New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-15
THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE.
SENATOR PRITCHARD SHOWS HOW IT
is NULLIFIED IN SOUTH-AsKS Mr..
BRYAN II HE FAvORS ENFORCE
MENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENTS

In the following statement Senator J. c. Pr,..,.
ard. OF North Carolina. shows how the Souther,
States are violating the agreement under which
they were readmltted TO the Union BY their con-
sttutionaI amendments which disfranchiss ueEro4s-
The adoption Of the amendment 70 the State Con-
SttutiOn OF North Carolina which has for lts Or
another step on the part OF the Democracy az -
South in its efforts 70 nulhfy the Fourteenth and
United states. u ne
When the Southern States were readnltted ,u,,
vded fundamental condition precedent % their
toral College that neither OF the said States sHoud
ever amend its Constitution so as TO aoridge TIE
right Of any voter residing therein
While il Is contract that Is not binding IL
concerned at the same time it is an agreement srS
on the part Of the citizens OF those States that
cated In the Fifteenth Amendment II IS an oh-
@ PN wa!ep those o. Us 40 oe SOSsn OF Mason
The Democratic party Of the Nation in iS5-. after
clared in their party platform that they would o.
pose all efforts to reopen the questions growiay
and Fifteenth amendments.
the part of the Democratic leaders Of the s5uth 81
with the acqulescencs OF their party In the North
tbeV nave daDIa 1bo,,sas f Vbi @aqSass
Republicans OF the rights that are guaranteed them
by the Constitution Of the United States. Ths
process has been gradual but at the same time h
has been certain and eectuaL At hrst their efforts
were confined 10 states like South Carolina and
Louisiana but when they realized that they could
With impTnity dePEve the people OF Lher Tish,s
ed monster Of Violence and fratld Is prosc IrssI.
into States wherein heretofore We have had reason
as Eastern North Carolina is concernea. was a
roaring farce. and no Democrat can be found
expression OF the Will Of majority Of the voters
Fifty counties. containing considerably less than
half the white population OF the State and four
the amendment while forty-eigEt co1ntes con- 51
tanning more than half OF the white population and
only One-htth Of the negroes. gave 31s6 majority
against the amendment
North Carolina has not only deprived the eOlOrsd
man of the right TO have his vote cOuRted as east
nullfy the vote OF the white man who is IN favor
Of free institutions. These figures show that The
and that 1t IS resorted for the express purpose
OF eaaons tne DemocIaic party n Jas SCUM to
great economic and financial questions that ara
AS an evidence of rs neohseGe9 PS ea s,sp
ton to the fact that the Democratic party obtained
1876 and continued in power until 1855 duriag which
time there was no effort made BY II 20 deprive
by the Constitution Of the tinted States but stSsr
ers of the Democratic party that thousands OF
business men, well as farmers and laborsFs.
publicanism were best calculated TO promote the
ts le MesaTe 81 DS0G9 ana tRen N.Y. vas thai
OF negro domination BY use OF force and fraUdU-
Of affairs and securing the adoption OF an amend
ment TO our Constitution which is f3gTa4t viola
uon OF the Fnteenth Amendment 70 the Const!tu-
ton Of the United States. The situation is
that demands the earnest attention or
who is IN favor OF republican form % govern
ment.
The American people are confronted with the
proposition TO whether IL is duty a
Nation to enforce the Fifteenth Amendment to the
Constitution OF the United States. II we are NOT
to enforce the amendment IN question IL should
be abrogated at once. II would be unwise and
unjust to abrogate the Fifteenth Amendment. AMI
while the Democrats favor its repeal they are
afraid 70 say so in their platform
The Democratic party or the south wields a
great influence in the Electoral College as vel a.
in the House Of Representatives. by virtue or the
fact that our numerical strength is augmented by
counting the negro a citizen in the FEDERAL
enumeration Ii is unfair count the negro IN
the FederSl enumeration. and thereby Increase our
representation in Congress and In the Electoral
College. and then refuse 10 count his ballot
Ii is amusing to hear our Democratic friends talk
ABOUT the consent OF the governed" in view or
their conduct in North Carolina. South Carolina
and other Southern States wherein BY TssoFring
10 unlawful methods they have denied thousands
OF white and colored voters the rights suaran-
teed them by the Constitution
In that section we are confronted with the rank
Mr.. Bryan does not take time to condemn those
within our borders who deny the citizens Of the
United States the privileges and mmunitieS 20
which they entitled under the Constitution
which he has taken an oath time and again 20
maintain.
II is now in order for Mr.. BRYAN to inform the
people of the United States whether he Is N
favor of the enforcement OF the Fourteenth and
Fifteenth amendments Of the Constitution Of the
United States.