The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-21
AMENDMENT in
NORTH CAROLINA II |.
A Big Fight Over the DISTINGUISHING
Clause.
SOME PECULIAR CONDITIONS,
Pcoplc in Eastern Portion OF State are
Hot After Its Adoption, and the
Western Counties arc Indiffcr-
ent or Opposed TO II.

rs +
ent or Opposed TO II.
CHARLOTTE, n. c.. Jan. oo.-SpeciaL
Nser.al Carolina will have a fierce point
icaI battle this year over the proposed
constitutional amendments. The cam
pa!En has just opened and tho election
Will be held in August Though many
able politicians consider the auoptlon OF
amendments certain. others kno" that
the Democratic party Of the State has
before 1t the hardest fight Of its exls-
on with and rope into line.
The geographical conditions OIL No1th
Carolina are widely different, and polltl-
: cal conditions differ accordingly. IN the
eastern part of the State the colored pop
ulation outnunbcrs the white, Whcre III
the west negroes are scarce
BURDEN OF NEGRO M1sRuLE
-fb,. ->eo;,ic of the eastern counties have
felt the burden of negro misrule, while
tho people OF the eastern counties nave
only heard Of 1t. Hence, most all OF The
white people in the east are enthusiast
=caiiy in favor of The proposed amend
1nent. waite in the west many good DEM
ocrats are Indifferent. In fact. some
western Democrats are positively oppos-
ed to The measure.
There will be no doubt as to how the
eastern counties will vote. The amend
,nent will carry in almost every one. The
best white people are determined TO WIN
at the polls. and they will at all hazards.
il is there that negro rule, such as exist
cd under che fusion regime OF 1886 ana
1897. hurts
WHITES UNITED.
Excepting Il few scurvy Republican
politicians. the white people are united.
They are in earnest. 1t means protec-
ton to home and property. But in the
western anS.,,niddle counties the situation
is very d 8 arent The negro is In the
minority and therefore gives very little
trouble as far as politics are concerned
In some of the mountain counties his
vote is not even considered. Negro DOM
iration is not feared, hence THE hSht
there will be most difficult Hundreds OF
good men are lukewarm and 1t will take
great tact and able work to arouse SUI
1icient enthusiasm TO cause such men to
go TO the ballot box even. They have not
and do not expect to feel the direct in
fuence of negro rule.
WHlSKEY ELEMENT.
Then there is the whskey clement in
the State. The last Legislature, COM
1ro11ed by Democrats, gave many towns
dispensaifies. In TRUTH at one time 1t
looked as IL The whole State would have
dispensaries instead of licensed saloons.
AS a result the whiskey-dea!ers of the
State are in doubt as TO what policy
they should pursue in the coming cam
yaign. Many fear State dispensarT, or
even prohibition, if the negro voting ele-
ment Is eliminated. it is certain that the
majority Of the saloon-keepers and their
help throughout the State are indifferent,
and in some cases bitterly opposed to the
measure For they feei that they will
endanSer their pocket-hooks by voting
the negro out of politics. 1t will take
careful work TO induce the whiskey ele-
1nent to vote for the amendment
lLLITERATE WHITES.
The illiterate white vote will have to be
retkoped with by the Democrats. Some
already fear final disfranchisement on
the basis of an educational qualification.
Though the amendment plainly reads: :
SEC. 5.-No male person who was, on
January /. 1867, or at any time prior
thereto, entitled to vote under the laws
of amy State in the United States where
IN he then resided, and no .ineal descend-
ant of any such person, shall be denied
the right to register and vote at any
election in this State by reason Of his
failure to possess the educational quail
1icaiions prescribed in section OF this
article: Provided he shall have registered
in accordance with the terms Of this sec
tio,; prior to December l. 1908. The Cen
eral Assembly shall provide for perma-
1!cnt record Of all persons who register
under this section on or before November
]. 1905, and all such persons shall be en-
titled to register and vote at all elections
by the people in this State, unless dis:
qualified under section 9 OF this article:
Provided. such persons shall have paid
their poll-tax as required by law.
And for his sake alone it was SO made
TO read.
BITTERLY FOUGHT.
The above section will be bitterly
fought by the Republicans. It is called
-lhe Grandfather Clause" The ;lliterate
white voter will be told that he will not
be allowed to vote if the negro is dis
franchised regardless Of the above. The
negro will be told of how ne is to be
kept from voting while The illiterate
white man is allowed suffrage.
OF course, as a rule. the Republicans
arc against the amendment They VIII
appeal to illiterate white voters and the
negroes with great zeal and force. Every
county Will be visited by the speakers
and worked closely by the local politi-
clans. The illiteTate white element III
North Carolina is large. IL II can De
aroused and made to believe and vote as
The Republicans dictate, great would be
the loss to the Democratic party.
THE POpuLJSTS.
Tie Populis;s. though thoroughly dis
organized now. may rally around Sena-
TOR Butter. their idol. and make u bold
tight against, the amendment. The rank
and file of the Fopulist party claim to be
An favor of the amendment, but dead
against the new election law. To swal-
low one would meal, both. SO that vote
is doubtful. Most OF the Populists with
whom the writer has talked recently, will
vote against the amendment if they must
also vote for the proposed election law.
Such is the situation at the beginning
of the campaign. II a hard and brilliant
fight is made by the Democrats. under
the leadership of a powerful politician
like Chairman Simmons. the amendment
will carry. Pritchard is leaI:.ng the Re-
publicans and Butler the Popu1isis.
PI!tcha.d Is .. shrewd, untirins political
worker. bu; he loses his head at the
1,t