The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-30

work. knowing as far as human ability
can know anything. that the AMEND
MENT WAS CONSTITUTIONAL.
Our opponents use three arguments
against the amendment, and falsify facts
and mis4uote law, 10 make good their
contentious. 81
They say a. 1t is unconstitutional.
90 That it will deprive the uneducated
white man OF his vote and f3l That the
effect in few years will be 10 turn
the State over to negroes, because they
will have outstripped the whites in the
race of learning and progress.
The language of the amendment IS
/ simple. Every man, white or black. III.
less disqualified by section :, who can
read and write any section Of the Con
Stitution in the English language, and
who has paid his poll tax, CAN VOTE.
In addition, every man. white or black,
who, on January LIST, 1861, or prior there
10, was entitled to vote i'll he State
where he lived. or the lineal descendants
of such man, can vote, WHETHER
lie CAN READ AND WRITE Ok
NOT. Under this amendment, until
1868, there is not white man in North
Carolina. high or low, rich or poor,
! learned or unlearned unless he he an
alien who can't read or write and has
come here since 1867, BUT CAN VOTE,
and any one who asserts to the con-
trary. KNOWINGLY AND MAII-
CIOUSLY LIES.
BY the amendment, some white men
vote. and some negroes vote. Some
white men are excluded, and some ne
groes are excluded. Is this a disc riri-
! nation, SOLELY, on account of race.
color or previous condition of servitude?
| Not one word in the amendment, aS VA,
so strongly urged by Representative
| Rountree, quoting the law. limits the
language or effect to one race"
1t applies to whites, blacks. Indians.
| japanese. every class and race. that are
not in its provisions. To make the
amendment in conflict with the Fifteenth
Article Of the Constitution il must or
it's FACE, in VERY WORDS AND
| TERMS, exclude some voter on account
| Of race. color, ETC., and if it does not
! DIRECTLY do this, you can NOT IN
| FER that IT WILL and each State
| therefore can adopt such laws as is for
! its better government.
| They say that the Grandfather clause,
rs they term it, is am unjust discrimina
| ton and therefore void.
! Let us see We excluded conyicts
why? because Il larger Per cent arr
| negroes than white? No, but because
we deem their training and pract ceS II
violating law have made them unfit to-
| take part in the government, until by
good behavior they have restored
| themselves to citizenship. SO we allow
UNEDUCATED men, white or black.
who have been good citizens all their
| days and who themselves or their faith
ers have taken an active part in time or
war or peace, in building up the mate
| rial welfare of the State, to vote, be-
cause we believe that such men are
BORN with the LOVE of LIBERTY
in THEIR HEARTS. and can AP-
PREC1ATE THE RIGHTS OF others.
and the NEED Of WHOLESOME
| laws. On the ether hand we debar I'M
educated voters, white or black, who them
selves or their ancestors were not vo-
terS in 1861 or prior thereto, but were
slaves here or vassals and serfs in the
old world. because we believe that by
their associations and affiliations their
hearts have never swelled with patriotic
pride or been filled with the love of law
and order and that therefore they CAN
NOT UNDERSTAND and APPRE-
CIATE the SUFFRAGE RIGHTS.
that they DESIRE TO EXERCISE. 1t
is very true, the amendment will dis
franchise many more negroes than
whites, for only alien whites and those
debarred by section 2 will be ii4Ula fled
still this is not simply BECAUSE
THEY WERE SLAVES, but because
their surroundings. habits. etc.. have
made them UNFIT TO VOTE, but just
as a convict restored to citizenship, and
having the other qualifications can vote,
SO this disqualified negro, the very min
ute he can read and write. can vote.
though he may have been born in the
deepest slavery.
For reference, see Article Nv. Section
I. T.. S. Constitution.
Plessy VS. Ferguson, 163 t. s.. rage
537.
Williams VS.. Miss, 40 L. s.. page
222 Constitution.
Van Nolkenburg VS.. Brown, Is Am.
Rep. page 142.