The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-07-17
pOpu11sr OPPOSES THE AMENDMENE.


Correspondence OI1ne Progressive rdF1H6F'
The editor of one of our church
papers, who favors an educational
qualification for voting, commenting
on the fact that Gin a large rear room
on one of the principal avenues of
New York the police recently ar
rested forty tramps and criminals,
fourteen of whom were graduates of
Harvard, Yale and Princeton, and
other great institutions of learning. !"
went on to say very emphatically,
and we think correctly, that "more
intellectual development without cor
responding moral development, is
not only useless, but absolutely dan
gerous."
This statement contains two we'll
known facts which should be consid-
cred carefully at this time. First, a
large portion of the tramps and
criminals arrested could not only
read and write, but we're college
graduates. This New York incident
is not an exceptional ase There
are men in every town and COM
munity who have intellectual de-
velopment," but who are very poor
in genuine integrity and if it were
not for the influence of family and
position would be worthless tramps.
The second statement is that Gin
tellectual development without a
corresponding moral development is
not only useless, but absolutely dan
gerous." Now there are people in
our State who are trying by all
means to fasten upon our people a
qualification which they must com
ply with before they shall be allowed
the right to vote. This test is based
simply and purely on intellectual
development" the ability to read
and write without any regard for
moral development" honesty and
integrity of character. Now, as the
time draws near for the final decision
in this matter by the people, may
every voter who shall take upon
himself the solemn responsibility of
passing upon this inherited right of
every American citizen, in the pres
ence of the thousands of poor boys
in North Carolina who are under ID
years of age, in the presence of every
man who shall register after 1908, in
the presence of every unfortunate
and i~lliterate man, ask himself in
sincerity and without prejudice, Is
it right?
Now the friends of the suffrage
amendment claim that it does not
impose upon a certain class an edu-
cational qualification or affect their
right to vote, but they are protected
by the grandfather clause I be-
lieve that if some of the leaders who
are advocating this educational quail
fcation would stop using the decep-
tive cry that it is a race issue long
enough to look the matter ~squarely
in the face, they would be ashamed
to hide the truth and would confess
to the illiterate old soldier (and
others who he would let vote under
the grandfather clause'O something
like this
Nov, old fellow, I want you to
help me say to the, world that such
uneducated folks as you should be
DISTINGUISHED. Of course it will
sting your feelings when you think
that you are not allowed to vote, be-
cause it is your right, nor even be-
cause you have faithfully loved and
served your State, but because you
happen to have voted in 81. know
you I honest and always do to
others as you would be done by, but
now, [ want you to sink your CON
science and vote to disfranchise all
who may be so unfortunate as your
self, for you know this scheme falls
on all alike in eight years that is,
all the boys that T ~ years old or
less, and all who register after 1908.
The truth is that section I let you
vote under won't hardly stand a
square look; fact is, 1 don't care if
it falls if I get my scheme through
so I can say who shall vote"
ELOC.
Moore Co., N. G..