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

uSsL1Al NGO. Ike lASieton. NO1s1 CASt
reflection upon them and deprive them
OF thsir ii5er'y - Tariei1a proposed
th2. they mCst no; forgrt thr fsct IN;
although they may TO; ~ able 10 read
and write they can make THEN marks
when < comes TO the qu- .iSn OF de-
privl-g them o: the i5t:-.es fer watch
iA6tr ancestors fought n Cowpens Il
Is the poor AMI lh.ieraie c,lSScs O. oui
people VINO perform the create po--
lon ot the public duties required by
che Safe.
In time 0. pease they are required -
pay poll tax and work she roa.lS. and
in time of WAT they sl-ri.ce their
heath and risk their lives IN de,,1se
.. our people. The State OF North
ClICl!na has Eoi afforded her citizens
proper aircAsional flclii;.es in the
past. ard as resul; we have a large
psr cen, = llliteracy; and the Demo
eraLc party. having been in Ocu.rol of
the St1.e for greater pO.t.Ca of The
time since the war. IS responsible for
this iepforable condition o, affairs.
and r. is cruel ani inhumln in the
.e1iers o. that party 10 at;emp. 10
punish our people tor that which they
can not help.
4. | call Attention 10 the following le.-
ter written by Prof c. II. Mebane. su-
ps,!ntenGsr. OF public destruction g,
the State CT NcT.h Carolina. This let
ts- Cl-a.,y indicates the dep'c: p Die
coE1isicn OF the public sohcol system
in North Carolina Among che
things II discloscs the tac; that % D.
cent. CO the white population are un-
able TO read ani write. We can no;
hope 10 reduce the percentage Of Hit
eracy of that State in any app-eci hle
degree. with our present school facili-
ies. between now and D6cem1e-. 1905
the period at which time IL is provided
the proposed amendment shall apply
10 white as well as colored people.
Nj. Ne5ane in his letter says:
In Ie:,ly TO your letter. Will sag 10
illiJeracy | can only give you the
figures taken from the Census Reports
Of 1890. which are as follows:
Ill!teracy Z. the whole population Of
North Carolina. sc per cert. illiteiTcy
Cf white population. 23 per cent. Illit-
eI3cy Of colored population, 60 pc.
CEN. Percentage @; sChco! children IN
North Carolina according 10 Eiuca-
tiol-l Report of this Department en-
rolled in schools was in 1898. o. 2-lG
white and Ga 40 colored. Percentage
OF school population in average az
tendance On school was in 1898. white
"a 10; colorei. 80 $40 per cent.
Average length of school terms ia
weeks or dlyS was in 1883. white
II Is weeks. or Il days: FOR oolc15d
- 4-5 weeks. or 6i days. Total expen-
dituIe for schools for the school year
ending June 30. 1899. was 1886, 6,s0l
Number CT in5olvent white polls was
2007G. Number OF insolyent colored
polls WIS 1928.
Massachusetts, has abolt nine and
one-half months OF public schccl. 1aeir
term for the entire State will ave, age
this. IN North Carolina the term will
only average about three and oEe-lall
months.
we spend 1886 900 for three AMI one
hall moEi,hs school, and this pays only
salary to teachers Of an average o.
ab3ut S25 par month.
Even at the low prices paid teachers
in order TO make our tenn equ1l "a
tEat cf Massachusetts,. VIC wSlld hlve
10 spend more than three times as
much as we CO now"
1t has been boldly proclaimed by
Chairman Simmons ard cher leaders
Of tne Doncclut-c party that the pro
posed amendment will not. il adopted
disfranch.se a single white voter in
the State Cs North Carolina. My
ask these gentlemen what IL 10 become
Of thzt unfortunate class OF our white
people who are unable to pay their
poll tax in consequence thereof have
bsel plIced on the insolveEt ist? The
f3ct that they are unable. by sickness
poverty, CT otherwise. to pay theiI
pcll tax should not be taken advan;-
age OF by the lawmakers ot our State
for the purpose of degrading them in
the estimation cs the public:
know Ct many citizens whose
names are on the insolvent list whose
character and standing is as good in
every respect as that of the gentlemen
who have submitted the proposed
amendment 10 the constitution CT OIL
State. and /. fer one. will never Civ;
my consent to proposition which IN!
fer is c5jec: the humiliation and de
gTai2,:on CT those unfortunate peo
pie.
This does not include the many nun
dreds and thousands who-Dy neglec
or oversight fail to Pay their poll -,
sd far in advance as tha1st OF March
! The Democrats Jf North CaTolina at
tempt ID justly their actions IN re-
gard ID the pTop5sei amendment bl
asserting thar7chey fear negro domi
nation. According "a the census o
( 1890 our population was .o1I,9ii' and
OF :iat population only $4,000 wer'
negroes; and | am sure tLat ]! a cen
sus could he taken a. this time il wouiS
disclose the fact that the white people
outnumher the negro in greater pro
portion than they did in 1880. Accord
! ing TO the Census OF 1890 the white
outnumbe-ed the negroes more thai
( two 10 one. and no Intelligent cit.ZeI
can be induced to believe that twt
wi:.e Norsh Carolinians are in DANCE
/ Of being dominated by one negro.
| Il is absurd 70 contend that there !;
I any danger C negro domin2@on IL
North Carolina. In the very nature o
things ii can not be. From the car
lies. dawn If civilization to this goo
hour the great white race has given &
the world its history, its philosophy
It's laws, ius government, and lis Chris
tsanity, and il will continue 20 do 20
The colcred people OF my State in In
main are conservative and well be
hayed. They have never acted often
s.e.y. Tor hive t5ey s-sSwn dispod
ton ID interfere with the white peopl
in the management or the States az
fairs. II Is true that there are som
exceptions, bI. in no instance has III
contct O. the negro been Of such :
nature as TO challenge the serious con
sideration OF the white people. j TAX
il that no ore viii seriously conten'
that there Is or ever was the slighteS
danger OF the St2ee government ,
North Carolina being dominated o
controlled by the cclored people.
| Il has often been contended by ii
Democrats that there are not mcr
than 10000 white Republicans i
North Carolirti. ! have made a care
full poll of the white Republicans in tn
State, ard / am prepared 70 show b.
documentary evidence that can not o
4 IN M