New-York tribune., 1900-08-06
4 RRYANITE ETCrSE.

The supporters Of Mr.. Bryan are naturally
troubled about the North Carolina exhibition Of
the insincerity of their cry, the Constitution
follows the flag" The Constitution may in
their opinion follow the flag into the Philip
pines, but it distinctly does not follow it into
North Carolina. There the provision Of the
Constitution which forbids denial Of the suf-
frage on account of race has been contemptu-
OusIy set aside just as if there never was
such thing as the Constitution. The doctrine
of the Declaration of Independence that all
men are created equal may require US to take
in the savages of Luzon to help govern US. IN
less we turn them adrift to anarchy. but it
plainly does not require Democrats TO treat
citizens Of thirty years standing in North
Carolina as equals before the law The new
State Constitution has, as everybody expected It
would be, been adopted by an overwhelming vote
because the Red Shirts terrorized the State,
denied the right of free speech, drove opposition
voters away from the registry, and made 1t
unsafe for the two United States Senators
from North Carolina TO appear on a political
platform in their own State. Yet this was
done in the name of constitutional liberty the
Declaration Of Independence and the Bryanized
Democratic party.
It is no wonder that Democrats want to mini
mize the significance Of this example Of mob
''militarism," Bryanite "despotism" and Demo
cratic imposition by force of government with
out the consent of the governed. They pass
over the outrageous fraud and violence by
which a dishonest majority for the new Con
stitution is secured and comment on the situa-
ton as if the new law were merely an innocent
suffrage restriction to get rid Of ignorance.
Thus we ind The New-York World" saying:
II North Cardinals Red Shirt" campaign sue
ceeds the suffrage in that State will be re-
strlcted oy- an educational test and a poll tax
Qualification. And that will put Democrats
North Carolina on exactly the same footing as
Republican Massachusetts,
Democratic North Carolina on the same foot
ing as Republican Massachusetts! Did NIassa-
chusetts restrict It's suffrage with shotguns?
Did it drive from their platforms and throw
rotten eggs at the speakers who argued against
the restriction? Did it turn half the State over
TO q mob? There is no comparison between
the TWO. The restriction has been achieved in
North Carolina not by an election. but BY an
armed revolution The baIloting was merely an
empty form, which the revoIutfonists INDUCED
IN after their victory by force and terrorism
Nor IS there any likeness between the Massa-
chusetts and North Carolina restrictions If
there were nobody would complain provided ii
were secured fairly and not by Red Shirt" riot
ing. An educational qualification is q perfectly
>
chusetts qualification does. Complaint Is not
made that North Carolina restricts suffrage by
an educational test but that it restricts negro
suffrage by an educational test while comforting
the suffrage on white ignorance ANY descrip-
ton Of the North Carolina suffrage rule which
suppresses knowledge Of the grandfather
clause" is grossly unfair That clause allows
any man, however ignorant who voted anv-
where in the United States before the negroes
acquired the ballot, or any descendant Of such
a person, 10 vote. The effect of this is TO en-
franchise almost every ignorant white man
while disfranchising every ignorant negro. 1t
is race discrimination oe the most fragrant sort,
which IS not less a violation Of the spirit Of
the Federal Constitution because the discriuf-
nation is not made in terms between the races.
but between two descriptions of persons care
fully framed so that one class shall be all white
and the other all black. Massachusetts gives
no warrant for such law, and Bryanites can
find no excuse there for this denial Of the sin
cerity Of their own boasted principles of free
dom and equality.