The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-21

FULLY STUDIED IT. Certified
Copy of the Amendment is attached
ii aid the reader in following the con-
versation):
Farmer: II thought l would drop IN
and have a talk with you about the
Amendment. | know YOU always hrrp
posted upon public questions, and the
people in my neighborhood are becoming
very much interested in the Amendments.
j haven't been able TO get Il copy of TIE
Amendment. and about all we know
about it in our neighborhood is what
we have read in the papers and heard
from others"
Business Man: Il am very glad you
called. 1t is true l generally study pub
lie questions, especially those which /
consider important to the public vel
fare. l am like you, very much inter
ested in the Amendment, and | hove
studied it closely. / have Il few copies
Of it, also some literature concerning 1t.
which / will gladly divide with you.
see from the papers that Mr.. Simmons,
the Chairman of our party, is beginning
10 send out some compaign literature,
and l suggest that YOU and your nei-sh-
bors who wish information upon the
Amendment write to him."
Farmer: Il thank YOU for the copy OF
the Amendment. | will study it care
fully. but there are some questions /
would like to ask you about it. In the
first place. L want to know if it is true
that it will disfranchise' the negro
Business Man: One of the chief
objects OF the Amendment is to elm
inate the ignorant and irresponsible ne
gro vote of the State. 1t will not dis
franchise the entire negro vote, but it
will disfranchisc every negro who can
hot read and write any section of tine
Constitution in the English language
Ii you viii read section / OF the Amend
ment YOU will see this is true. There
are in North Carolina certainly between
$4,000 and 10000 negroes who win be
DISTINGUISHED"
Farmer: You say those negroes who
cannot read and write will be diSfran-
chsed under section 4 Of the Amend
ment VIII any uneducated negro be
able to qualify himself to vote under
section 81"
Business man: Yes few hundred
perhaps. Those negroes who are de-
seconded from the old free negroes. who
were allowed To vote prior to the Con-
stitution OF 1885, and those who have
come into this State from States where
negroes could vote before 1867. can
vote under this section. / think possibly
there are in the State between 800 aud
LOCO negroes who may qualify them
selves under the provision of the 9TH
section
Farmer: $50 much so good. Now. let
rue ask YOU another question. VIII the
Amendment disfranchisc the uneducated
white man."
Business Man: WHY. certainly not.
The object of the 18th section. commonly
called the Grandfather clause. is to
forever protect the entire body Of the
uneducated white vote of the State i'll
their right To vote. If YOU will study
that section YOU will see it accomplisnes
this purpose fully and admirably. You
viii see that it gives every white man
who registers any time before Decein-
her LIST, 1908, the right TO vote for all
time thereafter though he may never
know Il letter i'll the book. or become
able to write word. Now let me read
this section to YOU. You can study il
further when you 50 home'
Farmer: AS the law now stands.
no one is allowed to vote unless he i
registered. | understand that will he
So also under the Amendment. Now
will you please explain TO me The pro
cess of registration under the amend
uent?"
Business Nam Il will do 50 with
pleasure. \ white man who can READ
and write can register, either under the
18th or 9TH section. white man who
cannot read or write. can register under
the 9th section, because either he or his
ancestors were entitled to vote s0m"tt.;la
prior to january. 1861. But as negroes
allowed 70 ftX,
negroes. as before explained, before Jan
nary 1, 1867, n negro can only register
under the 4th section. by showing to
the satisfaction of the registrar that he
can read and write
Farmer: THAT is all right, and suits
me to dot But let me ask You. will
an uneducated white man. if the Amend
ment passes. have TO produce witnesses
before the registrar to show his right
To register under section 80
Business man: "Oh, no. certainly
not As all white people could vote be-
fore 1867 his white skin will prove his
right to register under that section un-
less he is Il foreigner.
Farmer: VIII all the educated whites
register under section and all the I'M
educated whites register under section
,, il the Amendment is aGOpted:'
BUSINESS man: No. not necessarily.
Indeed. it is expected that as many edll-
Gated whites will register under the 9TH
section as under the 4th section. In
Louisiana where they have an Amend
ment almost identical with ours. | am
told most of the educated whites regis
tered under the 9th section. Whenever
white man registers under the 5th
section his name is placed upon the per-
nanent registration roll and he is for
ever thereafter permitted to register
from that roll. Let me read You the
provisions of the Amendment with ref
erence to registration.
Farmer: Il see 1t Is very simple.
and it is perfectly plain to me now that
the effect of the Amendment will be to
disfranchise the ignorant negro vote
without DISTINGUISHING the uaeducated
white men OF the State"
Business Nam you have hit the nail
on The head. That viii be the exact cf-
feet Of the Amendment. 1t is care