The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-03-06

the Federal CONSTITUTION, WHICH reao
thus: ''The right of citizens of the
United States to vote shall not be de-
MED or abridge1 by the United States
or by any Ssata on aceount of race
color, or Previous condition Of servi
tude,"
no honest maa in Ell her of the p
litical parties can read over this Fl.
teenth amendment 81 TIE Federal Con
eti.uti0n. and then read section 5 o.
the proposed amendment to our State
Constitution, known as the grand
father clause" and fail to see that the
proposed amendment is a direct viola
Ui0n Of the fifteenth amendment of the
Federal Constitution. You do not have
to belong to the legal profession to see
this, provided you have just ordinary
intelligence. For the proposed amend
ment does ''deOy" and ''abridge" the
rights Of citizens of the United State
to vote, which is unconstitutional, and
especially so, provided it is done to
eliminate or cut off the negro vote, as
is claimed by the trainers and advO-
Gates of he proposed amendment.
Nov the Federal Constitution (Rf-
teensb) positively says The right of
cit;zans of the United States to voc
shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or by any State on &C
count Of race, color, or previous cen
dition of serviCude." In the face Of
all this, what do the advocates OF the
proposed amendment say, or what
reason do they assign for wanting the
amendment adopted7 They say the
purpose of the proposed emandnen il
to secure white supremacy by cutting
off or eliminating tie negro vote.
Then ous of their own mouths, they
stand c0ndemned for trying to pass al
amendment TO cur State Constitution
which is IN direct violation OF our Fad
eral Constitution, which they have
taken a solemn oath to support. Where
do they stRndH Today they stand be-
fore the American people as revolu6
Zionist or rebels against our Federal
Mt, who have parjured them
and are nov trying to get you
to per ire yours elves by voting for a
that is In direct violation of
that Federal Constitution that you
taken q solemn oath to support.
"Ol shame, where is thy blush" to
g wear falsely yourself and then try to
get others to do lIkewiseI
am net di5cuss,ng the question of
whether the fifteenth amendment to
the Federal Cons tuition conferred
more libsrty or the Colored rae thar
it should nave done; that is Lot the
at eli. The righ6 to vote has been
conferred on the negro al d poor white
by the Constitution of the
United States and you and I have
taken an oath to support that Coneti-
aad there ia no honest or honor
able way of gettir 6 around it, unless
the fifteenth amendment TO the FED
eral Constitution is repealed.
But who say the proposed amend
nent to our State Constitution is IN
constitutional Many of as Intelligent
Democrats as can be found in tn IT
party, including lawyers, Senators,
members of the House and editors
and, 30 far as we know, all the Popu
.ists and Republicans.
Vino, then, shall we belteve4 Does
not the preponderance OF testimony
declare the proposed amendment I'm
constitu tioDal2 Most assuredly it does.
Then are you going to vote for the
amendment that will do your white
brother 90 much I'M lstice and violate
oath you have taken to support the
Federal Constitution Icannot believe
that you will support any such a
measure.
Bat there are several thousand mir.
in North Carolina. I worder
what they will dc3 Will they PEI jlre
themselves by voting for the proposed
amendment AID advise church mem
Oers 80 commit the like crIne0 Let "a.
wait and see. by thoir fruits ye shall
know them"
Tne proposed emendmen5 will, it
adopted, disfranchise about es mary
whites as it will blacks il North Caro-
.ina. Let US vote il down by forty TT
fifty thousand. GHO e HUNT
Davidson Co N. @
Once armies were guarded at mig t
by entries, pRcilg their rounds. NJ
in SN1tb Afrioo Tho Vo,+h1o a.