The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-04-05
Continued from las: weeh.}

THE CHARGE OF NEGRO NOMINA-
TICN--A P,ASE SLANDER.
Mr.. President, / have said all that !
originally intended 10 say in discussing
tive resolution offered by my colleague
and the proposed amendment, but the
charge that has been made in TINS
chamber, Indirectly, il not directly,
that there has been negro domination
in North Carolina and that II IS
threatened with more of 1t If this pro-
posed amendment is not adopted makes
it necessary for me to say something
further.
No better answer is needed In reply
TO this unfounded and false charge
than 10 call attention to the fact,
which is a fact and which nobody will
deny, that the politicians in North
Carolina who have forced before the
people this proposed amendment and
who are today supporting it pledged
the people OH every stump in my State
from mountains to sea in the last cam
paign that II they were put i'll power
they would not favor, support. or pro-
pcse amy suffrage scheme that would
disfranCh!se anybody. white or black.
can prove out of the mouths Of the
men who are now supporting THIS
amendment by declarations and p'sl
ges officially made On the stump and
in interviews, that the charge that
there is or has been negro domination
In North Carolina is unfounded and
false and base sl2nder on the state.
III there was any negro domination
in North Carolina, why was 1t neces-
sary for these Democratic politicians
TO pledge the people, in order to gel
enough votes to ele th-~- that they
were in favor of manhood suffrage an;
upposed to any disfranchisement o
anybody? II there had been any ne
pr5 dcmination-w which neither the
people of my State or Of any othel
State. North or South. will permit
then the popular thing to have done tC
secure votes would have been the
promise to the people to devise some
scheme to limi. suffrage as soon a
they got In power. Did they do that
No. But, on the other hand, the!
pledged the people that they would no
disfranchise a single voter IN tn
State. white or black.
Burt the Senator from Mississippi
speaking on this resolution, and wit
an apparent effort to show that ther
was negro domination - N"r"'" caro-
dina. put into the Record some matte
afrom a political document to show tina
- 4here has heen recently a number c
Negroes elected to minor positions i
- NV State. and used that as the tex
sHlfor the chief part of his ~~o-~'' 7
ck3defense of the State. and in order the
; ~. vhe Senate and the country may kno
noot ne facts will take the time to max
-. Brief statement to brand that fal'
ot charge.
THE FACTS.
o The negro population OF North Ca
ON .,olina comprises less than one-third
rbeIthe whole population and less tina
arr Lone-third OF the voting populatio
r (There are only IL counties in the Sta
po IN which the negro population is in
th Jnaiority, while in the remaining
A,ounties the white population is in
leesfehelming majority. Unfortunat
.No9re ,linumber OF years ago the sta
ct Id me court, in a decision, held tn
yorsL ulF the State constitution the legi
hi1 latrlre could nCt give to the 80 wnl
, u conlrlties local self-government viii
lha .puttirIE the IL negro counties under
ion Nifferenlt system.
1oka In short, they held that the cons
nd hutton required a uniform system
he, county gvernment. Under that q
n u cision the legislature forced upon t
lur' S5 whits counties the same KIND
. county government system that
. seemed best to them to adopt in the
Ce VI negro counties. Thus the people
ht Yhe s5 white counties were robbed
the right and power to elect tht
county governing officers, but inste
wore forced to submit to their cour
governing officers being elected dire
Iy or indirectly by the legislatu
= This, of course, proved to be very I
IN popular in the So counties.
Nrf For many years, at every Dem'ocra
fA | State convention, there was CONT
I'M ever county government, the repres'
r ~ tatiyes from the 85 counties insist
IN u tbat they should be allowed to ell
ty, Ryheir ,ounty governing officers a
.WAkshus have direct c~-t~"' "-'-r" ~
byS county affairs. But the State cent
De tlr uolitfcal machine, which enjoyed
~ In,ower of debating and controlling
,u, yaffail,, OF every county by building
vhaA Allocal and subordinate machines at
east various county seats to receive ord
here land do the bidding OF the State l
n arl4chine, had. however, UP to 1894, b
ltatef able to force the counties Of the 81
q Iol 10 submit to that odious and under
,snaI cratic system. But each year that s
baJ tenn had grown more and more
hn nonular. to such an extent that 1t
al d came necessary year by year to pro,
. 4 new methods for ballotLbox stuff
aS vote manipulating, and the compi
OF fraudulent returns, In order to \