The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-05-31

We have quoted SO freely on this
head because the effort is being made
by the opponents of our amendment
to create the impression that it will
disfranchise white men who cannot
read and write. apparently oblivious
of the fact that no Democrat would
be fool enough to advocate a measure
that would disfranchise Democrats,
and deprive his party of the votes of
white men on which it depends for
success. The Democrats of Louisiana
didn't do that; the Democrats Of
North Carolina would not do it, nor
would the Democrats of any other
Southern State, for the Democratic
party was and is the white mans
party and has depended and must de-
pend upon the votes of white men.
AS further testimony to the work
ing of the grandfather clause" we
quote from the interview with Hon.
Jared II. Sanders, for twenty years a
member of the Legislature, of which
he is now speaker, and a member of
the constitutional convention, in
which he made one of the most power
full speeches made in that body in ad-
vocacv of the "grandfather clause"
Being asked by Mr.. Daniels how it
worked he replied:
"How does it work? | know hundreds
OF white men who cannot read and write
who vote and vote intelligently. They
vote now just as well as they did before
| the Constitutional amendment was
adopted, and now they are not in danger
| OF an unworthy negros voting to kill
their vote. They vote and their vote
counts, | live in st. Mary's parish. the
| home OF the three big party leaders, Gov
| ernor Foster, Democratic leader; Mr..
Pharr, who was the Populist candidate
for Governor in 1896. and their leader;
and Senator Cafferey, leader of the Gold
Democrats The parish has a large negro
| population, but in the recent April cleo
ton only three negroes registered, and
| only one of them voted. and he claims to
be an Indian. We east as big II white
vote as ever. There was no discrimina-
ton. educated and uneducated white
men voted, and it was hot fight be-
tween white men. In 1896 there We're
| about 5000 negroes who voted in this
parish. There was absolutely no intim-
idatiOn and the election was perfectly
fair. With such leaders as Senator CAT
ferey and Captain Pharr against us, we
had a hard fight to win, but elected our
entire ticket. Before the election some of
our opponents talked about fraud, etc,
but they were given representation at all
| election precincts and they cannot say a
word now except that upon an appeal to
the white electorate of the parish they
We're defeated.
The negroes took no interest in the
election as is shown from the fact that
only three registered. The Fusionists did
not try to help the negroes to vote They
knew that if many negroes voted their
ticket, it would unite the whites in op-
position. There was no complaint about
the vote and the better element of the
was adopted and d61fot 'ffesitata to say
So
Speaking of other parishes besides
st. Mary's, the one in which he lives,
Mr.. Daniels quotes the substance Of
| Mr.. Sanders testimony thus:
''Speaking of conditions in other par
ishes, Mr.. Sanders instanced the parish of
| Calcasieu. that borders on the State of
| Texas, which is largely populated by
Western white men, some OF whom are
| unable to read and write. They register
| ed under Section Y and voted ali right
| and voted the Democratic ticket mostly
| In the belt of counties embracing such
| parishes as Tensas. Concordia. East Car
roll and Madison, the negro vote before
the amendment was adopted amounted
| to between 10000 and $4,000. Under
the new Constitution there We're not more
| than twenty negro votes cast, and in
| those parishes there We're not to exceed
| 300 white votes registered and cast y
We see by the testimony Of En-
| Governor Foster. Governor Heard,
| General JaStrem>ki, Mr. Sanders and
others that instead of DISTINGUISHING
| any native white man or any other
reputable white man who has in him
the elements of good citizenship, it
ensures them the ballot and makes
the ''grandf .ther clause" roll of
honor, upon which many of the best
and most prominent citizens of the
State. we'll educated, are enrolled. 1t
elevates the white voter because it
frees him from attending political
meetings and mixing with negroes OF
coming into collision with them, and
from walking to the polls alongside
of negro to cast his vote and have
that vote when cast nnlliiied by the
vote Of a sable denizen, who knew no
more of the Importance of what he
was doing than a gorilla would if he
were in the same place. BY elini-
mating this element the ballot is dig.
nifed and the men who cast it have
more respect for it.
AS it is in Louisiana so it will be in
North Carolina, where every native
white man who is of age now or viii
come of age before the amendment i.
voted upon will be a voter and con
tinue to be 4 voter. as will every
white resident Of this State from
other States or other countries who
is now entitled to the ballot. 1t dis
franchises no white man and will
hereafter disfranchise none who doe
not knowingly and voluntarily dis
franchise himself. There will be few
in North Carolina who will do tha
and those few will be persons who Sc
no value upon citizenship.
The man who asserts that thi
amendment will disfranchise an,
white North Carolnian by birth 0
adoption asserts what be knows to b
false and does so only to deceiv
others.
The Punctured Organ.