The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-04-19

bold ground that the white man is
superior to negro and that the law
of man will follow the law of God in
recognition of it. II we were wrong
about this, then God pity US for that
sense of superiority which beats with
our blood and boastfully exclaims
with St. Paul, II am free born"
But the opponents Of the amend
ment attack it on another ground.
They say that every child who comes
of age after 1908, white and black,
must be able to read and write before
he can vote. This is true. The
amendment does so provide. We
recognize and provide for the God
given and hereditary superiority Of
the white man and of all the white
children now 13 years of age, but as
to the future all under IS years of
age we call on them to assert that
superiority of which we boast by
learning to read and write. The
schools are open and will be for four
or more months every year from now
to 1908. The white child under l3
who will not learn to read and write
in the next eight years will be with
out excuse. But we are told that
there are orphan children in the
land. And there are. But the State
and Masonic fraternity support the
orphanage at Oxford and they stand
with arms open inviting the children
to enter the doors of that noble insti-
tuition. The Odd Fellows orphanage
at Goldsboro is open for the sons and
daughters of Odd Fellows, and the
township in which have the happi-
ness to live in its public graded
school teaches without money and
without price; but not, thank God,
without blessing, the orphans as
sembled there. The Baptist orphan
age at Thomasville, with its 40
pupils follows the Master and breaches
the Gospel to the poor while it teaches
to read and write. Barium Springs
and the Thomson orphanage near
High Point attest the interest of Pres
byterians and Episcopalians and
Friends in the education of poor or
phans, while the Methodists are open
ing in this beautiful city home and
school for those to whom they owe a
duty. The State and charity and
philanthropy and Christianity all
stand ready to aid our boast of super
iority.
The man who seeks in the face Of
these provisions to encourage litter
acy is public enemy and deserves
the contempt of all mankind. have
heard Republican speakers grow elo-
quent Oh the impossibility of the poor
white children learning to read and
write in eight years. The man who
makes such a speech has no such
opinion of the incapacity of his own
children as to suppose that they can
not learn to read and write in eight
years. would that could reach the
heart of every illiterate poor man in
North Carolina and give him assur-
ance that his children are as bright
and capable as those of the dema-
gogue who seeks to encourage him
not to educate his children. l would
assure him that these demagogues
have their own children in school
while seeking to keep those of the
poor and illiterate out, their purpose
being to gain start in life for their
children ahead of those whom they
seek to mislead.
Gentlemen of the convention, this
clause of our amendment does not
weaken but strengthens it. In your
speeches to the people, in your talks
with them on the streets and farms,
and by the fireside, do not hesitate
to discuss this section. tell you
that the prosperity and the glory of
our grand old State are to be more
advanced by this clause than by any
other one thing. Speak the truth,
"tell it in Gath, publish it in the
education of the white children Of
North Carolina will send us forward
with bound in the race with the
world. Life is mighty combat and
the people who 60 into it best equip
ped will be sure to win. Massachu
setts has grown rich while we have
remained poor and complained of her
riches. She educated while we re-
mained ignorant. If she has grown
rich out Of us it is because she knew
how to do so and we did not know how
to prevent it. With the adoption Of
our amendment after 1908 there will
be no State in the Union with a
larger percentage OF boys and girls
who can read and write and no State
will rush forward with more celebrity
Or certsinty than conservative old
North Carolina. The day of the
miserable demagogue who seeks to
perpetuate illiteracy in the State will
then have happily passed forever.
There is one other provision of the
amendment to which l must advert,
and that is the payment of tho poll
tax by March 1st of election years as
a condition to voting. The largest
part of the poll tax goes to public
education under the Constitution If
our boys are to be educated as con-
dition precedent to voting after 1908,
then no man who will not contribute
to that end ought to vote. Nearly
all white persons liable to poll tax pay
it now. II the negro wants TO vote it
is no hardship on him that he should
be required to pay his tax to the sup
port of those schools in which his
race gets more than it pays Of the
public fund. The various provisions
of the amendment work together Cor
the good Of all men. We are going to
carry them through to success. The
fight is on. We unfurl anew the old
banner Of Democracy. We inscribe
thereon White Supremacy and its
perpetuation. Under that banner we
shall win and when we shall have won
we will have peace in the land. There
will be rest from political bitterness
and race antagonism. Industry will
have a great outburst. Freed from
the necessity Of voting according to
our color we shall have intellectual