The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-05-03
SENATOR BUFFERS REPLY TO SIMMONS.
Gives Simmons Real Reasons for REFUSING
Joint Canvass.

III ZIG hioSScS VI youI OWN party W I
attend joint discussions, and see
with their own eyes and hear with
their own ears the exposure of your
false and untenable position. You
know that with such a Joint discus
sion the verdict Of the majority of
the white people of the Stale would
be against you.
You are attempting to fool the
illiterate white man, whose ignor-
ance is no fault of his into leopard
izing his right to vote, and that Of
his children after him, and thus to
be put on plane below that of the
fifty thousand negroes who would
be left to vote. You know the dam
ger there is in this Amendment for
him, and yet you every day glibly
promise that this Amendment will
protect forever his right to vote.
You are afraid for the illiterate
white voter, and also the educated
voter. to hear on the stump in re-
ply to this promise of yours the
opinions of such great constitu-
tional lawyers as Senator Teller,
Senator Stewart, Senator Allen. Sem
atOr Edmunds, Senator Pettigrew,
and other constitutional lawyers of |
the Senate and the country. You
know that in carefully written opin-
ions, these great constitutional law
yers have declared that this Amend
ment is unconstitutional, and that
Section 5 will fall, leaving Section 4
to stand. You know that if these
great lawyers are right. that then
this Amendment, as sure as there
is God in Heaven, will result in
DISTINGUISHING fifty or sixty thou
sand white voters in North Caro-
lima, who are as brave citizens, and
as good patriots, as live in the good
old commonwealth. Are you afraid
for these voters to hear the opinions
Of these great constitutional lawyers
Are you not afraid that the peo-
pie will be more inclined to believe
not only in the legal ability of these
great lawyers, but also In their sim
certify, than to believe in the legal
opinions and sincerity of you, and
other politicians, who are seeking
office and who have selfish interest
in having this Amendment adopted.
Besides, do you not know that
; even If this Amendment were con.
stitutional (Which clearly it isl not
that still every boy in the State who
is to-day twelve years old and under
and those yet to be born, who can
not get an education before 1908
+ will be disfranchised and put on a
plane with the illiterate negro and
,, denied the right to vote, and below
the plane of fifty thousand negroes
> living chiefly in towns and cities
= who will walk up to the ballot-bo1
, and vote at every election? But
= you declare that from now on, you
o and your party intend to make i,
y your business to educate every citi
: zen of the State. But do you no
= know, if this Amendment is adopted
:, that its effect will be just to the con
= trary,and that such will also be you
policy! You provide in the Amend
: ment that no man shall be forced
= to pay his poll-tax unless he is tn,
!, owner of assessed property. You
= purpose, in this, is to try to brib
= the voter not to vote, and yet tax,
p the money out of the school fund t,
- bride him with. This will greatl,
" lessen the school fund in Nortl
=, Carolina, unless it is made up b,
o greater taxation upon property.
\ Besides, do you not know, if thi
Amendments should be adopted, tina
> at once the cry would 60 up from al
=. the negro-calamity -howling politi
: clans of the State, that it will no
- do to increase taxation in order t.
. increase the public school facilities
:" because ofevery dollar so raised TO
= public education an equitable shar
- must go to the negro schools, an,
- thus each year educate more ne
= groes and increase the number ofne
- gro voters. You will be the frs
70 politician in North Carolina to rails
: this cry, and you will appeal to tn
- prejudice of the Taxpayer agains
. increased taxation, and also to rae
;. prejudice to accomplish your pur
y, " pose. Thus the proposed Amend
;, ment, If adopted, instead of being
~ stimulus to public education, will
be used to drive the nail in the col
IL fin OF the public schools of Nortl
l. Carolina. You know all of this yer,
b we'll, but you are afraid for the vot
J. ers OF North Carolina to know i,
t. and this is one of your real an
IF greatest reasons for running from
o joint discussion.
of Again, you are afraid for it to b
K shown in joint discussion, what
y the effect and purpose of the prc
"a vision to require poll-taxes to b
II paid by the first of March of eacI
y year. You know that this provis
Is ion will be used to disfranchis
l. many thousands of white voters.
You are also afraid for the Dem
ocratic voters of North Carolina t
10 hear discussed and explained th
= constitutional Amendment to ORE
~ vent negroes from holding offic,
u which the Peoples Party Conver
- ton offered in lieu of your disfrau
~ chising scheme. You know tina
Ie 7 the Amendment offered by the Pee
- pies Party is constitutional, an
~ ~ you know further that it Will d
more to settle the race question 1
a North Carolina than the AMEND
y ment proposed by you, and 70
q know further that there is no dar
10 ger in it to a single white voter i
u, the State; and, besides, you kno,
~ that the proposition to prevent tn
negro from holding office by a cor
1t stitutional amendment is not onl
ot the best thing to be done, but tina
Ii it is the only thing that can be don
it as long as the Fifteenth Amend
~ ment to the Constitution Of the {
IN S. stands You are afraid for th
n Democratic voter to hear these tw
r measures discussed, and contrastet
es and this is another one of you
to great and real reasons for fearing
IL joint debate.
l.