The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1901-01-17
rkassE1 pssTy sssTTeeH



Ne condemn the Democratic Lsgis-
~ urs of 1899 for Its extravsxass ex-
pc aditures of public money Amounting
10 1885,, 1876 in 1899, as opposed TO
Il as, s711 II, expended By the preced-
ing Legislature, an excess OF 35lO,-
1874 IS, NOS including the sum OF $780,
900 for public education nor the SIS, ESQ
for purchase Of State farms.
We further condemn said Legisla-
tnFe for the careless laundering ana
careless legislation, including more
gross biunders and unconstitutional
laws than ever before enacted BY any
General Assembly in North Carolina.
We further denounce the machine
leaders Of this Democratic partT for
laying the whip on the backs Of the
Democratic Legislature and forcing
them into enacting and submitting
DISTINGUISHING constitutional amend
pledges of the party, made not only |
officially in their campaign handbook
but By members Of the General Assem- |
bly, and other Democratic candidates
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 a mea-
sure most odious in form end 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 as to the uncOnstitu-
| tiona.ity OF the monstrous provision Of
Section 5, Known as the "grandfather
clause" in said amendment, but also
| Of the great danger Of that unconstlJu.
tionsI sectional section falling, leav-
ing the remainder of the amendment
to stand, thus disfranchising by an ed
ucationai qualification fifty or sixty
Thousand white voters OF North Caro-
! lima, who in 1895 gave the democratic
party power In the Legislature, and
whose ignorance is no fault of their
own but is ch&rgeable 10 the neglect OF
the Democratic party. which now seeks
to disfranchlse them and make their
ignorance crime abongside that OF
the feioL.
But even il the proposed amen dTnent
were not unconstitutional Gas 1t ciear-
ly is), still it is especially objection
able III the following particulars:
(a) In that it dignities with the right
OF suffrage the most vicious, trouble
some and obnoxious class Of the negro
population, and com ietely disfran
cnises the most faithful Kindly and or
DERBY element Of that race.
(b) In that, while olam0riug for white
supremacy and scarirg that no white
man shall be distranchised under tn,
amendment, they have 80 written ChelT
amendment that every white boy be
: coming Of age after 1908 stands On The
, same footing with the negro, ana ca 2
. not vote unless he is able 70 yead and
write.
i co. In that by the latter provision
| they have made lt possible for the ed
y ucated negro after 1868 to cast his bal.
e lot while tie unfortunate son OF the
D white men WHO have been the strength
Of true democracy stands without {
vote at the ballot box. They siaux ftej
q the Suffrage of the son whose fathei
X hey dare not openly attack.
i (d) In that this suffrage amend
;. menu does not remove the negro from
y politics or settle the negro question il
= North Carolina.
: (e) IN that every voter who has Nc
y paid his poll tax as much Is nv;
d months before the State election snC
: eight months before the national alec
: ton, shall be disfrauchised as much q
t II ne were convicted Of felony or wer,
an ignorant negro. Tie purpose O
g this provislor is not only IT, disfrsn
J chise every good honest cisizen wis
e unfortunately cannot pay his taxes b,
II the first of March preceding the elec
tion, but further to try to orr DE the vo
y ter to surrender his suffrage st the e1
d pense Of the public school fund of III,
State, which is derived from poll taxes
l. There Turks behind this proposition
e still greater danger to the publi
81 ko cRof p h.. a.,
II ton of the amendment the opponents
n at once raise the cry that every dollz
e raised for public instruction means tn
g increase OF the number of negro vo
It tiers, and thus the poor white man
l. son will be chained in bondage Of ig
y norance and disfranchised to proven
Ir the education Of the negro voter
Is There is no white supremacy 10 this.
The constitutional question pre-
sented by the proposed amendment i
one that must be determined by tn
n Judgment and conscience of each indi
i vidual voter. Therefore, We do 10
~ make it party question. We state tn
u evils and dangers and leave the voter
of all parties to pass their verdict i
=, the light Of these facts. The questio
is above party, and no one should b
'0 more active and anxious in our juds
ment to defeat it than the rank al
file Of the Democratic party.
The Peoples Party is and has alwas
been more distinctly than any othe
be party in North Carolina white man
a. party, and is more anxious than an
a. other party to solve the race problem
"a and to force all parties to discussiu
"a of the great economic issues SO VIAL
affecting the welfare of al wealth Pr;
ducers of the State and nstion and d;
cency in politics.
Therefore, We propose In lieu OF IN
Id dangerous amendment, the best sol,
,ss ton of the race question thst is poss
n bic as long as the 10Th amendment
- the Constitution of the United Stat,
stands-a solution which deprives L
white man In North Carolina nov ,
- hereafter of his right of. suffrage. t.
wit
Amend Section s, Art. 8, of the Coz
, stitution Of North Caroiins BY inser
- ing among the d;sqnan Eca6ions I,
office, enumerated therein. the follow
q. ing, viz: All negroes az al perso,
of negro descent to tina third Sener,
gh ton Inclusive
II the Democratic Legislature vino
ur meets in June will offer tins safe. Col
II stitutional and wholesome amendmeI
or n.lieu of she present scheme it vi
ID. have our hearty support. If they vi
ut not, we appeal to the people to rally
DO our assistance to elect q Lesis asu
pledged TO support sucbs an anne ~
u ment.
X We congratulate the people OF Nor,
he Carolina upon the decision of the sta
ed Supreme Court in the case of Harr
vs.. Wright (1zt n. c. R., 172), decla
dy ing that the General Assembly b