The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-16

A million-perhaps m~illions-of white
men in the great north have gradually
sickened of negro suffrage and admit
its failure and the wrong lone both to
the whites and negroes in the south.
It was a crime and blunder to put the
ballot-the highest expression of Amer
lean citfZenShip-intO II hands of ig-
norant, untutored negroes who had no
conception of the responsibilities at
taching to the exercise of such a high
privilege invested with so much power.
The southern whites knew when it was
done that it was a sad and miserable
blunder, and believed it would prove
disastrous. In this they have not
been disappointed, but under the
wicked and devilish leadership of de-
PRAYED whites the consequences have
been much worse, far more damaging,
than was anticipated at the beginning.
1t is known hat accomplished and
vigorous writer's in the north admit the
mistake and the failure. There is a
movement in several states to manage
better this negro suffrage calamity.
Already as is we'll known, three states
Louisiana, South Carolina and Mis-
siSSippi-have dealt beneficially with
the problem, and solved it with bless
ings to both races. Virginia and North
Carolina are considering it. Georgia,
with it's 500, 900 negroes, will have soon
or late to lea with it too. The status
in Virginia as given by the Richmond
Dispatch is this:
1.-The judgment of our legislative eau
u is that if our people desire to
change their constitution a constitu-
tional convention would better be held.
They do not think the piecemeal pro-
cess will do. No legislature could give
to this subject the time and attention
it requires. And so Mr.. Floods consti-
tutional convention bill will be passed
as a party measure, and the question
whether or not a constitutional con-
VentiOn shall be called to revise and
amend the state constitution will be
submitted to the voters of Virginia on
the fourth Thursday of May of this
year."
North Carolina will settle the ques-
ton next August with blessed and be-
nign reSultS for whites and blacks, and
in behalf of the education of the negro.
If it is not settled then good bye to
taxation of whites for negro schools.
Defeat the amendment, ard there is not
n white taxpayer in ten who will
agree to be farther taxed to send negro
children to school,. The Messenger. is
strong for the adoption of the amend
ment, and favors, as it has always
done, the continuance of the white tax
for the benefit of negro education.
But it is sure that if the revolutionists
-Pritchard, Holton, Butler and gang
shall succeed the death-knell of all
white taxation for the teaching of ne
Sroes will be rung from Cherokee to
Currituck.
The Dispatch closes it's editorial on
Negro Suffrage" by saying:
1T remains to be seen how earnest
our people are in their wish n pur-
pose to abate the evil of negro suffrage
If they are as outspoken on this sub
ject as they were on the subject of
separate cars for blacks n whites,
the state democratic convention will be
assembled in good time, and the con-
Stitutional convention scheme will be
ratified and approved by it. But if the
people are inactive n Indifferent,
they will have themselves to blame for
the consequences"