El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-09
The Negro DlsfranchIsement Crime.


From the Kansas City Journal.
Two years ago tho democrats o.
Louisiana practically oisfrao CHI ised the
nerRees of that state by the adoption OF
. constitutional amendment, restricting
the suffrage. Although she action was
denounced by republicans both north
and south, WAS openly disoounter anced
by many leading democrats, and WISE
declared unconstitutional by Louisi.
aua's ;distinRuished democratic
senator, Mr.. Csfery, no federal &C
she precedent thu. established 10 now
to be followed by the state ofN orth Ca
rolina. The election to be held In that
etats today calls for a vote on the pro-
posed amendment, and there is little
hope that the amendment will be de-
feased. This amendment is framed
after the one adopted in Louisiana,
en- ploy ing the snme trick to evade the
fifteenth amendment to the constltu-
sion of she United States.
Super6oisily tho amendment Is
merely the exaCtion OF an educAtioEa al
qualification on the part of tho voter.
The discrimination that bars vast
majority of the blacks and admits all
the whites comes in the exception to
the application Of tho law. II Is pro-
vided that any voter who was entitled
beginning of the negro frsnchise-or
whose ancestors were SO entitled, shall
be exempt from the workings of This
amendment. Thus illiteraoy bars the
blacks, but doss not bar the unlettered
whites.
This is not only class legislation of
the most fragrant kind, but 1t 10 u gross
violation OF the federal constitution, of
the declaration of independence and of
patriotic sentiment. The amendment
MOI only implies shas In this great re-
public some are born to take part In
public Affairs, while others are born to
have no share in them, but the dem
ocrstis candidate for governor Is quot
ed ~ saying in one OF his speeches:
1.-THE amendment boldly recognizes
the hereditary fitness of the whites"
The action Of the democrats of North
Carolina must attract special atten ton
because OF its relation to national Issues
at this time. The national platform of
tho republican party contains a warn
ing against the crime Of disfrsuchiss-
this great party. which has been the
sponsor for the government in all
serious trials shall have come upon the
in she lat forty years, will
have to take up this grave question and
solve 1t rs it has solved the others.
What 10 the democratic party doing
or promising to do about these south
srn acknowledgements? Absolutely
What has the democratic
bold crimes that Eave been perpetrAt-
ed against the negroes OF the south and
their rights of citizenship? Nothing
whatever. And yet it 10 posing in the
present campaign as the champion of
and human rights. Mr..
Bryan has been interviewed ON the
subject again and again, and
has been pressed for An
themselves. The states, which are
right here 1t homo, integral parts of
the union. are of much less concern to
Mr.. Bryan than ths new possessions
whose Inhabitants appeal to him so
foroibly that he has invsp ted the issue
Of 'Inperialism" because some of these
natives have not given their consent
TO government by the United States.
Mr.. Bryan had his national con-
vention open With the reading of the
Deslar alton OF dependence and plays
many of his tunes upon thai instru-
ment, the greatest principle of which
ls tbs call men are bora free and |
equal" Yet he has no word to utter |
against the course of those southern |
'tates which declare by law that the |
whites are born to cast ballots and the |
blacks are born to beraIsd by the whites. |
Bryan has much to cay of Lincoln, his |
services and his emancipation of the |
'laves. But Bryan Gays nothing about |
he political slavery put upon Linooln's |
freedmen by the people Of Bryan's
party.
So long as the democratic party |
such evils, SO long its |
quotations from tho constitution, the |
declaration of independence and Abra-
ham Lincoln muet seem 70 the country |
7ery much like the devil quoting Scrip
lure.