The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-03-04

One of the best things in the pro-
posed amendment to our Constitution
is the educational qualification. 1t Is
SO arranged as to prevent temporary in
justice TO anybody, and to accomplish
lasting good for ALL By promoting and
stimulating education, II will prove q
blessing TO the rising generation. Mean
while it takes away the ballot from no
body that is worthy to vote.
The educational qualification is com
tanned in sections 4 and . of the pro-
posed amendment.
Section 4. Every person presenting
himself for registration shall be able
to read and write any section of the
Constitution in the Eglish language
This section makes reading and writ
ing q permanent qualification for voting
i'll North Carolina. If it stood alone
without modification or exceptions, it
would disfranchise all voters who can
not read and write. But very many
voters in our State. although illiterate,
are qualified by character. experience,
political education and general intelli-
gence for the use OF the ballot. They
grew up without opportunities for edu:
cation. 1t Is not their fault that they
ItitSt sliLQ NIllt. ucN HIVE al
ready demonstrated their fitness for suf-
frage by intelligently and courageously
exercising the right Of the suffrage. They
are justly entitled TO vote, and their chill
dren who have grown up under similar
conditions are Also entitled to vote.
Therefore all persons belonging to this
class are exempt from the operation of
the educational qualification prescribed
In section 4. These exempted persons
are carefully enumerated and generous
ly provided for in section 5. as follows:
Section 5. No made person who was
on January LIST, 1867, or at any time
prior thereto, entitled to vote under the
laws of any State in the United States
wherein he then resided. and no lneal
descendant of any such person, shall be
denied the right to register and vote at
any election in this State by reason Of
his failure to possess the educational
qualification prescribed IN section Of
this article: Provided, He shall have
registered in accordance with the terms
of this section prior to December /,
19OS.''
There are two parts to the eduoa-
tional qualifications: First, the qualif-
cation itself; second, its exemptions.
Let us look first at the exemptions
and see whether adj classes are ex-
exempted that should be.
/. Unetucated white (natives.)
All uneducated white, natives OF North
Carolina who are now twenty one years
old are exempt.
All uneducated white, natives of other
States in the Union, now twenty one
years old. who could have voted under
the law OF those States prior to January
/. 1857, are exempt.
AL uneducated white boys, natives Of
North Carolina or of other States and
over twelve years Of age, whose fathers
were entitled to vote, are exempt.
Thus all uneducated whites who are
now voters and all uneducated whites
who would become voters in the next
nine years are exempt from the edu-
cational qualifications. This exemption
is both just and generous. 1t includes
all those who have demonstrated their
fitness for the ballot and have grown
mp under conditions unfavorable to their
education. 1t Includes also the children
who are now growing up, under similar
conditions, and who for some reason
may be unable hereafter to learn to read
and write The only class of uneducated
white natives who will be disfranchised
are boys now under twelve YEARS. old
who shall not learn to read and write
before December 1, 1908.
2. Uneducated whites tforeigners.)
Uneducated white foreigners and their
children are exempted from this quail
ification, precisely as rned,lcated white
natives, IL they have had the same ex-
pcrience Of our political institutions as
uneJucated white natives. Otherwise
they are not allowed to vote, unless they
can read and write. An uneducated
white foreigner who was a voter in any
State prior 10 January /, 1857, or whose
father or grandfather was voter Jan
uary /, 1867, or prior thereto, and who
thus has grown up as 1t were into cit
izenship, is entitled TO vote, although
unable to read and write. The same
reason exists here as. In case of unedu-
Gated white natives.
3. Eliterate negroes (slaves.)
Illiterate negroes once slaves with no
qualification and with rec
ord that shows Enthusiastically their utter
unfitness for the ballot, will be at once
disfranchised.
4. Illiterate negroes Told free negroes),
negroes formerly free, If they
were voters January l, 1867, or prior
thereto. and their descendants will be
exempt from the qualification.
These people have had longer ex-
perience and shown more fitness for citi-
zenship than the other negroes. 1t may
be doubtful whether they should be per-
mitted to vote, but the amendment gives
them the benefit of the doubt.
1t thus appears that the exemptions
from the qualifications include adj who
are clearly competent to vote and all
whose cases are doubtful, while ex-
Guiding all who are clearly incompetent.
Let us now look at the educational
qualification. as it will operate after
December 1, 1908. Two important facts
must be remembered in considering this
qualification.
1. All who are voters December LIST,
1908, will remain voters the rest of their
lives.
. All nersopS coming Of age after