confer
only the right to vote.
To establish this fact beyond contrO-
troversy | will now quote literally
from these debates to prove that the
right to vote does not confer per So the
office holding privilege, and that the
States can prohibit the negro from
holding political offices within their
gift without cOntravenlng the FIT
teenth Amendment. In the year 1869
Congress had under consideration an
amendment to the Constitution which
placed in the hands OF the people of
the United states the ballot without
regard to "rsCe, color, or previous con-
dition of servitude."
This is known "a the Fifteenth
Amendment, aud as it WAS originally
presented in the Senate in the FOrtieth
Congress il read rs follows:
NO State STALL deny or abridge the
right of its citizens to vote and hold
Office on account of race, color or pre-
vious condition Vt servItude."-Con-
gressional Gil b, 40-h Congress, 3rd
Section, Part |, page 66S.
It will be seen that the original Fiji
teenth Amendment as proposed and
adopted by the Senate had a provision
conferriug on all people, without re-
gard to "race, color or previous cOndi-
ton Of servitude" he right not only TO
vote, but TO "hOld office"
Now, let's follow the debates in Cor
gress and see what disposition was
made of the proposition comforting
alike with voting, the right TO hold
I office" The proposition comforting the
right TO vote and hold office" passed
the Senate and was sent 10 The House
( where il was debated at considerable
length. Finally, there being wide
1 disagreement between the two houses
I \ conference committee was appointed
. and present here their report a.
found in the Congressional Globe, 4Ott
HCongress, 3rd Sessi N. Part 3, pagi
u623, which Is "a follows:
VA "A Committee of Conference on til,
,tdisagreeing votes Of the two Houses
f1n the Joint Resolution (Senate Reso
Hutton No. 81 proposing an amendmen
10 the Constitution Of the United
Mates having met, after full and free
|, conference, have agreed to recommend
lind do recommend TO their RESPECTIVE,
" vnses a. follows; That the House re
4eaS from their amendment ard agre
IA resolution Of the Senate with a.
w 80. ueut "a follows In section
LGeIe 3, Strike ou5 the words or hOlt
Il wfice,' and that the Senate sgree TO tn
X tme.
~ w. NJ. STEWART,
RosCoE CoNKLING,
50 Managers on the part OF the Senats
~ GEO. S. boutwell,,
IN JOHN A. BINGHAM,
W john A. LOGAN,
II Managers on the part of the House.
y The amendment as proposed to tn
~ various states for their adoption wa
as follows:
NJ ARTICLE
section /. The right of citizens
4 the United States to vote shall not
7 denied or abridged by the Unite
states or by any State on account I
Sb race, color, or previous condition
servitude.
n "Section 2. The Congress by Apr
NJ rate legislation may enforce the pr
visions of this article.
n Then follows protest from SENATE
IPomeroy against the adoption of Il
4 Nconference report because "Or hO
Eoffice" was stricken out or the conf
! ence committees of the two Houses.
~ Senator stewart of Nevada hs
\ charge Of the suffrage amendment
al the Senate. and on page 1924 OF II
IN Globe he explains the reason why
rel compromise was adopted by the CO
faronpa cpmnirtae which | quote.