The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-07-17
PRITCHARD REPLIES.
SIMMONS STATEMENT CHARGING REPUB-
LICAN CONSPIRACY
To NuIIify the Constitutional Amend
ment and Carry the State This Fall
Characterized as False-Says the
Story of the Alarming Discovery of
the Democratic State Chairman is
Both Amusing and Ridiculous.
Charlotte Observer.

PrItchard has made public the FOL
lowing statement in reply to Senator
Simmons:
/ have been amused and at the
same time disguised with the state
ment recently sent out by Senator
Simmons that the Republican leaders
have deliberately decided to stir up
strife and promote dissensions and
in the ranks OF tie
Democracy, and that between the
first and fifteenth days OF October
they are TO inaugurate a plan by
which some white man who has failed
to pay his poll tax is to test the con-
stitutiOnality Of the recent amend
ment to our Constitution, which is to
be declared unconstitutional by the
United States District Court, upon
the ground that the grandfather
clause is in violation of the Fifteenth
Amendment to the Constitution of
the United States. Any statement TO
the effect that the leaders of the Re-
publican party in North Carolina
have conspired or even consulted
with each other as to the policy men
toned by Senator Simmons is absO-
lutely false in every particular.
The story he publishes is an i'm
probable one when you come to con-
slider the statement of alleged facts
on which he bases his assumption.
He says that white man who has
failed to pay his poll tax is to insti-
tute suit to test the constitutional
ty of the act. Any one versed in le-
gal procedure must be aware of the
fact that no question can be decided
in law suit which is not raised by
the pleadings.
The only question which could be
raised by white man who had failed
to pay his poll tax under amendment
to our Constitution would be the
question as to whether or not the
poll tax provision Of the amendment
is constitutional, and suppose there
is not lawyer in the State who will
undertake to say that the poll tax
provision is unconstitutional. Such
being the case, his suit would be
dismissed, anil nothing would come
OF IT one way or the other. The idea
OF attempting to make the intelligent
people OF North Carolina believe
that there is a lawyer in the State
who would endeavor to have the
grandfather clause in our Constitu-
ton declared to be unconstitutional
in suit brought by a white man
wherein 1T was alleged that he ought
not to be denied the right to vote on
account of having failed to pay his
poll tax is an insult to the intelligence
OF our people No one knows better
than Senator Simmons that the
grandfather clause of the proposed
amendment to our Constitution can
never be passed upon until there is q
suit instituted by some one who is
Disseminated against by its provis-
ions a simple statement OF the
proposition is enough to convince any
one OF the utter absurdity of the po-
sition assumed by Senator Simmons.
| can well understand why Senator
Simmons should dread the white
man who has been DISTINGUISHED by
the poll tax provision, in view of the
fact that he stated to the people o
North Carolina. two years ago. il
plain and unequivOcal language
that no white man would be disfran
chised by the proposed amendment
TO our Constitution. | noticed
statement the other day in which
Senator Simmons is quoted as having
said that 5000 Democrats and 10,O0i
white Republicans would be disfran
chised as result of the poll tax pro
vision. 1t was also stated that Sen
ator Simmons was pleased with tn,
situation. | cannot understand how
any one could be pleased with stu
alton wherein it is admitted tina
$4,000 white men are to be disfran
chised and not permitted TO exer
clsethe highest right incident t,
citizenship, on account of the fac
that they were not able to pay theil
poll tax on or before the 1st dav o
May. In this connection l will sa
that not less than $4,000 white mel
will be disfranchised in North Caro-
lima rs result of placing the pol
tax provision in the Constitution, an,
requiring our people to pay thei
poll tax on Or before the 1st dav o
May.
Occupying as | do the chairman
ship of the Republican State Execu
tive Committee, think l am in :
position to speak for the organization
in the State, and to know somethin.
about the policy which is to be pur
sued by the party in the approach
ing campaign. and if the proposition
referred to by Senator Simmons ha.
ever been mentioned by any one,
have not the slightest knowledge 0
the fact, and | am sure that if an
one had contemplated such thin!
it would have been submitted to tn
State Executive Committee for it
consideration.
However, there is method in hi
madness" Senator Simmons is
shrewd politician, and is in clos,
touch with his party organization il
the State, and he is fully aware Q
the fact that there are thousands @
people in North Carolina who hav
heretofore supported the Democrat
ticket who are today in open revol
against that party. He is also awar
of the fact that the people of Mort
Carolina are determined to put a
end to ring rule and machine politics
and realizing such to be the case, b
seeks to create false issue by rails
ing once more the hue and cry Q
negro domination. No one know
better than Senator Simmons tina
there has never been negro DONNA
ton in North Carolina as a State
and that by the adoption of the re
cent amendment there is not tn
slightest possibility of such thing
even in any one of the counties Q
the State.
We were told by Governor Aycoc
and others during the last campaig
that if the amendment to the Consti
tuition was adopted, the white maj
would be permitted to njoy intellec,
ual freedom. Did our Democrat
friends mean what they said at tina