The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-07-19
AS a Woman Sees 1t.
THE AMENDMENT CONSIDERED FROM HER
STANDPOINT.
What the Adoption of the Constitu-
tional Amendment neans to the
Women and Children of North Caro-
lina-Will Any Man Calling Himself
in the Present Crisis?
Written for the Gold Leaf. J

1t is hard to keep "calm and serene"
while we are trying to bring dear Old
North Carolina from her disgrace and
shame, back to her former glory, to hear
men say, am Democrat, but this amend
naent Is going to send all of our labor ouay
1t will be proud day for Marion But
Ter, (may the Lord reward him accord
ing to his wOrks) and few more miser-
able sinners that have a white face, and
principles that delight the Prince OF
darkness, when they can convince the un-
learned white man, that he will never
vote again if the amendment is carried
and that the general public will starve to
death from the stampede OF the laboring
class to a more favored locality.
They know as well as we do that the
negro has followed the Republican party
to starvation, and beggary; and are only
leaving in self defense; and they will be
back long time sooner than we want to
see them, unless they will be satisfied to
keep their proper place. But any false
hood that satan can devise may have
some influence in keeping the hands of
those contemplate reprObates in the
public treasury. If they could for one
moment raise the veil of the future, and
see the woe that is coming on them they
would call forrocks and mountain to fall
on them to hide them from; the fiery in
diGnations of an outraged public.
Every one that is at all versed in mat
ters political, knows that the trainers Of
the amendment intended no OPPRESSION to
the colored race; but only intended to
protect them, as well as ourselves, from
their ignorancc-tO prevent them from
being Il vehicle to carry unprencipled
men into office, that should on be filled
by men Of unblemished homo.
Tis true, that any man II at sells his
vote, as the negro almost ivariably does,
stands perjured before men, and angels
and should be debarred from repeating
the offense; but knowing as we did, that
the poor ignorant creature-that had no
more business with a vote than an infant
has with a razor-could not possibly
know the enOrHity of his crime, we have
allowed our honor to be trampled in the
dust till fOrbearance ceases to be a virtue;
and we propose to put an end to all this
miserable misrule that we have been
groaning under for more than a score of
years.
The handwriting of retribution is on
the wall. North Carolina lcM be freed from
the shackles Of antamy and roe be unto the one
that seeks TO prevent 1t.
One can but look with contemptuous
amusement at the bowling protest raised
by Butler and Pritchard against dis
franchising free citizens'' With what
unparalleled honor they note the uncOn-
stitutionality of the act. The I'M ustice-
the monstrous wrong that is going to be
perpetrated!
They seem to overlook the fact that
every honorable gentleman in North
CarOlina-the men that made her the
grand State she was before she was ruled
by scalawags and traitors-the grand
children of our Revolutionary heroes
have been virtually disfranchised for the
largest part OF thirty-five years; and
we fail to see how the aforesaid gentry
can stand up before an enlightened pub
lie and mention Constitution.
We have no quarrel against the negro,
don't even blame him for wanting a seat
in our Legislative halls, and other places
with a fat salary. We don't blame a
child for wanting to play with fire, but
we don't let him do it all the same.
If the colored race wishes to rise in the
world, let them turn their attention to
social problems-not political. Let them
teach their children that society has
claims on every human being whether he
be white, or red or black or yellow, and
no decent person has any respect for one
that ignores them; and when ever we
find a colored household whose head will
not allow liars, thieves, jailbirds, and
fallen women to be received as honored
guests in his house, then we may be
able to see in the far future, a time when
they may reach their much desired posi-
ton ini society-a fitness to associate
with any body.
If the negro could see as we do the