The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-02-01

which the exclusion Of the colo"ed
| population from the basis Of app0r-
| t,onment would entail But the If
| teentn amendment took away abso.
lrtely from the State the power to ex-
! clude the negro from suffrage. and
/ therefore the second section Of the
! fourteenth amendment can refer only
10 those other disquahficaticns, never
likely to be applied, by which a State
might lessen her voting population by
! basing the right o. suffrage OIL the
| ownership Cf real estate, or on the
/ possession Of a fixed income, or upon
certain degree O. education. or upon
nativity Or religious creed Ii is still
| in the power CT the States to apply
any one Of these tests or all Of them, if
wiling to hazard the penalty pre-
scribed in the fourteenth amendment -
| This is q complete answer to the
statement made by the Senator froIn
! Alabama, and leaves no doubt as to the
! proper construction to be placed upon
! the amendments.
! IN view OF the fact that this resolu-
| tiCn relates to the question as to
whether or not the Constitution OF the
/ United States, has been violated by
constitutional enactment by certain.
States, about which We may be called
upon at any time to legslate, l assume
| that no One will CGTtrOyert the prCp0-
! siti0n that this body has Jurisdiction
CT the subject to which it relates. In
| considering the question the inquiry
naturally arises as to whether or not
any State has adopted as a part Of its
constitutlcn Or by legislative enact
ment done that which is calculated to
deprive any Of It's citizens cc the privi-
lege5 TO which they are entitled under
the Constitution Ct the United States.
| am prepared to show that number
Of States have attempted, by constitu-
tional enactment, to deprive a certain
class of citizens residing therein Of
privileges that are v0uchs9f6d to them
by the fourteenth and fifteenth amend
ments to the Constitution.
| The State OF Louisiana has already
| adopted as 2n amendment to her con-
Sti,utiCn a provision which is i'm con.
traventiOn OF the fourteenth and fif-
teenth amendments to the Constitution
of the United States, in that it dis
terminates against 4 certain class of
citizens o. that State to such an ex-
tent as to deprive them of the privi-
Ilege5 that are guaranteed to other citi-
, ,zens who are similarly situated. There
are ether States that have adopted
provisions that are equally repugnant
to the amendment in question.
| | call attention to the fact that the
Democratic party in the State which
have the honor in part to represent is
attempting to secure the adoption of a
proposition to amend our constitution
that is in many respects similar to the
one which has been adopted by the peo-
pie OF the State Of Louisiana.
| The Constitution Of the United States
is not only intended for our guidance
as representatives CT the people, but
! it is consigned to the care and keeping
of Congress, and it is the duty of every
member OF this body TO guard with
Jealous care each CT it's provisions and
at all times to see that the principles
enunciated therein are maintained and
upheld in the spirit in which they were
adopted.
Recognizing this fact, and realizing
the responsibility that rests upon me
as member of this body, feel that
would be reicIleant to the trust i'm
posed in me were | to remain silent
and without protest permit the Demo
cratic party CT North Carolina tC
adopt a policy that will ultimately re-
suit in the curtailment OF our repre-
sentation in the House Of Represen-
tatives and in the Electoral College
What is it that enables the States OF
New York, Chic Pennsylvania. and In
i diana to exert such a wonderful influ
ence in the House CT Representative
lis it not due to their numerical
strength in that body? The greater
the numerical strength Of State in tht
IHouse of Representatives the greater
Influence that State will be able tC
leXercise in our national council.
| 1t has cften been asserted that the
Republican parity forced negro suffrage
upon the South. This proposition i:
erroneous. l am prepared to shoa
that the Demo era tic party Of the Soptl
is in q great measure responsible fol
the enfranchisemen OF the negro. I
will be remembered that the Howard
amendment. which among other thin 8:
provided that the Southern State
should resume representation in Con
gress, did not undertake to place any
restriction upon the States with re
ispect to the elective franchise. il onl,
undertook to fix the status OF citizen
lship in each of the States, and, anon:
other safeguards, provided that as Ions
as the negro was denied the right Il
vote he should not be, counted in th'
Federal enumeration.
, The Howard amendment was re
|jected by all of the Southern State,
with the exception OF Tennessee. Tit
Legislature OF North Carolina votsi
almost unanimously to reject it. I d,
not propose to discuss the question a.
to whether or not the adoption of tn
! fifteenth amendment was the prope'
course to pursue at that time. Tha
lquestion has been settled by the peopl
, OF the United States, and the fifteenth
amendment is as much a part of TIL
Constitution of the United States a
, any other amendment thereto. | fin,
!, by an examination of the Legislative
/, Journals OF my State that ex-t. v6l
: Thomas ]. Jarvis, leading De !,
!, together with the Hon. James l.. Rob
1, iGson, who was at one time electe.
lieutenant governor OF North Carolin