The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1901-04-11
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This topples Party Convsntion
l1sem bled In Raleigh, April 18th
reaffirms the principles set forth IL
the Peoples Party National plat
form adopted at ST. Lonis In le<sH.
and instruets the delegates - ane
National Convention at Sioux PA.
May 9th to vote for the nomination |
OF William J. Bryan for President
We commend the present State |
for its high pei
sonAl and official integrity. and
challenge . comparison Of ito rec
ord with any and all Of its p reds-
ceseors.
We condemn she Democratic Lsgis-
iature Of 1888 for Its extrsvaGa1t ex-
penditures Of public money Amounting
TO 81 80, 765-76 in 1899, - opposed 70
d, 3S3,s71.11, expended BY the proceed
ing Legislature, IN excess Of $3l0,r
794.65, not including the sum Of $780,
600 for public education nor the SS3, $50
for purchase Of State farms.
We further condemn said Legisla-
tnre for the careless blundering and
careless legislation, including more
gross plumbers and demonstrations
General Assembly in North Carolina.
leaders of the Democratic party for
laying the whip on the backs sf the
Democratic Legislature and forcing
them into enacting and submitting .
DISTINGUISHING constitutional amend
ment in violation Of the solemn
pledges Of the party, made not only
officially in their campaign handbook.
but ey members oil, the General Assem-
oily 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 mea-
sure most odious in form and danger
Gus in effect. That General Assembly
Icing composed of some Of the best
lawyers Of the party, must have
known, or at least had . reasonable
doubt, not only rs to the unc0nstitu-
tionality Of the monstrous provision of
Section s, known IS 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 fifty or sixty
| thousand white voters of North Caro-
lima, who in 1898 gave the Democratic
party power In the Legislature, and
whose ignorance is no fault of their
own but is ohargeable to the neglect Of
the Democratic party, which now seeks
to disfranchise them and make their
ignorance crime alongside that OF
the felon.
But even il che proposed amendment
we're not unconstitutional Gas it clear
~ is), still it is especially objection.
able in the following particulars:
(a) In that it dignifes with the right
Of suffrage the most vicious, trouble
some and obnoxious class of the negro
population, and completely disfran.
chises the most faithful, kindly and or.
derby element Of that race.
CO. In that, while ciamoring for white
supremacy and declaring that no white
man shall be disfranchised under this
amendment, they have so written theiI
amendment that every white boy be-
coming of age after 1908 stands on thu
same footing with the negro, and car
not vote unless he is able to read and
write.
. (o) In that hy the latter provision
they have made il possible for the ed
noated negro after 1908 to cast his bal
lot while the unfortunate son of tn,
white men vino have been the strength
OF true democracy stands without {
} vote at tine ballot box. They slaughter
the suffrage of the son whose father
they dare not openly attack.
cay In that this suffrage amend
ment does not remove the negro from
politics or settle the negro question il
North Carolina.
(e) In that every voter who has no
paid his poll tax as much as fiv,
months before the State election an,
eight months before the national cleo
Iion, shall be DISTINGUISHED IS much q
if he were convicted of felony or wer
an ignorant negro. The purpose o
this provision is not only to disfran
unfortunately cannot pay his taxes b,
the first of March preceding the cleo
tion, but further to try to bride the vo
. ter to surrender his suffrage at the ex
pense Of the public school fund of tn
, state, which is derived from poll taxes
There Turks behind this proposition
still greater danger to the publi
'. schools Of the State, for with the adop
, tion of the amendment the opponents
of free schools In North Carolina will
at once raise the cry that every dolla
. raised for public instruction means tn
increase of the number of negro vo
,, tiers, and thus the poor white man
. son will be chained in bondage Of il
norance and disfranchised to proven
the education of the negro voter
; There is no white supremacy In this.
. The constitutional question pre-
, senSed by the proposed amendments i
: one that must be determined by tn
. judgment and conscience of each indi
vidual voter. Therefore, we do no
, make it party question. We state tn
4 evils and dangers and leave the voter
of all parties to pass their verdict il
the light of these facts. The question
is above party, and no one should b
more active and anxious in our juds
ment to defeat it than the rank an
} file of the Democratic party.
The Peoples Party is and has Away
been more distinctly than any othe
party in North Carolina q white man
party, and is more anxious than an
other party to solve the race problem
and to force all parties TO discusslo
of the great economic issues 80 vital
affecting the welfare of all wealth ORC
duoers of the State and nation and de
sency in politics.
Therefore, we propose in lieu of thi
dangerous amendment, the best solu
o ton of the race question that is posi-
bic "a long as the 18th Amendments +