The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-10-11

April 18th. lD0Q.

Issem bled In Raleigh, April lstA, II
cam rms the principles set forth :.
he Peoples Party National plst
orm adopted 1t St. Louis In ieaA,
md instruets the delegates - taa .
Y ational Convention at Sioux Ysi~
May 9Th to vote for the nomination
Of William ]. Bryan for President.
We commend the present State
for its high pei
sonal and official integrity. and
challenge . comparison OF Ito rec
ord with any and oil OF it, pfede-
cessors.
We condemn the Dem 0cratio Lsgis-
lsture Of 1899 for It's extravaErab ex-
penditures of public money Amounsing
to 1885, 1876 in 1899, rs opposed TO
81 ,as3 ,97lll, expended BY the proceed
ing legislature. An excess of $780, |
1874 o5, not including the sum Of $780, |
600 for public education nor the $50 $50 |
for purchase Of State farms.
We further condemn said LeEisla- |
ture for the careless laundering and
careless legislation, including more
gross biunders and unconstitutional
laws than ever before enacted by any
General Assembly in North Carolins.
We further denounce the machine
leaders of the Democratic party for
laying the whip on the backs 81 the
Democratic Legislature and forcing
them into enacting and submitting q
disfrahc hising constitutional amend
ment in violation OF the solemn
pledges of the party, made not only
| officially in their campaign handbook.
| but BY "a en- bers OF the General Assem-
bly, and other Democratic candidates
for office in their CANVASS before the
people. We denounce them not only
! Tor doing this in violation Of their
| pied ses, but also for submitting mea-
sure most odious in form and danger
Gus In effect. That General Assembly
being composed Of some Of the best
lawyers Of the party, must have
known, or at least had reasonable
doubt, not only rs to the unconstita-
ltionaiity Of the monstrOus provision OF
Section 8, known as the grandfather
clause" in said amendment, but also
of the great danger Of that uncOnstitu-
tional sectional section falling, leav-
ing the remainder OF the amendmen ut
TO stand, thus disfranchising by an ed
ucstional qualification Hfty or sixty
thousand white voters OF North Caro-
lima, who in 1898 gave the Democratic
party power In the Legislature, and
. whose ignorance is no fault of theil
own but is chargeable TO the neglect o.
: the Democratic party, which now seeks
to disfranchise them and make theil
ignorance q crime alongside that o
: the felOn.
e But even if the proposed amendmen
l. | were not unconstitutional Gas 1t clear
ly is), still it is especially objection
able in the following particulars:
o (a) In that it dignifies with the RICH
d of suffrage the most vicious, trouble
4 some and obnoxious class Of the negr
population, and completely disfran
4 chises the most faithful, kindly and or
Q derby element of that race.
I'll (b) In that while clamOring for whit
l. supremacy and declaring that n o whit
. man shall be disfranchised under thi
amendment, they have so written thei
rs amendment that every white boy be
IS coming of age after 1908 stands on tn
| same footing with the negro, and ca
not vote unless he is able to read an
write.
IS (c) In that by the latter provision
Re they have made it possible for the ed
ir ucated negro after 1908 to cast his bal
!, lot while the unfortunate son Of tn
white men who have been the strengt
Of true democracy stands without
vote at the ballot box. They slaughte
the suffrage of the son whose fathe
they dare not openly attack.
(d) In that this suffrage amend
meut does not remove the negro frol
politics or settle the negro question
'o North Carolina.
a (e) In that every voter who has nj
IN paid his poll tax as much as fi1
m months before the State election an
eight months before the national elet
ton, shall be disfranchised as much &
es if he were convicted of felony or wei
in this provision is not only to disfrar
unfortunately cannot pay his taxes b
Is, the first of March preceding the ele'
I'd tion, but further to try to bride the VI
w ter to surrender his suffrage at the e,
y pense Of the public school fund of tt
State, which is derived from poll take
m There Turks behind this proposition
still greater danger to the publ
n. schools of the State, for with the adol
tion Of the amendment the opponent
us Of free schools In North Carolina wi
n at once raise the cry that every doll,
a raised for public instruction means I'll
M increase of the number Of negro "
ters, and thus the poor white man
son will be chained in bondage of i,
y, norance and disfranchised to prevel
On the education of the negro vote
There is no white supremacy IN this.
8. The constitutional question pr
~ sented by the proposed amendment
lis one that must be determined by Il
judgment and conscience of each ind
vidual voter. Therefore, we do n
make it q party question. We state Il
evils and dangers and leave the vote
Of all parties to pass their verdict
the light Of these facts. The questiG
he is above party, and no one should
n. more active and anxious in our jud
" ment to defeat it than the rank al
~ fiIe of the Democratic party.
n The Peoples Party is and has alwa
yn been more distinctly than any 9th
party in North Carolina q white mar
r. party, and is more anxious than al
IN other party to solve the race proble
ta~ and to force oil parties to a discussl,
ma Of the great economic issues so vital
-. affecting the welfare of all wealth Oh
ducers Of the State and nation and
all cency in politics.
Therefore, we propose in lieu of tt
dangerous amendment, the best sol
tiOn VI tuC IoCc 4ucstlUu Iu0t 10 pUo
bic rs long as the 18th amendment
the Constitution Of the United Stat
stands solution which deprives
q white man in North Carolina now
80 hereafter of his right ofSsuffrage, ,
I wit
4 Amend Section 6, Art. 6, Of the Co
stitution of North Carolina by inse
ing among the disquali acations
office, enumerated therein, the folio
\ ing, viz: ALI negroes and all..perso
of negro descent to the thirdIgener
M ton Inclusive.
u Ii the Democratic Legislature viii
al meets in June will offer this safe, CO
~ stitutiOnal and wholesome amendme
RU inilieu of the present scheme it v
pd have our hearty support. If they "
not, we appeal to the people to rally
~ our assistance to elect q Le9islatu
III nlod god tn sunn0Yf suchHan sp,op