The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-04-19

certainly conscious than Governor
Russell that he has failed of his pur-
pose because he had behind him the
negroes of the State and not the white
men. We had white man for Cover
! nor in 1870 when counties were de-
I clared in a State of insurrection;
when innocent men were arrested
without warrant by military cut
| throats; when the writ of habeas
| corpus was suspended and the
judiciary was exhausted. We had a
white man for Governor in 1898 when
negroes became insolelt; when ladies
were insulted on public streets; when
burglary in our chief city became an
every night occurrance; when "sleep
! lay down armed and the villianous
centre-bits ground on the wakeful ear
in the hush of the moonless nights"
when more guns and pistols were sold
in the State than had been in the
twenty preceding years; when law
lessness walked the State like pesti-
| lence and the Governor and our two
Senators were afraid to speak in a
city of 25.000 inhabitants. 1t is the
negro behind the officer and not the
officer only that constitutes negro
government. Major Grant now re-
pudiates Congressman White and
draws the color line against negro
office holding, but it has not been two
years since Republican convention
composed in part Of white men ap-
plauded to the echo the declaration of
White that the industry of negro Of
flee holding had but fairly begun.
We have taught them much in the
past two years in the university of
white supremacy; we will gradute
them in August next with diploma
that will entitle them to form a gen
uine white mans party. Then we
shall have no more revolutions in Will
mington; we shall have no more dead
and wounded negroes on the streets
because we shall have good govern
ment in the State and peace every
where.
The Governor of the State and the
Senators will not be afraid to speak
anywhere. for freedom of speech will
become the common possession of the
humblest of us. Life and property
and liberty from the mountains to
the sea shall rest secure in the guard
ianship of the law. But to do this
we must disfranchise the negro. This
movement comes from the people.
Politicians have been afraid of it and
have hesitated, but the great mass of
white men in the State are now de-
manding and have demanded that
that matter be settled once and for all.
To do so is both desirable and neces-
sary-desirable because it sets the
white man free to move along faster
than he can go when retarded by the
slower movement of the negro-neces-
sary because we must have good
order and peace while we work out
the industrial, commercial, intellect
ual and moral development of the
State. The amendment to the Con-
stitution is presented in solution of
the problem. 1t is plain and simple.
1t is carefully and thoughtfully drawn.
1t stays inside of the XIV amendment,
and, nevertheless, accomplishes its
purpose. 1t adopts the suggestion of
, Senator Cullom and demands the eek
istence of sufficient intelligence either
; by Inheritance or education as a
: necessary qualification for voting-it
requires Of the negro qualification by
education because he has it not by
inheritance, and demands of the white
man only that he possess it by inheri-
tance-it does not sweep the field of
, expedents to disfranchise the negro,
! which is held Constitutional by the
} Mississippi case, but seizes upon his
educational unfitness and saves the
whites from participation therein by
!; boldly recognizing the claims of their
hereditary fitness.
The amendment makes distinc-
tion between white man and ne
gro, but it does so on the ground
that the white man has knowledge
Of inheritance that the negro has not.
Has the white man such superior
knowledge? Will any man deny it?
Will Senator Pritchard deny it? Hear
what he said in his recent speech in
: the Senate: 1T is absurd to contend
: that there is any danger of negro
: domination in North Carolina. In
the very nature of things it cannot
be. From the earliest dawn OF civil
: ization to this good hour the great
5 white race has given to the world its
t history, its philosophy, its laws, its
, government, and its Christianity, and
l it will continue to do So" Why, un-
/ less the white man is superior? Will
5 Senator Butler deny it? Ask the Cau-
e caSian, evidently named in honor OF
+ that great race. Will Governor Rus
sell deny it, Surely he will not as
r sert that unlettered white men are NO
e better than ..savages. If then it be
t true that unlettered white men have
+ a knowledge of government superior
4 to that possessed by unlettered ne.
D groes | want to know if Senators But
| ler and Pritchard and Governor Rus
, sell want the Supreme Court to hold
5 that the XIV amendment demands a
: lie9 The Democratic party knows the
f truth. It is certain that the unlet
4 tered white man is more capable o
= government than the negro. 1t is 81
e certain Of it that it has put its opinion
$ in writing-has printed it in the law:
e of 1899. has submitted it to the peo
It pie and it now challenges any white
e man in North Carolina to deny it
a Republicans are protesting specia
o love for the poor and unlettered whit
e man, but al the same time they as
V sert that the law can make no dis
e tinction between him and the negro
e The Democratic party takes the true