The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1900-10-20
RESTRICTION Of SUFFRAGE
Senator Pritchard Discusses the
Democratic Scheme of Disfran-
chisement In the South.
DAMAABLE DEMOCRATIC DESIGNS.

The Democrats Have Not Only De-
prived the Afro-American of the
Right to Have His Vote Counted as
r. Cast, But, Have Used His Vote to
Nullify the Vote of the White Man
who Favors Free Institutions.
The adoption of the amendment to
our state constitution which has for
its object the restriction of the right
of suffrage marks another step on the
part of the democracy of the south
in its efforts to nullify the fourteenth
and fifteenth amendments to the con-
stitution of the United States.
When the southern states were re-
admitted into the union after the late
civil war it was expressly provided as
fundamental condition precedent to
their right to representation in con-
gress and in the electoral college, that
neither of the said states should ever
amend its constitution so as to abridge
the right of any voter residing therein.
The act in question was passed on the
28th day of July, 1868, and reads as
follows:
'"That each of the States of North
Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana,
Georgia, Alabama and Florida, shall
be entitled and admitted to Represent
tatiOn in congress as q State of the
uni on when the legislature of such
State shall have duly ratified the
am II line mt to the cons titutiOn of tn
United States proposed by the 39th
congress, known as article ii, upon
fnl tim u ~ al Il
lions: That the constitution OF
neither of said States shall be so
amended or changed as to deprive
any citizen or class of citizens
of the United States of the
right to vote In said State, who
are entitled to vote by the constitu-
ton thereof, herein recognized, ex-
cept as n punis hment for such crimes
as are now felonies at common law,
whereof they shall have been con-
victed under laws equally applicable
to the inha bitants of all the States"
The foregoing leaves no doubt as to
the condition upon which the south
ern states were re-admitted to the
union. While it is con tract that is
not binding in a strictly legal sense,
in so far as the states are concerned.
at the same time it is an agreement
on the part of the citizens of those
states that they will observe in good
faith the principles enunciated in the
fifteenth amendment. 1t is an obliga-
ton which those of us who live south
of Mason and Dixon's line cannot af-
ford to ignore.
The democratic party of the nation
in 1872, after the amendment in ques-
ton had been ratified, declared in
their party platform that they would
oppose all efforts to reopen the ques-
tions growing out of the adoption of
the thirteenth, fourteenth and fif-
teenth amendments. They declared
as follows:
men before the law, and hold that 1T
is the duty of the government in its
dealings with the people to mete out
equal and exact justice to all, of
whatever nativity, race, color, per-
suasion, religious or political.
"2. We pledge ourselves to main
tain the union of these States, eman-
cipatiOn and enfrnnchiseme and
to oppose any reopening of the ques-
tons settled by the thirteenth, four
teenth and fifteenth amendments to
the constitutions"
In addition to making the foregoing
declaration, they named Mr.. Greeley
as their standard bearer, and, in his
letter of acceptance, among other
things, he said:
"All the political rights which have
been acquired through our late
bloody cOnvuIsion must and shall be
guaranteed, maintained, enjoyed, re-
spected forevermore."
Since 1876 there has been a grow
ing tendency ON the part of the dem
ocratic leaders of the south, with the
acquiescence of their party in the
north, to disregard the provisions of
the fourteenth and fifteenth amend
ments. BY one means or another, they
have deprived thousands of white and
colored republicans of the rights that
are guaranteed them by the constitu-
tion of the United States. The process
has been gradual, but at the same time
it has been certain and effectual At
first their efforts were confined to
states like South Carolina and Louisi-
ana, but when they realized that they
could with impunity deprive the peo-
pie OF their rights they became en-
boldened, and now the hydra-headed
monster of violence and fraud is pro-
jecting itself into states wherein, here
tofore, we have had reasonably fair
election laws. The last election, in so
far as eastern North Carolina is con-
cerned, was roaring farce" and no
democrat can be found who has the
hardihood to say that it was fair
expression of the will of a ma iority
of the voters of North Carolina.
Fifty counties, containing consider
ably less than half the white popu-
lation of the state, and four-fifths OF
the negroes, gave a majority of 54,14O
for the amendment; while 4s counties,
containing more than half of the white
population and only one-fifth of the
negroes, gave 1886 majority against
the amendment.
Thus it will be seen that the demo-
cratic party of North Carolina has not
only deprived the colored man of the.
right TO have his vote counted as cast.
put they have used the vote. of the
coiored man to nullify the vote of the
Wnlte man who is in favor of free in
s1ltutlons. These figures show that
the cry OF negro domination is a snare
and a delusion, and that it is resorted
TO Tor the express purpose of enabling
the democratic party in the south to
prevent anything like fair consider
atlon OF the great economic and fnan-
cal questions that are now being dis
cussed by the American people.
IL one of the many instances IN
Which they have raised false cry to