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

l Uno suggestion INdl ~ y %"
clause would be struck out of the Amend
ment and the educational clause wouiu
| be kept in because it was always pialn
| to me that whoever ycte'l lei oAe u
these sections would have to vote for
| the other, and that if it was not for the
| 9th section the people would not vote
| for the Amendment at ALL and that the
court would see that the people voted for
| tho Amendment with the 9th section in
| il. and if it should strike that out lt
| would be forcing upon the people an
! Amendment to their Constitution, winch
! they did not vote for anu never "ooli
have voted for But the Republicans are
| trying TO brighten the people by telling
| them that the present Republican SUI
nreme court of this State will have the
| deciding of this matter, and they will
decide it with the Republicans. But J
| ALWAYS thought that when Il question
about the Constitution of the United
| States was to be settled, that the SUI
preme court of the United States was
| the only court that could settle 1t; IS
that not s0:'
| Business Man "Why. certainly, you
| are entirely right about that. The de-
cision of the Supreme court of North
/ Y
binding. The Supreme court of the
| United States alone can settle a question
of this sort and Senator Morgan say 1t
has already settled it in Mississip-
pi this question in favor of orr Amend
nent.."
Farmer: You said the Louisiana
| Constitutional Amendment was the same
as ours. Has the Supreme court of the
United States ever passed upon the CON
stitutionality of that Amendment"
Business Man: NO, neither the SUI
IRENE court of the United States nor any
other court. When the Louisiana
| Amendment was before the people for
ratification the Republicans in that
State talked just like they are talking
here. They said it was unconstitutional,
and the court would SO declare it; that
the 9th section would be stricken out,
leaving the 18th standing, and all that
sort of thing, just as they are saying
here. but the people paid no attention TO
them down there as they will not do
/ here. and ratified the Amendment"
Farmer: Has there been any regis
tration under the Louisiana Amend
ment?"
Business Man: Yes. a full registra-
| ton under it,"
| Farmer: Were the uneducated white
people allowed to register"
Business Man: Yes, every one that
wanted to register"
! Farmer: Were the uneuucated ne
! groes allowed to register"
| Business Man: NO. none Of them
Farmer: Has there been any cleo
, ton under the Louisiana law"
| cin
! the election i'll the great city of New
| Orleans was held under this Amend
ment.''
/ Farmer: Did the uneducated whites
! vote in the New Orleans election
| Business Nam Yes, all of them who
/ wished to-
vote in the New Orleans election:'
/ Business Man: NO
Farmer: Then there has been both
registration ard an election under the
/ Louisiana Constitution. and you say the
| Republicans have not taken a single
! case before the courts TO test its con-
, stitutonality."
Business Man: NO. not single case,
and it shows conclusively, does it not,
thatr all their talk before the election
about its being unconstitutional was
mere wind and fury, intended TO fright
en- the uneducated white people and
keep them from DISTINGUISHING the ne
gro"
Farmer: Il am very glad to have had
this talk with you. | knew YOU were
thoroughly posted. as YOU generally are
upon such important questions, and
wanted to find out the truth about these
matters We people in the country
haven't yet awhile had an opportunity to
study the question rs closely as YOU have;
we haven't had rs much reading matter
about it as YOU have bad, but we are
going to study it like we did the great
issue of White Supremacy i'll the last
campaign. and we are going to learn all
about it, and before the election we will
knew as much about it as the people i'm
the centres of population. You know i'll
the last campaign the country people We're
better posted before the election came ON
than the town people. This question Of
the Amendment is an exceedingly impor-
tant one to the white farmers, and |
feel certain when they thoroughly under
stand it they will go to the polls almost
to a man and vote fer 1T. The white peo-
pie i'll the country are tired OF the negro
in politics; they don't intend ever again
to be bossed by him; they never want
again to have to go through the terriers
which darkened their homes during the
past two years of negro rule In North
Carolina. 1t seems to me if anything We
people in tic country are more interested
in this question than YOU are in the town.
You can rely upon the country to vote
white this yeaT."
Business Man: My friend. | am
mighty glad to hear You talk that way
The white people living out in the country
are indeed deeply interested in this ques-
tion. The ratification of the Amendment
means more to them, as you say, than it
does to the people living in the towns, but
it mears great good to all of us, whether
we live in the country or in the town.
Personally. ! am going to vote for it be-
cause | believe it is a just measure; be-
cause / believe it will I've better for the
negro, as we'll as the white man: because
| think the white man is entitled by right
and by superiority Hof intellect and natur-
al capacity to control the affairs of the
State; because l do not want TO see any
such conditions again as had in North
Carolina in 1897 and 1898; because
believe when the negro is eliminated