The commonwealth., 1901-01-24

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and ever viii denounce that electlon
as frad:,!ent.. When we came TO pow
er iii 1870 We changed tb, election
law Of the state AMI from tina: time
down to 1891 all elections were held
under laws passed by us. Oar ad,er-
saries charged that these elections wore
carried by force ard fraud. When they
came 20 power IN 1895 they adopted
a law which we denounced as provd-
ing means Tor the registration and vet
Ing Of minors, dead imported and con-
vlcted negroes. They carried the
state under that law in 1876. We beat
them in 1858 despite their law and then
We passed a new election law which
they denounced as designed to thwart
the will OF the people. We held the
election OF 1900 under that law. By
the result OF that election we have
eliminated the ignorant negro fron
those entitled to vote. II what has
been Charged by the opposing parties
be true and elections have been fraud
| ulent and elections laws unfair eyer
since the negro came to be power in
the state, il certainly ought to follow
that with the disqualification Of the
ignorant negro the state should return
to her ancient ways when no man
questioned her integrity. Henceior:h
our laws ana their administration must
he 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 haYe fought
our great fight and won our notable
victory with no view to perpetuate
ourselves in power but honestly to se-
cure good government founded on H.
telIigence worked out through per-
sectly fair election law administered as
i sacred trust to be held forever inviol-
able. Good men 60 to war only for
the sake OF peace AID the patriotic CIT
tizens O. our state have won this vic
tory only for the sake OF good govern
ment and not for party aggrandize-
| ment.
On every platform in the late cam
psign declared our purpose 10 be to
secure good government, safety and
peace to educate all the children, aud
to bring about that day when even
EXTREMIST partisanshlp should not te
able to cry out against our laws or our
methods. Thousands Of republicans
and populist joined with us in secur-
ing our more than sixty thousand ma
jority. shall, therefore, confidently
expect you, gentlemen OF the Iegls!s-
ture, without regard to party, TO frame
an election law fair In every purpose,
clear In every detail, and to provide
machinery by which every man quali.
hed under our constitution shall be
able to vote and shall know that his
vote is effective. We can have safety,
security and integrity ON no other ba-
sls. now pledge you tho whole power
Of my administration to secure this
end. I declared In my speech OF ac-
ceptance that should enter upon the
discharge of my duties If elected with
great fear lest I should fail to inter
pret adequately the true spirit under
lying our change In the constit utlon
but haze never for one moment Gnes-
toned that the ultimate aim Of our
people was to secure q constitution un-
der which security for life, liberty and
property could ps found uadsr tho
forms of law and not in violation OF
them.
Our opponents have denounced the
movement which we inaugnrated to
amend the constitution, aud which
will be carried out in the spirit just sug-
gested, AS revolutionary. They sought
to prevent its success by threats before
the election and IN the first moments
of passionate disappointment after the
election they began prosecutions
against certain officers OF the state
for alleged wrong doing in connection
with the August election. This move
ment of ours was carried out with
such deliberate high purpose and such
noble earnes,ncss that thousands OF
our political opponents joined bands
With US in an effort to forever settlc
question which had distressed US for
thirty wears. 1t WIS the uprising Of
a!mos. an entire people. There was
about It, indeed, in Its spontaneous
ness, III its enthusiasm, in il. de:ermi-
nation and sturdiness OF purpose and
III its high aims, something of the
revolutionary spirit OF 177G. That
spirit still lives IN the heart Of Moth
Csrolinians. 1t is part, and s!c-
r.ous part, OF their heri.sgc-it cannot
be prosecuted, nor will they without
the utmost e2ertion see any Ct Their
agents made TO suffer Tor the defeat ct
those who sought IN vain to stem the