The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-06-14

the adoption OF the amendment it will
not jeopardize siDgle white mans
right to vote. Gen. Carr has written
this letter in the nature of an appeal
TO the Confederate veterans of the
State to rally to the Democr attic party
and support the amendment In the
coming election. He asserts most pos
itively that no man will be disfran-
chised; yet, as matter of fact, Gen.
Cars assertion should have no weight
whatsoever, because this is q matter
with which the Supreme Court will
have to deal, and when such an emf
nent lawyer of a national reputation
as ex-senator Edmunds, who is regsr.
ded as one Of the ablest Constitutional
lawyers in the United States, (even ad E.
mitted by the Democrats of North Car
DINA to rank above Senator Morgan
as Constitutional lawyer also Sena
tor Stewart, Senator PettiRrew, Sena-
tor Allen, Senator Henry NJ Teller
all recognized as distinguished law
yers, whose opinions are unbiased, de-
clare the amendment Constitutional,
they should certainly have greater
weight with the great masses of the
Democratic party in North Carolina
than the opinions of the Democratic
lawyers, many OF whom are seeking or
expecting political pFeferment in the
future. No illiterate white man can
afford to risk and jeopardlze his polit-
ical liberties in the face of the deliber-
ate opinions of these great lawyers
that the Court will strike out section 5
and leave the remainder of the amend
ment to stand, thus requiring an edu-
cational qualification for all voters,
white and black alike. It should be
constantly borne in mind, while the
Democratic candidates and speakers
are pledging the people that this
amendment will not disfrancbise a SIM
gle white man, that many of these
same men soIemnIy pledged the people
of North Carolina, in the campaign OF
1893, that il the Democrats controlled
the Legislature, no disfranchisine
scheme whatever would be adopted and
submitted.
However earnestly Gen Carr or any
other Democrat may pledge the people
of North Carolina on this point. yet, as
matter of fact, the Court will soberly
and deliberately and calmly pass upon
this question, and will not be governed
by what these Democratic politicians
may say when they 90, to pass upon its
cOnstitutionalltv. That eminent con-
stitutienal lawyer. William D. Guth.
RE. of New York, who successfully apt
peared before the U. S. Supreme COur
in the income tax cases, characterized
this grandfather clause" of the pro
posed constitutional amendment as "a
travesty on constitutional justice" a d
he went so far as to urge that a test
case should be made in the Federal
courts to ascertain it's constitutional.
ty, go that the South's representation
in Congress and the electoral college
should be cut down in proportion To
the suppressed vote.
The Legislature of Georgia on the
30th of November, 1899, by vote OF
1877 to 8, defeaCed this same amend
| ment, and many members declared IL
to be UNCONSTITUTIONAL, undemocratic
and violative of the principles of JUS.
tice.
Confronted with all these facts, how.
ever speciously the Democrats may
| argue there certainly is grave and Sc.
riOus doubt as to it's constitutionality
yet they appeal to men to perjure
themselves when they 60 to vote by
| supporting a scheme that is in conflict
with the Constitution of the United
States in the opinion of many of the
most eminent lawye rs of this nation
| In speaking of the negro, General
Carr says:"He has to day in the col.
ored graded schools of the towns
chiefly supported by the whites, far
greater advantages than the white
children of the country may hope for
| in long years to come"
These sentences should be indelli-
bly, impressed u oon the mind of every
honest, sturdy white man who lives in
this country. when he comes to vote
on this proposition in August. Here
IS frank admission from General
Carr that the negroes of the towns and
cities have decided advantage over the
white children In the country in edu-
catiOnal opportunities, and he goes so
far as to say that the negroes oppor-
tunities and advantages over the white
children are even better than the
white children of the country may
hope for in long years to come" For
these very reasons it should arouse ev-
cry white voter in the rural districts
to stern opposition to scheme which
will certainly have the effect of edu
eating the town negro, while the poor
white boy in the country, owing to a
lack of proper educational facilities,
cannot get such an education as the
negro boy in the town, who, even with
this Amendment in operation, would
be allowed to vote and be eligible to
hold office.
General Carr, in his article quote d
literally from the speech of Senator
McEnery, yet, as matter of fact, when
the Louisiana constitutional conven-
tion was in session in the spring of
1898, Senator McEnery gave his dsIib
crate opinion then to the convention
that the grandfather clause" was
grossly unconstitutional" and Sena-
tor Gallery also expressed the same
view.
The New Orleans Times-Democrat
then denounced the proposition as I'M
American, undemocratic. unconstitu-
tional and extensively partisan, and
stated that such Democratic Constitu-
tional lawyers in the United States
senate as Senators, Turpie, of Indiana,
Iurley, OF Tennessee; Vest, of Miss
ouri; Waltball, of Mississippi and Nc
A/ouAlu VI OOuOu N0IUlluA, 08O SAID
that the measure was unconstitutional.
General Carr asks this question
why so much concern for the consti-
nationality of the amendment on the
part of those who oppose it?" The
white people are deeply concerned
about this constitutional amendment,
for they reallze that the political ights
are involved in the question. They
know that the same men who brought
forward this scheme of limiting the
suffrage in the State cannot be trusted
now since they have broken and viola
ted their solemn pledges in 1898 not to
anybody should they con-
tro! the legislature. The Democratic
vhs brought forward this
scheme, in violation of their pledges.
may maintain that it is constitutional.
yet the people will no longer have any
confidence in their declarations. Their
legal opinions now should have abso-
lutely no weight because they are BIZ
ssed In the highest degree.
we quote further from Genaerl Carr