The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-27

TNDER THE LEAD or Demo-
cratic politicians who on the
~ stump wax eloquent in de-
nunciation of government
without the consent of the governed
the Democracy of North Carolina is
supporting an amendment to the con-
stitution of that state of which the
following is the essence:
Every person presenting himself for rgstra-
tion shall be able to read and write any sec.
tion of the constitution in the English language;
snd before he shall be entitled TO vote, he snail
have paid on or before the first day Of May, of
the year in which he proposes to vote, his poll
taA for the previous year as prescribed by ar
tcle s. section |, Of the constitution But no
male person, who was, on January l, 1SG7, OF
al any time prior thereto, entitled to vote under
the laws Of any state in the United States
wherein he then resided. and no lincal DE-
scendant of any such person shall be denied the
right TO register and vote at any election in this
state by reason of his failure TO poSS, the edu.
cationa qualification herein dcsclhed: Pro-
yidcd he shall have registered in accordance
with the terms Of this section prior to Deem.
Der l, zoos
In other words, no male negro re-
siding in North Carolina, if this
amendment carries, can vote unless he
shall be able to read and write any
section of the constitution in the Eng
lish language, for the reason that prior
to January /, 1867 negroes were not
citizens: but any male white of the
requisite age can, upon payment OF his
Doll tax. vote whether he be able to
read and write or not The intent Of
the amendment. openly declared, is to
disfranchise the great bulk of the
negro vote, which unhappily is litter
ate, so as to insure the supremacy Of
the whites for all time. Three other
states, Mississippi, South Carolina and
| Louisiana, already have similar dis
eliminating amendments or grand
| father clauses" as they are called, and
| Virginia Is about to follow suit. In
| none of these states is it proposed
| voluntarily to relinquish the represen-
tation in congress which is based upon
| the negro part of the population. The
| black man is good enough to figure in
the census returns, when representa-
tion in congress is being determinec
| but that is as far as the Democratic
leaders in the solid South are willing
| to let him participate in the govern
ment
| imperialism" at which these poll
ticians rail, is building school houses in
every new possession SO that our
| Spanish-speaking wards may be taught
the essentials of good citizenship. IT
is inviting these people to take part in
the formation of municipal govern
ments so that they may be trained
how to govern themselves. 1t is in
PRODUCING just as fast as conditions
will permit the broad ideas of trial by
| jury, of liberty of conscience, speech
and worship, and of equality before
the law. 1t is Withholding from them
no opportunity for self-advancement
| which our resources and limited ex-
perience can supply. Yet the political
party which Is disfranchising the col
ored citizen and making practically nc
effort to qualify him for citizenship
has the effrontery to condemn "gov.
ernment without the consent Of the
governed"