The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-03
BOGUS LEADING DEMOCRATS. )

tseIf to the Republican bosses. has
made business of discovering "promi
lent Democrats" who are opposed to tn
amendment and parading their views. It.
irst discovery was "a leading Democrat
If Watauga county" whose communica
ion was printed under black headlines.
investigation showed that this Heading
Democrat did not oppose the amend
ment until he was persuaded to do SO
by an appointment as a revenue officer.
The next was "a learned Democratic
lawyer" whose long argument was given
prominent position in the Gazette. II
turned out that he was not Demo
cratic lawyer at all, but Republican
and had sought to exert influence t.
elect Mckinley, but that his influence
began and ended with his own vote
These two examples of Democratic op
ponents of the amendment" haven't III
to date helped the Gazette in its fight
to prevent White Supremacy. Th,
white folks are not being influenced al
all by so-called Democrats who vot,
the Republican ticket or who oppose The
amendment after getting a revenue of
fee.
Yesterdays Gazette had another com
munication from "a prominent Demo
crat"-L. l.. Witherspoon, Esq, O.
Newton, Catawba Countrywide advances
"a new view of the amendment" The
new view is thus set forth:
'"There are great number of good
and law-abiding citizens in North Car
lima who now vote, and who cannot read
and write any section of the constitu
ton. that cannot claim this right by
descent. I refer to those that were
neither conceived nor born in wedlock.
Nothing can lineally descend to these
unfortunate persons, except from the
mother, and that only by statute.
IF this section is valid this class of
our fellow citizens before they can
vote, will also be required to stand the
civil service" examination along witt
the old corn field negro"
We do not agree with Mr.. Witherspool
that there are great number" of whit
men who were neither conceived 10
born i'm wedlock" in the State of North
Carolina. We are glad to believe tha
the number is few, but these few woult
not lose their vote because the amend
ment reads:
mo male person who was, ON Januar,
1, 1867, or at any time prior thereto
entitled to vote under the laws of an!
State in the United States, wherein h
then resided and no linal descendant
of any such person, shall be denied thu
right to register and vote at any election
in this State by reason of his failure t
possess the educational qualification
prescribed in section 4 of this article
Even if it disfranchised these few
unfortunate persons" that would no
| weigh enough to cause the defeat of tn
amendment. 1t were better that they
| lose their votes or learn to read. anC
write rather than have a return to Ne
gro Rule in North Carolina.
Is Mr.. Witherspoon prominent
Democratic If so, when did he be
come so? In its issue of June Goth, 1895
| the Charlotte Observer published the
| following communication:
MIR. WITHERSPOON'S POSITION
| If tine Free Silver Forces Unite, He VIII
Join Them; Otherwise Vote the Re
publican Ticket.
To the Editor of the Observer:
I have of late noticed two references
to me in your paper indicating that l
had made a political summersault.
/ presume it arose from the fact that
have said that if the free silver forces
in this country came together in the
next national contest l would support
the move with my ballot, which |
shall do. / also said that if there was
not a substantial union of these forces
that [ should vote the Republican tick
ct, and | am satisfied that / shall not
go