The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-05-21


struggling with difficulties. The white pco-
pie Of the State could only be united upon
the race issue ard in 1894, despite this is
sue, they divided and again turned the
State over to those who did not regard
her prosperity. There has never until
now been an hour in the history of our
State since the war when men felt free
to divide along the lines of their convic-
tions upon political questions. In 1898 af-
ter four years of Fusion rule this State
resolved in strong passion to shake from
herself the shame of this government and
to settle for all time her destiny. In
1900 we made good the determination of
1898. We adopted in that year the Con-
stitutional Amendment which bases suf-
frage upon intelligence and renders the
future of the State secure.
That amendment has provoked much dis
cussien in the North. South Carolina,
Mississippi and Louisiana had preceded
us in the curtailment of the suffrage
without much comment, but when North
Carolina came to solVefthe question the
people of the North seemed to recognize
that the matter had become serious and
at once began to misinterpret and abuse
the North State. Why should this differ
ence be made between South Carolina,
Mississippi, Louisiana and North Caro-
lima? / think those who have studied
history may understand the cause of this
distinction. North Carolina is con-
sentative State; she is the birthplace OF
liberty; she is the abiding home of DEM
ocracy and when she does a thing the
world recognizes it as having been
wrought out after careful thought and
carrying with it deep significance The
attack upon us is based on the assump-
ton that we have done an injustice to the
negro Our amendment does no such
thing. We have recognized the power OF
the influence of heredity. We think that
those who have exercised the privilege
of suffrage and those descended from
such people are more likely to exercise
that suffrage benefcially than the men
upon whom suffrage has been cast as q
gift. The amendment to the Constitution
of North Carolina provides that no man
shall vote in that State after 1908 who
cannot read and write; but eXempts from
this inhibitory clause those who could
vote on January l. 1867 or at any time
prior thereto, and those descended from
such voters This provision applies alike
to white and black. Until 1885 the free
negroes were entitled to vote. In 1900
there were, and there now are, those
who once were slaves and cannot read
and write but who can vote under the pre-
vision of our Constitution, because they
were voters in 1885, and there are many
thousands of negroes descended from such
voters who can exercise suffrage although
they cannot read and write Those who
come of age after 1908, white and black,
must be able TO read and write or they
cannot vote Our amendment is not aim
ed at the negro as an individual. 1t is
mass voting that we seek to destroy
The negroes now vote as one man and the
ignorant dominate the intelligent. The
negro is, as rule, ignorant and cares
little for the integrity Of government
especially if that government is conduct
ed by the party of his choice. IL is our
hope that with the amendment when we
have adopted, the negro vote VIII cease
to be cast as the vote of one man ana
will represent when cast the convection,
intelligence and the virtue of the voter.
With the solution of our suffrage ques-
tion there has come larger liberty OF
thought and action. Freedom of thought
is essential to growth and development
and already one can sac the effect OF thls
freedom upon the material prosperity OF
the State We have in large measure
gone out of politics and taken up pusl-
ness. We are meeting the changed con-
ditions North Carolina is no longer
asleep. She is wide awake. In lSVO We