The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-05-03
PEOPLES PARTY PLATFORM
Ahmed Unanimously in Convention,
NuriI 18th. 1900.

and instructs the delegates to the
National Convention at Sioux Falls
May 9th 10 vote for the nomination
OF William J. Bryan for President.
We commend the present State
Administration for it's high per-
sonal and official integrity, and
challenge comparison OF it's rec
ord with any and all OF its prede-
CCSsOrs.
We condemn the Democratic Legis-
lature Of 1899 for It's extravagant ex-
peUdltures o. pubic money amounting
TO 81 30 1876 in 1899, "a opposed TO
l,2S3 97lll, expended by the preced-
Ing Legislature, an excess of $780,
79l 80, not including the sum of $780,
600 Tor public education nor the 500, $50
for purchase Of State farms.
We further condemn laid Legisla-
tnre for the careless laundering and
careless legislation, including more
gross blundprs and unconstitutional
laws than ever before enacted by any
General Assembly in North Carolina.
We further denOUDCe the machine
leaders of the Democratic party for
laying the whip on the backs of the
Democratic Legislature and forcing
them into enaCting and submitting
disfrShChising constitutional amend
ment in violation OF the solemn
pledges OF the party, made not only
officially IN their campaign handbook
but by members of the General Assem-
bly, and other Democratic candidates
for Office in their canvass before the
people We denOunCe them not only
tor doing this in violation of their
pledges, but also for submitting mea-
sure most OdiOus in form and danger
Gus In effect. That General Assembly
being composed of some of the best
lawyers OF the party, must have
known, or at least had reasonable
doubt, not only as to the unCOnstitu-
GOnality of the mOnstrOus provision of
Section 3, known rs the grandfather
clause" IN said amendment, but also
OF the great danger of that uncOnstitu-
tiOnal sectional section falling, leav-
ing the remainder of the amendment
to stand, rus disfranchising by an ed
uCatiOnal Qualification fifty or sixty
thousand white voters of North Caro-
lima, who in 1898 gave the Democratic
party power IN the Legislature, and
whose ignorance is no fault of their
own but is chargeable to the neglect of
the Democratic party, which now seeks
TO disfranChise them and make their
ignorance a crime alongside that OF
the felOn.
But even if the proposed amendment
were not unconstitutional Gas it clear
ly isl, still it is especially objection
able in the following particulars:
(a) In that il q gnifies with the right
of suffrage the most vicious, trouble
some anu obnoxious class of the negro
population, and completely disfran
chises the most faithful, kindly and or
derby element of that race.
90 In that, lille ClamOriDg for white |
supremacy and declaring that no white |
man shall be DISTINGUISHED under this |
amendment, they have so written their |
amendment that every white boy be-
coming Of age after 1908 stands on the |
same footing with the negro, and can |
not vote unless he is able to read and |
write.
co. In that by the latter provision,
they have made it possible for the ed
uCated negro after 1908 to Cast his bal
lot while the unfortunate son of the |
white men who have been the strength |
of true democracy stands without a |
vote at the ballot box. They slaughter
the suffrage of the son whose father
they dare not openly attack.
(d) In that this suffrage amend
menL does not remove the negro from |
politics or settle the negro question in |
North Carolina.
(e) In that every voter who has not |
paid his poll tax as much as five |
months before the State election and |
eight months before the national cleo |
ton, shall be disfranchised as much as
II he were convicted of felony or were |
an ignorant negro. The purpose of |
this provision is not only to disfran-
Chise every good honest citizen who |
unfortunately cannot pay his taxes by
the first of March preceding the cleo
ton, but further TO try to bride the vo-
ter to surrender his suffrage at the ex-
pense of the public school fund of the
state, which is derived from poll taxes
There Turks behind this proposition q
still greater danger to the public
schools of the State, for with the adop-
tion of the amendmenG the opponents
of free schools In North Carolina will
ut once raise the cry that every dollar
raised for public instruction means the
increase of the number of negro vO-
ters, and thus the poor white mans
son Will be chained in bondage of ig-
nOranCe and disfranchissd to prevent
the education of the negro voter.
There is no white supremacy In this.
The constitutional question pre-
sented by the proposed amendment is
one that must be determined by the
Judgment and conscience of each indi-
vidual voter. Therefore, we do not
make lt party question. We state the
evils and dangers and leave the voters
of all parties 20 pass their verdict in
the light of these facts. The question
is above party, and no one should be
more active and anxious in our judg-
ment TO defeat it than the rank and |
file of the Democratic MARTY
The Peoples Party is and has always |
been more distinctly than any other
party In North Carolina white mans |
party, and is more anxious than any
other party to solve the race problem,
and TO force all parties to q discussion |
OF the great economic issues so vitality |
affecting the welfare Of all wealth pro-
ducers of the State and nation and de-
Cency in politics.
Therefore, we propose in lieu of this |
dangerous amendment, the best solu- |
ton "f the race question that is possi- |
BILE long as the 18th amendment to |
the institution of the United States |
stan IA solution which deprives no |
&.whit maa 10 MI. CarOlina now or |
N~e-Ts fter of hl' [ of suffrage, to-
i, Mad Section 8, Art. of the Con
! id Hen OF North Carolina by insert
aIKnoF- me Disqualification for
cMAumerated therein, the follow
c~; All negroes and all persons |
oAp descent to the third genera
uKQlusive.
49, Democratic Legislature which |
aNFn June Will offer this safe. con-
JlBnal and Wholesome amendment |
~ .N0f the present scheme it will |
Dur hearty support. AZ they will |
n " appeal TO the people to rally to |
IN AhistAnce to elect q Legislature |
I'd TO support such an anne nd I,
kcou graduate the people If North
ma upon the decision of the State
tWms Court IN the case of Harris
NkIght LI2l N. @ r l72A heclar.