The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-08-30

on THURSDAY the prominent question
was the proposed amendment TO the
Constitution Of North Carolina,
which. stripped of its sub,erfas,.
and disguises, and put In plain En-
giish, according to the purpove- ex-
pected to lie accomplished, may bs
condensed ss follows:
After July ist, 1902, no negro
not able 10 read aad write leaoep,
those or their descendants who yo-
ted la the State prior TO 1885, or in
some other state on January lst,
1867, or prior thereto), shall register
in any election thereafter To be held;
but all white persons who now vote
or become entitled 10 vote prior 10
December LIST. 1905, the descend
ants of those who voted On January
ist, 1867, or prior thereto, shall
continue to register at all election,
which are held during their lives,
although unable to read aud write,
but after December list, 1908, n,
male person coming OF age shall b.
allowed To register unless able IL
read anu write. After July LIST,
1902, no person shall be eligible Il
register unless he shall have paid d,
the first OF March preceding tn,
election the poll tax tor which b,
may be liable.
Although plain violation ol
Article XIV Of Amendments of Tn,
Constitution of the United States,
this a mendment was proposed, anu
the white people aroused TO frenzy
and urged to d. clare whether the,
favored NEGRO rule'' or "white SD
premacy," when not a single candi-
date for the Legislature was a negro
and when the Legislature of ls9s
was overwhelmingly Democrat,
and had declared through the CAM
paign of 1898 that restoration OF
the old legislative system Of county
government for the negro counties
OF the east was amply sufficient t.
lift ''the ruthless heel of the negru
off the necks of the white men" III
such counties.
In addition to this, we had ali
election law. in comparison with
which the Goebel law would b&
considered just and fair, and under
which no provision was made thai
registrars should be sworn, and no
punishment was provided for the
most arbitrary and despotic conduct
Of the registrar He might exclud,
such persons as he chose from the
right to register. The two judges
Of election, appointed to act in con-
junction with the registrar, wert
required to be of opposite political
parties; but if one did not appear Oh
the day Of election, some ''discree,
person" should be appointed by the
registrar in his stead. Those recon-
mended by the Fusion party were
in most cases rejected, and men who
would not appear were appointed,
so that In many precincts only Dem
ocrats had charge Of the election.
In addition to this, especially In
counties along the South Carolina
border, Redshirts were Organized
and negroes and white men iutimi-
dated, and in many counties the
negroes especially were not allowed
to register. In New Hanover coun-
ty only two votes were cast against
the amendment, but in that county
the Democrats simply excluded the
negroes, who were in the majority,
and intimidated white men who
were opposed to the machine from
registering. Challenges were al
lowed on the day of election, and
many registered voters were rejected
and deprived of their votes.
Under this law no mandamus,
injunction, or restraining order could
be issued until at regular term OF
the Superior Court the facts stated
in the petition could be tried by q
Ijury-that is, after the election wa
over. This was a practical denial OF
all right Of redress or appeal from
the arbitrary and despotic ruling OF
the registrars and other election
officers. The registrars and judge:
OF election had full power to refuse
registration, to hold the election q.
they pleased, and make what returns
they saw fit. In many instances
although the law provided that the
ballots should be counted in tht
presence of as many elections as chost
to attend, all elections were excluded
and no unlocking was permitted.
In large negro counties, where il
some cases the white vote did no
number two thousand, the negroe
who voted against the amendmen
and for the Fusion ticket wer,
| counted as voting for 1t and for th1
Democratic candidates, and major
| ity of thirty-five hundred returned
Candidates for the Legislature, VIII
We're Populists or Republicans, wer