Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-02-15

10 Be Made So By the Adoption of The
Constitutional Amendment

uDUeT the bIH section MS name
placed upon the permanent registra-
tion roll and he Is forever thereafter
permitted to register from that roll
Let me read you the provisions of the
amendment with refernce to registra-
tiCn
Farmer: Il see 1t is very simple
ard it is perfectly plain 70 me now
that the effect Of the amendment Will
be tc disfranchisc the ignorant negro
vote without disfranch sing the uned-
ucated white men of the State"
Business Man: You have hit the
nail on the head. That will be the
exact effect of the amendment II is
a carefully prepared constitutional
plan fer getting rid of the ignorant
and irresponsible negro vote without
depriving any white man Of his vote. :
Farmer: Why. that's just what We
white people want isn't it?'
Business Man: THAT is certainly
what all white men who respect their
race and families. and love. and honor
their STATE. ought tn want. 1t will he
good thing for the negro also be-
cause he has always used the ballot
recklesslv and against the best interest
Of his race as we'll as the best interest
Of the State. | nave considered this
question thoroughly. and | am satisfied
thai this amendment jc the only per
fanent remedy and that it is a COM
manent remedy against the possible re
cnrrence Of negro rule in North Caro-
lima such as we had here in 1868 and
in 1897"
Farmer: We'll, well re-: ;:.;st to
n bot +Io Il
tle revenue officers have been telling
the people. Had you heard before that
they were telling that the amendment
would disfranchise the uneducated
whites? -
Business Man: "Oh, yes, they have
Eeen trying to deceive the people by
telling that as we'll as many ether
falsehCod- The mean white leaders of
t1e negroes see the offices that the ne
groes have given them about to be
taken from them and they are des-
perate. These fellows are opposed to
the amendment. because they know it
VIII dlSfranchi@e the ignorant negro
without disfranchising uneducated
whites. Their anxiety is on account of
the negro vote. not the white vote"
Farmer: BY the way. | want to ask
Eou right here is there any property
qualification in the amendment? One
of those Revenue fellows-I believe he
said he was i deputy marshal-any
how he talked and moved around
:ghty pompously-was down my way
lately telling il around that the
amendment provided that no one could
vote unless he WAS worth $3.50 and
Cne man present said he had sear
that statement in a Republican paper
How about thiS?''
Business Man: Yes. understand
tie opponents Of the amendment have
been circulating that falsehood broad
cast. OF course they know if the peo-
pie should read the literature the DEM
ocraIs will send out. or go to hear
Democratic speakers. they will learn
that all such runners are false. The
idea Of the unscrupulous fellows who
ale circulating these bold faiSehoods Is
TO try and get the poor and unedu
Gated white people so prejudced and
biased agans: the amendment that
they Will not read this Democrat lit
erature or go to hear Democrat speak
e.> Now let me read the Wnole
amendment to YOU. There is not. as
YOU see. one word in il that requires
a property qualification. and a PENN
les white man has the same right %
vote under it hat the richest man in
the State has
Farmer: we'll, that nails another
one of their lies. It was whopper.
too wasn't ito
Business Man: Eyes, that was a
pretty reckless attempt to deceive tha
people But | am very much interest
ed in what YOU have told me about the
misrepresentdtiuns these Revenue Of
fcerS are making - the people Do
YOU remember anything else they are
telling your people, for they al sav
about the same thing
Farmer: You are right: they do
all LAY about the same thing. and i
looks like they were talking under or
ders. since / come to think OF il.
wonder what that deputy marshal was
doing OH. our NAY any how. He didn,t
arrest anybody c. serve any papers.
Wonder if he wasn't sent ont 10 talk
down the amendment2 Well YES. II
did say .-Omet ling else besides what
have tol4 you and | have heard other
Republicans say the same thing. te
said that what h. called the Grand
father section of the amendmen
wasn't any account any how and that
the state Republican supreme Court
would knock it out OF the amendment
and even If th supreme Court Of thC
United States nu. il back and sustain
ed the vale thing. the uneducater
whites could only Tote under IL
amendment until 1905 and il they &C
II- r