The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-28

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gnmants generally made in North Car
olina against it, when its enemies, aban-
doniug other ground, appeal to the fears
of the people after first saying that
(which we controversy the fifth section is
Unconstitutional, by declaring that the
otber sections will stand without it.
OFTEN when one attacks section 3 he
wants no negroes disqualified, but if ne
groes are disqualified, he wants whites
also DISQUALIFIED. The unlettered white
man has no worse enemy than he who
on the one hand labors 10 prevent the dis
qualification of incompetent negroes by
opposing the amendment, and on the 9th
err hand strives to disQualify unlettered
white men. after it's adoption, by insist
ing that section is unconstitutional and
shall not stand, and that the. other Sec
tons shall stand thus demanding at ey-
ery turn that unlettered whites with
greatly superior natural and ac-
uuired qualifications shall be forever
chained to equality with unlettered Ne
groes.
NOT AN ABRIDGING SECTION.
No one questions the constitutionality
of the first four sections. Section 5, in
stead of denying or abridging the right
to vote, expressly says the right to vote
shall not be denied to certain ones on ac-
count of the lack of educational qualit
cation. This section is an enlarging,
not an abridging section, and its reason
able extension of suffrage to certain ones
is because of the actual intelligence and
fitness for suffrage universally known to
be usually possessed by them.
Consider the effect Of the amendment
as whole. 1t is admitted that after
its adoption thousands of negroes will
vote; not one could vote if the right to
vote were denied on account of his race.
Thousands of living testimonials will
contradict the assertion that 1t denies
the right to vote on account Of race,
color or previous condition of Servltude.
An mettered white man, thirty years
of age, born of parents who came to our
country after the civil war, will not be
benefited by section g. but his right to
vote is not denied ON account of his race
or color. No one can say: You re-
quire me to read and write before vot-
ing. | cannot read and write, there
fore you deny my right to vote on &C
count of my color"
In Massachusetts, in order for ne
gro to vote he must be able to read and
write. If he has this reasonable edu-
cational qualification he votes, otherwise
he does not vote. Yet his color does not
prevent his suffrage. 1t is his lack
of education. Exactly the same will be
his case under our amendment. Under it
every negro can vote in North Carolina
who could vote in Massachusetts and
also an additional class, those whose an
cestors in any State could vote at any
time prior to 1867. He may be coal
black, of the humblest race, and may
have been a slave, yet if he has the
reasonable qualifications prescribed,
without effort at denial he will vote. II
the amendment denied the right to vote
on account Of race, color, or servitude,
then a former negro slave could not
vote, though he might be the wisest and
most h.ghly educated man in the State.
VAST DIFFERENCE IN FITNESS.
Between the great mass OF unlettered
ones, who, or whose ancestors, could
vote prior to 1867 and the great mass
of the mlettered ones who or whose an
cestors could not then vote, there is a
real and vast difference III capacity, in
fitness, in intellectual and moral force,
in information, in love of home and
country, in aspiration, in all that makes
competence for good suffrage. 1t is q
deep, time-proven, unmistakable, un-
ch8ngeable, difference, known to all men.
The position of those who oppose the
amendment assumes that there is no diff
ference in fitness for suffrage between
the unlettered whites as q class who will
vote under it and the unlettered negroes
as a class who will not vote under it
and that the only difference between
them is race and color. Those who will
may contend that the unlettered negro
is the unlettered white mans equal in
this respect, but the advocates of this
amendment stand for the white mans
superiority. The Constitution does not
forbid our position. Present conditions
demand it, and its results will vindicate
it. w. W. KITCHIN.
January IS.