The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-04-17
ADVOCATES THE AMENDMENT.

lam very deeply interested in the
success of the effort to secure a linn
tied suffrage to the negroes in North
Carolina, by the adoption of the pro-
posed Constitutional amendment. I
am fully persuaded it would prove d
great blessing to the State Of North
Carolina, to all of its citizens, includ-
ing the negroes.
I have been sOjOurning in South
Carolina, my native State, for about
two months, and see the great bene-
fit to all classes of its people, negroes
included, from the practical retire
ment of the negro from political in
fuence and power. This was vir-
tuaIly done by the great revolution
in 1876, which wrested the power
from the negroes and their leaders,
and vested it in the white people,
For sometime the whites retained
the political power by the entire con
troll of the election machinery. The
management of the election was en-
tirely in the hands of the Democratic
party. The law required that there
should be a separate box for the re
ceptiOn of each vote for Il candidate
for any particular office. Each box
was to be marked for Governor,
MISUNDERSTANDING, for Senator,
fnr mann hnT- Of 4In InT1Cn md +1D
law provided hat in any ase if the
ballot was not deposited i'll the right
box it was invalidated. 1t also pro
vided that each voter should deposit
his ballot in person, with no One
near him. As Il result i~lliterate per
sons could not vote, unless the man
ayers of the election chose to give in
formation as to the right box in
which to deposit each ballot. As Il
result ~illiterate voters whose votes
were not desired were practically de
barred from voting. There were
grave objections to this system, and
many thought that it was unwiSe to
hazard its continuance III case Of
division among the whites. To fully
secure the victory that had wrestcd
the power from the ignorant and in
competent negroes and their self
seeking leaders, the amendment to
the Constitution, which [ give below,
was adopted.
RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE.
"SectiOn l. All elections by the
people shall be by ballot, and elections
shall never be held or the ballots
counted in secret.
Sec. II. Every qualified e~Iector
shall be eligible to any office to be
voted for, unless disqualified by age,
as prescribed in this Constitution.
But no person shall hold two offices
Of honor or profit at the same time.
Provided, That any person holding
another office may at the same time
be an office in the militia or notary
public.
Sec. III. Every male citizen of this
State and of the United States u
years of age and upwards, not labor
ing under the disabilities named in
this Constitution and possessing the
qualifications required by it, shall be
an elector.
Sec. ". The qualifications for
suffrage shall be as follows:
(a) Residence in the State for two
years, in the county one year; in the
polling precinct in which the elector
offers to vote four months, and the
payment six months before any cleo,
ton of any poll tax then due and pay,
able. Provided That ministers in
charge of an organized church and
teachers of public schools shall be en-.
titled to vote after six months resi-
dence in the State, otherwise quail
fed.
CD Registration, which shall pro
vide for the enrolment of every
electOr once in ten years, and also al
enrolment during each and every
year Of every elector not previously
registered under the provisions OF
| this article.
Co Up to January LIST, 1898, al
male persons of voting age applying
/ for registration who can read any