The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-05-08
correspondence
The Editors are not responsible for
views expressed by Correspondents.
AN OPPONENT OF THE AMENDMENT.

i've Farmer there have appeared ar
ticles from different writer's, some
favoring and some opposing the pro
posed Constitutional amendment. As
yours appears to be n of the very
few papers in the State fair-Ihinded
enough to give both sides a chance to
express their views on the subject,
we beg space in your columns to give
a few reasons why we oppose the
measure, and why every wage
Garner, farmer and artisan should
oppose it.
In reviewing the arguments which
from time to time have appeared in
your columns ~favOring the measure,
we have utterly failed to read or
hear but one excuse for ~favOring it,
and that is that it will have the
effect of DISTINGUISHING the negro.
And if carried at the polls, it will IN
dOubtedly disfranchise many of that
class of voters but if the law is i'm
partially enforced it will accomplish
the same result with many, if not
more Of the whites. 1t is a subject
that is so interviewer with partisan
politics, that it is almost impossible
to discuss it apart from craftsmanship,
as it had it's origin the ranks of pro-
fessional politicians. However, we
will steer as clear OF partisan bias as
the case permits. IF, as many claim,
it is intended to take the negro out
of politics in this State, it is a stu
pendOUs failure, for no law can stand
that does not take in both races alike,
and until the 18th amendment is
erased from the Constitution Of the
United States, the negro will hold
the balance of power in the South.
No n will deny that the amend
ment is aimed at the negro voter,
which voter is called purchasable
although we have found the negroes
as hard to pull away from the party
of their choice, either with money or
promises Of special favors, as a black
snake is to pull out of it's den in the
roots and brush. AS we have seen
that we can enforce no law that will
disfranchise the negro that will not
disfranchise the white man who &C
cupies the same position, it follows
that the adoption of the amendment
will not eliminate the negro from
,OO114:o- -~E1,D+I;-~ D11O -,,77c4 l., -,
sorted to in order to accomplish that
result for we cannot eliminate that
class otherwise than by practicing
fraud. And as soon as that becomes
general, which it must, then our
representation in the United States
Congress is at an end, for it will
only be necessary for the seats of
candidates elected under our election
machinery to be contested by the OPP
pOnents Of this measure in order to
secure the seats in fact, this work
has already begun.
Every effort made by the peace
loving patriots of both sections. Of
our country (the North and the
South) to obliterate sectional preju-
dice has been thwarted by the pro
fessiOnal politician, and every move
having for its object the disfran-
chisement Of voters in the opposing
party serves only to widen the breach
and fan the prejudices Of the North
and West.
The negro has been in the South
what the imported miners and shop
operatives in the North and West
have been to those sections what
ever material prosperity has been adj
vanced, he has done the most of it.
We could not have been where we
are without the negro.
AS a lab0rer and servant no class
has been able to supplant him and up
to this time with all the bombastic
blowing about the necessity for edu-
eating him, experience proves that in
giving him a literary education, we
ruin him for any other service than
to preach, cut the swell and travel
on the cars. Our best behaved and
most useful class of colored people
are those who were former Slaves,
whom it was unlawful to educate in
their youth. And now to debar
them rights conferred on them by
the highest law in the land and select
as a means for doing that, the want
Of education which was denied them
by the people whom they labored day
and night TO feed and c1othe while
these masters reveled in Incidence.