The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-04-19
PEOPLES PARTY PLATFORM
Adopted Unanimously In Convention,
April 18th. 1900.


reaffirms the principles set forth in
the Peoples Party National plat
form adopted at st. Louis in 1896,
an instructs the delegates to the
National Convention at Sioux Falls
May 9th to vote for the nomination
OF William J. Bryan for President.
We commend the present State
Administration for it's high per-
sonal and official integrity, and
challenge a comparison Of it's rec
ord with any and all OF it's prede-
Cessors.
We condemn the Democratic Legis-
lature of 1899 for It's extravagant ex-
pendtUres OF pubic money amounting
to $l,59I,765.76 in 1899, as opposed to
81 2S3,97lll, expended by the preced-
ing Legislature, an excess of $780,
794 So, not including the sum of $780,
QUO for public education nor the S63 $50
for purchase Of State farms.
We further condemn aid Legisla-
tire for the careless laundering and
careless legislation, including more
gross plumbers and unconstitutional
laws than ever before enacted by any
General Assembly in North Carolina.
leaders of the Democratic party for
laying the whip on the backs of the
Democratic Legislature and forcing
them into enaCting and submitting a
DISTINGUISHING constitutional amend
ment in violation OF the solemn
pledges OF the party, made not only
officially in their campaign handbook
but by members of the General Assem-.
bly, and other Democratic candidates
for office in their canvass before the
people. We denounCe them not only
for doing this in violation of their
pledges, but also for submitting mea-
sure most odiOus in form and danger
Gus In effect. That General Assembly
being composed of some of the b st
lawyers of the party, must have
known, or at least had reasonable
doubt, not only as to the unconstitu-
tionality of the monstrous provision Of
Section 5, known as the grandfather
clause" in said amendment, but also
of the great danger of that uncOnstitu-
tional sectional section falling, leav-
ing the remainder of the amendment
to stand, thus DISTINGUISHING by an ed
ucational qualification fifty or sixty
thousand white voters of North Caro-
lima, who in 1898 gave the Democratic
party power In the Legislature, and
whose ignorance is no fault of their
own but is chargeable to the neglect of
the Democratic party, which now seeks
to disfranchise them and make their
ignorance a crime alongside that CT
the felon.
But even if the proposed amendment
were not unconstitutional Gas it clear
ly isl, still it is especially objection
able in the following particulars:
(a) In that it dignifies with the right
of suffrage the most vicious, trouble
some ana obnoxious class of the negro
population, and completely disfran
Chises the most faithful, kindly and Or
derby element of that race.
(b) In that, whIfe clamoriDg for white
supremacy and declaring that no white
man shall be disfranchised under this
amendment, they have so written their
amendment that every white boy be-
coming of age after 1908 stands on the
same footing with the negro, and car
not vote unless he is able to read and
write.
(c) In that by the latter provision
they have made it possible for the ed
ucated negro after zoos to cast his bal
lot while the unfortunate son of the
white men who have been the strength
of true democracy stands without q
vote at the ballot box. They slaughter
the suffrage of the son whose father
they dare not openly attack.
(d) In that this suffrage amend,
ment does not remove the negro from
politics or settle the negro question il
North Carolina.
(e) Ia that every voter who has moi
paid his poll tax as much as five
To oil iRr IN
eight months before the national cleo
ton, shall be DISTINGUISHED as much Is
if he were convicted of felony or were
an ignorant negro. The purpose of
this provision is not only to disfran
chise every good honest citizen who
unfortunately cannot pay his taxes BY
the first of March preceding the cleo
ton, but further to try to bride the vo
ter TO surrender his suffrage at the ex
pense of the public school fund of TIT
State, which is derived from poll taxes
There Turks behind this proposition 1
still greater danger to the public
schools of this State, for with the adOp
tion of the amendment the opponent:
of free schools In North Carolina will
at once raise the cry that every dollar
raised for public instruction means tn
increase of the number of negro vO
tiers, and thus the poor white man
son will be chained in bondage OF liz
norance and disfranchissd to proven
the education of the negro voter
There is no white supremacy In this.
The constitutional question pre-
scented by the proposed amendment
one that must be determined by tn
Judgment and conscience of each indi
vidual voter. Therefore, we do no
La ~ rot a
avis and dangers and leave the voter
obf all parties to pass their verdict i
N1he light of these facts. The question
is above party, and no one should
more active and anxious in our judg
&hent TO defeat It than the rank All
uhle Of the Democratic party.
The Peoples Party is and has alway
Vbeen more distinctly than any othe
pparty in North Carolina white man
Tty, and Is more anxious than an
ther party TO solve the race problem
Eknd to force all parties to a discussiO
L/thbf the great economic issues so VITAL
tlhffecting the welfare of all wealth pre-
ndlncers of the State aud nation and d,
pAcency in politics.
Al, Therefore, We propose in lieu of tn
dangerous amendment, the best soil
TSSion of the race question That is poss
VA< DC lOhk dS Juc Ibbu
he Constitution of the United Stat
Ands-a s)lution which deprives Z
ahkhite man in North Carolina now
hereafter of his right of suffrage, t.
wit:
Amend Section 8, Art. 6, of the Co
: SstitutioD of North Carolina by inser
No among the disquali6cations +
aIofhCe, enumerated therein, the folio,
cling, viz: All negroes and all person
oof negro descent to the third gener
tiOn Inclusive.
md If the Democratic Legislature viii
mneets in June Will offer this safe. CO
istitutional and wholesome amendme
n.inliieu of the present scheme it W
,fhave our hearty support. If they W
mot, we appeal 70 the people to rally
Tour assistance co elect q LegislatU
pledged to support such an amen
~ mani