The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-09-27
stos,es Panty PtArFoas


Avrfa fssA. ssss.
The Peoples Party Convention
In Raleigh, April lsta.
reAf1irms the principles set forth -
the Peoples Party National plat
form adopted at st. Louis In itAA
and instruets the delegates TO ina /
= National Convention ut Sioux Fs,is /
May 9Th TO vote for the nomination
Of William J. Bryan for President
We commend the present atate
for its high pei
senal and official integrity. snn
challenge q comparison of It's rec
ord With any and sill OF It's pse6e-
cessors.
We condemn the Democratic Lsgis-
Iature of 1889 for tts extrsvxgaas ex-
penditgres OF public money amounting
to tI.59& ,765-7s In 1899, as opposed 20
j ASS 81 IL, expended BY the proceed
ing Legislature, an excess Of $780,.
7ss.65. not including the sum OF 800.
900 for public education nor thu ss3. 250
for purchase of State farms.
We further condemn said Lexisix-
tnre for the careless laundering and
careless legislation, including more
gross blunders and unconstitEFionaI
laws than ever before enacted by any
General Assembly in North Carolina.
We further denounce the machine
leaders of the Democratic party for
laying the whip on the backs Of the
Democratic Legislature and forcing
them into enacting and submitting
disfrahchising constitutional amend
men. In violation Of the solemn
pledges Of the party, made not emily
officially in their campaign handbook
but by members Of the General Assem-.
bly, and other Democratic candidate
for Office in their canvass before the
people. We denounce them not only
for doing this in violation Of their
pledges, 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 unconstitu-
tionality Of the monstrous provision Of
Section 3, 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 amendment
to stand, thus disfranchising by an ed
ucational qualification afty or sixty
thousand white voters of North Caro-
lima, who in 1898 gave the Democratic
party power In the Legislature, aBG
whose ignorance is no fault of theil
own but is chargeable to the neglect o
the Democratic party, which now seek
to disfranchise them and make theil
Ignorance q crime alongside that o
the felon.
But even if the proposed amendment
were not unconstitutional Gas it clear
ly is), still it is especially objection
able in the following particulars:
{a) In that it dignifies with the RICH
of suffrage the most vicious, trouble
some and obnoxious class of the negr
population, and completely disfran
chises the most faithful, kindly and or
derby element OF that race.
Il (b) In that,while clamoring for whit
supremacy and declaring that no whit
man shall be disfranchised under thi
amendment, they have SO written thei
amendment that every white boy be
: coming of age after 1908 stands on th
{ same footing with the negro, and ca
+ not vote unless he is able to read an
write.
(c) In that by the latter provision
they have made it possible for the ed
: ucated negro after 1908 to cast his ba
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
they dare not openly attack.
(d) In that this suffrage amend
ment does not remove the negro frol
, politics or settle the negro question i
, North Carolina.
II (e) In that every. voter who has NJ
paid his poll tax as much as fiv
months before the State election an
eight months before the national elet
e ton, shall be DISTINGUISHED as much .
f II he we're convicted of felony or wei
an ignorant negro. The purpose {
this provision is not only to disfrar
chise every good honest citizen VIII
unfortunately cannot pay his taxes
e the first of March preceding the elet
; tion, but further to try to bride the VI
ter to surrender his suffrage at the e.
: pense Of the public school fund of til
D State, which ia derived from poll take
l There Turks behind this proposition
still greater danger to the publ
schools of the State, for with the adot
: tion OF the amendment the opponent
2 of free schools IN North Carolina wi
at once raise the cry that every dolls
, raised for public instruction means til
; increase Of the number of negro VI
: tiers, and thus the poor white man
son will be chained in bondage of il
nOrance and disfranchissd to proven
L hA AAp -
There is no white supremacy In this.
The constitutional question pre-
sented by the proposed amendments
one that must be determined by th
judgment and conscience of each ind
vidual voter. Therefore, we do ne
, make it party question. We state til
evils and dangers and leave the voter
+ OF all parties to pass their verdict i
the light of these facts. The ouestio
is above party, and no one should
ment to defeat it than the rank an
file Of the Democratic party.
The Peoples Party is and has alwa5
3 been more distinctly than any othe
party in North Carolina q white man
= party, and ia more anxious than an
other party to solve the race problem
and to force all parties TO discussIo
OF the great economic issues so vital!
, affecting the welfare of all wealth prt
ducers OF the State and nation and d.
cency in politics.
Il Therefore, We propose in lieu of th
dangerous amendment, the best soIt
> ton Of the race question that is poss
BILE as long As the 10Th amendment I
the Constitution Of the United State
Stands solution which deprives n
white man in North Carolina now G
hereafter Of his right Of suffrage, te
wit
Amend Section 6. Art. 6. of the Cor