The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-05-17
pEsplEs pAsry plarfs1


The Peoples Party Convention
assembled In Raleigh, April lSsh.
reafdrms the principles set forth In
The Peoples Party Ma ional plat
form adop, ed 1t st. Louis In iS96
and instruct the delegates % the
Nstiouat Convsottons t Sioux Falls
May eth to vote for the nomination
Of Wrllisnf J. Bryan for Presidents
1 We commend the present state
Administration for It's high per
sonai and official integrity, and
challenge q comparison OF Its REQ
ord with any and all Of its preds-
cessofs. ~ ga
We ooudemn the Democratic Legis-
iature Of 1899 for it, extTavsgant sx-
penditures OF pubic money Amounting
to 4l,50. ,785.76 in 1889, - opposed %
1888 971.ll, expended BY the preoed-
eng Legislature, IN excess OF $3t0r
794 65. not including the sum OF $l0O,
no for public education nor the e63s1 40
rfoF purchase Of State farms.
. We further condemn. .aid Leg1sae.
lare for the careless laundering and.
careless legislation, including nose
xroes bluDd~rs snd demonstrations
avs than ever. before enacted by any
General Assembly in North Caroiina.
We further denOunce the machine
leaders of the Democratic party for
laying the whip on the backs OF the
Democratic Legislature and forcing
hem into enactiDg and submitting
iisfrahchising constitutional amend
ment in violation Of the solemn
pledges of the party, made not only
,ficially in their campaign handbook
bus by members of the General Assem-
oily and other Democratic candidates
for ofiice in their canvass before the
people. We den0unce them not only
iOr doing this in violation OF their
pledges, but also for submitting mea-
.ure most odiOus in form and danger.
Gus In effect. That General Assembly
oeiDg com posed of some Of the best
awyers OF the party, must have
known, or 1T least had q reasonable
ioubt, not only as to the unconstitu-
iOnality Of the monstrOus provision OF
Section s, known Is the "grandfai her
| :lause'' in said amendment, but also
| Il the great danger of that unc0nstitu.
| 5ional sectional section falling, leav.
,ug the remainder of the amendment
% stand, thus disfranchising by an ed
ucationaI qualification ffty or sixty
! hOusand white voters Of North Caro-
ina, who in 1893 gave the Democratic
| party power IN the Legislature, and
| y hose ignorance IL no fault Of tfeir
.wn but is chargeable to the neglect OF
he Democratic party, which now seeks
| O aisiraBchise them and make their
gn.ranoe . crime alongsids that OF
he fel0n. - ::
But even il the proposed amendment
| we're not unconstitutional las 1t clear
| y is), still it is especially objection
.ble in the following particulars:
+ (a) In that it ,gnifies with the right
Y suffrage the most vicious, trouble"
.ome .anp obnoxious class OF the negro
and completely disfrsn.
+hises the most fan, hfui kindly and or
,erIy element of that race.
/ (b) In that, " lille clamOriDg TO" white
4.ut a. macy and declaring that no white
Ian shall be disfraDohised under this
amendments, they have 50 written their
mendment that every white boy BE-
s:omipK ofsage after 1908 stands on the
anne footing with the negro, and car
lot vote unless he is able to read and
write.
lc) IN that by the latter provision
I hey have made it possible for The ed
cated negro after 1908 to cast bis bal
vt while the unfortunate son OF TIT
shite men who have been the strength
i { true democracy stands without
vote at the ballot box. They slaughter
be Suffrage of the son whose father
hey dare not openly attack. -, -
| (d). In that this suffrage amend
meut does not remove the negro from
litics or settle the negro question ii
North Carolina.
(e) 10 that every voter who has no
Jaid his poll tax as much as nv
| nonths before the State election AM
light mont hs before the national cleo
ion, shall be disfrsnchised as much q
he were convicted Of felony or wef
N ignorant negro. The purpose o
this provision is not only to disffan
:hise every good honest citizen VIII
unfortunately cannot pay his taxes b.
he first of March preceding the cleo
Ion, but further to try to bride the vO
er to surrender his suffrage at the e1
, pense of the public school fund of tb
| ,tate, which is derived from poll taxei
| There lufks behind this proposition
.tiH greater danger to the publ
schools of the State, for with the adOp
Ion of the amendment the opponent
4 free schools In North Carolina Wi
1t once raise the cry that every dolla
raised for public instruction means th
sncrease of the number Of negro vo
sers, and thus; the poor white man
on will be chained in bondage of iR
torrance and disfranchis>d to proven
he education Of the negro. vOtel
There IL no white supremacy IN this.
: ~~-Fhe constitutionals@qaestion4-pfe
sented by the proposed Amendment
5ne that must be determined by til
Judgment and conscience Of each ind
vidual voter. Therefore, We do nc
make il = party qnestin9. We state "a
/. .ylls and dangers and leave the voter
pfall parties 20 pass their verdict
he light Of these facts. The questiO
t.s above party, and no one should D
! mora active and anxious in our juds
'nent 70 defeat it than the rank IN
! lie Of the Democratic party.
: The Peoples Party ID and has AWAY
!, h0en more distinotlv than any 01rl1e