Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-02-15

that every voter who shall register Lz@,
der this section any time before L.
rember 1908. shall for ever tnereaA -
be entitled 10 vote at all elections, -
less he becomes thereafter disqualifses
by crime.
Farmer: Why, that's as plain as
the nose On your face. Some OF as
told him We had heard that what be
was saying applied only to boys who
became OF age after 1903. And We
were right. too, weren't we?'
Business Man: You certainly wera
right as the mere reading of the
amendment shows. The amendment
protects the suffrage Of every white
man who registers in any election be-
fore December, 1908. If he don't regis-
ter It is his own fault 1t gives the
boy who will become of age after then
nine years in which to learn to. readi,
and to enable these twelve year ole
boys 20 learn to read the Democratic
party pledges itself to give them from
now on better school advantages than
ever before With these increas ng ad-
yantages and this great incentive TO
the boys to learn. illiteracy ought to
disappear among our boys of the mex
generation If the fathers of our poor
boys will think about this matter they
will see in this provision greater ad-
vantage than disadvantages to their
boys. Their girls. too. will get the
benefit Of he increased educational
facilities it is proposed 20 give from
now On
Farmer: There is another thing
the Republicans. especially the Federal
oificeholders; are doing, that | want to
inquire Of You about. They most al
ways have on hand, a paper printed a
Asheyille-I believe they call it the
Gazette-which they pretend is a
strong Democratic paper. but against
the amendment: and they read from it
and give cut few copies mere and
there Now | want to ask YOU wheth-
er this is a Democratic paper?''
Business Man. We'll. | am very
glad You have called any attention to
this matter, for this scheme of palming
off the Asheville Gazette as a Demo
cratic paper is one Of the lowest and
dirtiest frauds ever attempted to be
practlced on the people. They are do
ing the same thing, all over the State.
and the miserable editor C this sheet
is lending himself to the trick This
paper is published by man who has
recently moved into this State. When
he first bought this paper he published
it as a Democratic paper. and strongly
advocated the amendment. A few
months ago he sold out the paper to
the Republicans. and it is now the Or
gan Of that party in the State-every
Ii - l~1
can leaders-but it still pretends to be
Democratic, IN order tc better deceive
the people. 1t is said that this dupliei-
ty was part of the contract of sale.
You can see that the whole scheme is
disreputable and contemplate, and it,
like the other deceiss we have been
talking about. illustrates the despera-
ton Of these Republican white leaders
in their eagerness to uphold negro suf-
frage'
Farmer: There is one other thing
the Republicans are telling the unedu-
ca.ed white men which I wish to ask
You about. They argue that the court
viii hold the educational qualification
clause Of the afendment legal, and
that it will nold the Grandfather clause
illegal. and strike it out. and that then
nobody who can't read and write can
vote. wan- to ask you if there was
any danger of this being done"
Business Man: Before ! answer
this question let me ask you a ques-
ton: Upon what ground do they
claim that the 9th section IS unconstitu-
tiOnal?'
Farmer: Why. they say it is uncon
crit al hoy r-
lates the 18th amendment TO the Con
sttution of the United States which
they claim prohibits any State from
denying the negro The right to vote Oh
account Of race or color or previous
condition of slavery.
Business Man: Exactly: but how
absurd. Now there is nothing in The
Constitution of thc United States Whici
takes away from the State the right Att
say @ho shall and who shall not vote;
neither IS there any provision in that
constitution which says State shall
allow all white men Or all negroes tt
vo;c. The Supreme Court Of ths
United States has decides ,>-over ant
over again that the States have
right 10 regulate the question Of suf
frage as they see fit The only thing
in the United States constitution
which In any way restricts the right o
the State 70 regulate the subject OF
suffrage IS the 18th amendment. Tha
does not allow State to deny III
right Of a negro TO vote on account @
race or color or previous condition o
servitude \Cv. let@us again examine
the 9Th section Read il over care
fully please Tor yourself Now te.
me IS there one single provision II
that section which denies 10 the negro
Or any body else the right % vcteo Or
the contrary is Il not clear that it !:
not q denying clause but an enabling
clause that Is. it denies nobody th'
right I'd vote who otherwise is entitled
. vote. bur simply enables some Il
vote who otherwise might not be en-
titled 20 vote
Go he Concluded LeAt weekl
HAS STIDDEN H0pNETc, ACS1