The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-30
a REALLY ABLE SPEECH.

Some twenty-seven or eight years ago
we were privileged to hea on the ioor
of the state senate Mr.. James H. Mer-
rimon, a younger brother of late Chief
Justice Augustus H. Merrimon, as hon-
est and true a man as we ever knew.
We some times thought that the young
CT man was the ADLER man. He had a
very simple, terse, clear, logical, direct
style then, the very opposite of his
brother. We have more than once re-
ferred to the ability of Mr.. James Mer-
rimOn, who is now eX-Judge Merrimon.
of Asheville. We refer to him now to
call attention to his speech on the
amendment to the state constitution he
recently delivered at ASheville. 1t was
delivered before the Zeb Vance demo-
cratic club. We are not a lawyer, con-
Stitutional and other, as hat great
Sampson limb of the law is, but write
from the unprofessional standing-point
only. We found it cogent, forceful, sat
iSfying, educating. 1t I'VE us much of
just such nformatio We needed our
selves. and suppose many others need.
1t is elaborate and most lucid in its
legal discussion and the quotations from
that great authority, Judge Cooley, now
dead, and from the opinions of the SUI
preme court of the United States were
very helpful and fortunate. We had
erred in an editorial in 1898. concerning
the finality of the amendments to the
constitution in dealing with negro suf-
frage, and had written as we under
stood it-had written as some demo-
Gratis and many republicans had writ
ten who were really 10 better informed
than we showed ourselves to be.
Pritchard quotes from the editorial re-
ferred to. The ignorance is palpable to
us now, but we were perfectly sincere
and honest when we wrote as we did.
We had beer badly taught as Pritchard
appears to have been, and all who un-
wisely and blindly follow his leadership.
When the blind lead h blind they are
sure to fall in the ditch.
The speech of Judge Merrimon a
given no little of the precise informa-
ton we very much needed-what was
the law in the matter. and is the pro-
posed amendment adopted by the DEM
ocratic legislature unconstitutional,
and will it abide successfully the final
test of the highest ~judicatory? He dis
cuSsed the propositions growing out or
the one issue before the people:
Il. Will the proposed amendment, if
~ bS ASpoSuahl NO liz COI1SlitO-
ton of the United States?
2. If not unconstitutional. as a whole,
will the fifth section violate the consti-
Eution of the United StateS?"
Skipping for the present the legal
discussion, we turn to what he says of
the contention of Senator Pritchard.
The speech was delivered, we suppose,
before Pritchard had spoken in the
senate, but he is replying to some other
speech, one he delivered at Asheville.
Judge Merrimon says:
Senator Pritchard the very head and
front of the opposition to the proposed
amendment, comedies that there is
nothing in section v which in so
many words declares that those OF At
rican descent shall not be entitled to
vote. His objection to it is that it con-
tains "a provision which at
tempts to confer the right of suffrage
upon those whose ancestors were enti-
tie to vote in the year 1857 and from
3his he concludes that it Ca only be