Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-02-15
A[L WHITE MEN CAN VOTE
A Conversation Between a Business
Man and a farmer--No Property
Qualification.

Qu |CdllUN'
Farmer: = thought would drop II
and hay" a talk with YOU about the
amfndmeAt. know you always hecp
posted upon public questions. and The
pcoplc IN my ncighborhood are be-
coming very much interested III The
amendments | haven't been able t.
g-f copy cf the amendment, ana
;bout All We Know about it in out
~ gflbGsEo0d IS what We have read in
tho papcrs and heard from others.
i;n-ilics Man II ana very glad JoH
o4lleG i II tue generally stud
puhiic questions. especially those whicl
| con idCr important 10 the public Wei
fare am like you, ycIy much inter
catcd IN ne amendment ala have
studied il closely. haze few copies
~ if also some literature concerning
i which ! Will gladly divide with YOU
! sec from he papers that Mr. SIM
mons the chairman or orr party, IS
beginning to send ont some campa ign
literature, ana | suggest that you and
youl noighbor5 VINO wish Information
upon IN" amendment write to aim.
Farmer. 4 thank y0u for the copy
Of the ans ndment. | viii study K
carefully. bu There are some ques-
tian- HcsiiG III" to ask YOU about t
In tho 1T place. want to know If It
Is trHo that il viii disfrancliise the nc
gro
Rus moss Man. One Of the CHIEF
Objects uf tie amendmcnt is TO elimin-
.4+n : veil al "a
gro vctc Of thcState. II Will net di=fran-
chs" the cntirc negro vote, but it viii
disfrancai-c every negro who cannot
read and write any section Of the con
ttitutiGn in the English language #
"ou vii! read section Of he amend
ment YOU will SEQ this is true. There
arc y North Carolina certainly be-
fWc"n >0.o00 and 90.000 negroes Who
VII be disfranchiscd.
|2rmcr. Ynu AK those negrOe
who caIro. read and wrtd Will be dis
franchiHcd under section Of the
tAmcndmout VIII any unedueated ne
go be able II qualify himself to votA
under section AZ
Gusiue-. man Yes a few hun
..d reghap~. Those ncgroc. wnO arc
dc. eaded ieom the cld free negroes
wnu were allowed to vote prior TO the
Constitution of l>31. and th3se who
i" como MO thi. State from Stat es
whore ncsroea ceuld vote before 1851
can vote under thi. section think
no IDLY there are in the state between
ae0 and .op0 negroes who may qualify
Themselves under the provision Of tn,
18Th 81 t.en
fafmcg So much 80 good No.
L. me ask Won another question VIII
III amendment disfranchise the un-
caHeatcd white man ?"
business Man Why. certainly not
Ynr objcc' of he 5th section. com
monly called the Grandfather clause
5 10 forever protect tho entire body ot
tie nrninnatol white vote of tne
state IN their right 10 vote If yoy
VII tGd; liza. section yau Will SEQ Il
a,.aApijehcd ;hi9 purpose fully AND
aud admirably You VIII see that il
rNc. every White mn who registers
,nE NO before December 1st, 1908
ta" r.cHt - vote for all time there
aftgr thouAh H. mar never know 3
letrse ~ TIE hooh 4. become able (
we''e Wor3 NoN let me read thi,
~e,; 81 ta Nou can study it fur
ffer Nacl Yea - hamc.
Farmers IS hc law now stands
10 ono allowed Il vote unless he i.
registered understand that Will 5,
So also und"r the amendment Now
" Nau please explain . me the pro
tosS of registration under the amend
fentn"
Business Man viii do SC wi;i
plea are \ White man VINO can re:.t
and Wlite can register either under /.
All oF 5;h section \ white man wno
c9nue' rt,d or write. can register un
rs" t8c 18th section. because either n
ur his ancestors We're entitled 10 yCr,
src,tmc prior to January 1857 Bl
a negroes wee not allowed 10 vote
'Alsp. few negroes, as before OK
pltrsG. before January J. l>6.. neg :,
can ealy reg stcr under the ith sec
ttr showing 10 the satisfaction 0
f.e G'ztar that he can read an,
Vr,..
Fsnor That is all sight. and suit
n dot But LET me ask you. W !
az ,e4ueaIcd white man. # L.
amen mont passes nave 10 produce WI
re>ss~ before the registrar t. snow b..
r-ht 10 reg .Ster under section o.
Business Man: "Oh. no. certaini
Nc A> I'll white people could vot
t'foGe 81, his white skin viii pro !.
e .eht 10 registe~ under that sec
toN nNlo~s he is foreigner
nor viii all the educate
N1.ts register under section and Il
e. un,dncated whites register unda
section ;, if the amendment
aG0ptcde"
Business Man: No not necessarily
indeed i is expected that as man
educated whites will register unde
tAe 5JA section as under the ith sec
ton. In Louisiana whore they hat
~ amendment almost Identical vii