Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1901-01-17

WeaIGn increases as the eQucaG1On OF the peO
pie grows Our industries will be benefited
our commerce will expand our railroads will
do larger business when we shall have edu
Gated all the children of the State. 1t is
therefore, of the utmost Importance from q
material point of view that our whole people
should be educated. Care must be taken on
xour part, Gentlemen of the Legislature, to
| iring the schools in the remotest districts UP
to the standard of the Constitution which sol.
! 'emnly admonishes you, it did but a
moment ago when [ took the oath to support
/ it, that at least four months of school must be
carried in every school district in each
/ year. Our party platform follows the Constitrl-
! tion and we cannot afford to violate either. Ii
there are districts which weak they must
1 he strengthened ty those who are strong. The
Il Good Book tells US that the strong should bear
\ the in nfrmities of the weak, and the lessons of
that great authority of utility in our polit-
/ ical life. There has grown up idea among
Strenuous men that only the strong are to be
! considered and benefited: that the poor and
| bhe weak are the burden bearers who deserve
! nc aid and are weak because of their follieS
/ "A grea& State can never act on this theory, but
viii always recognize that the strong can care
for themselves while the true aim OF the State
IS to provide equal and just laws, giving to the
/ weak opportunity to grow strong and restrain
/ ing the powerful from expressing the less for
| =
| S5aopfe in the hour of their prosperity and
! Wonderful growth and development can real
| i2e that never grow higher and better
| = rising on the weakness and ignorance of
| their fellows but only by aiding their fellow
men and lifting them to the same high plane
which they themselves occupy. 1t may re-
qtlire sacrifice to accomplish the promises
N'slich we have made, and men may be COM
laef led to bear additional burdens, but I am
lad hat will ho
t,la burdens borne with that cheerfulness
aich has ever characterized us when we were
doing righteous hing. Our fathers have done
Well their work They have sought this day
through many difficulties; illiterate or learned,
t9sey have ever striven to do their duty by the
State and they have laid her foundat tions SO
strong and deep that we have but to build
III sreon the splendid home which they saw
ou y in anticipation. Let that home be bright
W. a the shining of ten thousand lights eman
attag from as many schools Some of these
lights will shine but feebly, mayhap with but
foar candle power while others shall shine
VIZ h sixty four and some few with the radi-
aISae of a thousand. but let them all shine to-
gas ler to brighten life and make the State
inqEe glorious and may they all have as their
ice that God who irst said, "Let there be
II pledge you. Gen tlemen of the zLegis-
ssas
the Governor and all the energy of my soul
and heart to the education of the people, and
rely with entire confidence upon you and the
promises which each of you has made With
these promises kept there will break upon us
day such as has never before dawned upon
State. Our government is founded upon
in Intelligence and virtue We shall provide for
intelligence by system of schools which is
designed to reach every citizen The schools
look to the preparation of the ter for the use
of the ballot. We admit to the elective fran
chise every capable of 1ntelligently exer-
cising that right and SO anxious to ap-
pr, ach as may be universal suffrage
that we have made the test of Intelligence
simply ability to read and write, accom-
plishment which can be acquired in few
months
Having thus provided for the right to vote
the further duty devolves upon you. Gentle
| men of the Legislature to pass a law by which
| that right may be de effective, law by
| which every voter qualified under our Consti-
| tuition shall have the power to cast vote
and have that vote counted cast. The safety
| of the State and the liberty of the citizens de-
pend upon your action in this question. The
| adoption of the Amendment not only furnishes
i the occasion but renders indispensable the
| adoption of an ele tion law which shall be
| fair that no just man can oppose it, and re-
quires administration of that law in such
| spirit that will doubt that the popular
| will has been rightly expressed and recorded.
| From the foundation of State to the day
| when the negro was given the elective fran
! chise the fairness of elections was never
| questioned. When the ballot was given to the
| negro the first election thereafter was known
| by US to be farce and a fraud. That election
| lasted three days, held under military
| dictatorship and the vote was counted in
| Charleston, South Carolina. We have denounc-
| ed and will ever denounce that election
| fraudulent. When came to power in 1870
| we changed the election law of the State and
| from that time down O 1894 all elections were
| held under laws passed by US Our adversaries
| charged that these elections were carried by
| force and fraud. When they came to power in
| 1895 they adopted law which denounced
| as providing means for the registration and
| voting Of minors, dead, imported and convict
| ed negroes. They carried the State under that
law in 1896. We beat them in 1898, despite their
| law and then we passed new election law,
which they denounced as designed to thwart
the will of the people. We held the election of
1900 under that Jaw. By the result of that
| election we eliminated the ignorant ne
gro from those entitled to vote. If what has
been charged by the opposing parties be true
| and elections have been fraudulent and cleo
ton laws unfair ever siuce the negro came to
be a power in the State, it certainly ought to
follow that with the disqualification of the ig-
norant negro the State should return to her
ancient ways, when no man questioned her in
tegrity. Henceforth our laws and their admin
istration must be so fair that the civilized
world shall recognize the high purpose with
which we have wrought to see this day. Let
| history record of US that we have fought our
great fight and won our notable victory with
no view TO perpetuate ourselves in power, but
honestly to secure good government founded
on intelligence worked out through perfectly
? fair election law administered as sacred
trust to be held forever inviolable. Good men
go to war only for the sake of peace and the
patriotic citizens of our State have won this
victory only for the sake of good government