The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1905-11-02
susscRipTI0n RATES.
AYCOCK ON SUFFRAGE.

soon vote on a suffrage amendment
for that State similar to the one vo-
ted for in this State in 1900. Sena-
tor German is leading the fight for
the proposed amendment while Sen.
ator Rayner (democrat) and the ma
jority of the leading Republicans
are leading the fight against the
amendment. They claim that the
amendment is intended to build up
a political machine in the State for
German and, If passed, he will con-
troll the election machinery and will
disfranchise every white man, as
we'll as negro, who cannot give a
reasonable explanation of the COnsti
tuition. The outcome would be that
the average white man would be dis
franchised unless he voted as Cor
man and his henchmen said. OF
course this white mans explanation
of the Constitution would not be
reasonable unless it was known that
he was "Gorman man."
Now, coming to the point, last
week ex Gov. Aycock, at the in
stance of Senator German, spoke in
Baltimore in support of this pro-
posed amendment, and in the course
of his speech Mr.. AycOck said "No
white man has ever been disfran-
chised by the North Carolina amend
ment. 1t has removed the negro
issue and given my State clean white
mans politics." Continuing, Mr..
AycOck said: "The truth is you cam
not disfranchise the white man any
where-except in the good old radi-
cal city of Philadelphia" Surely,
Mr.. Aycock did not expect his
speech tn be reported in the North
Carolina papers, for we all know,
and Mr.. Aycock has cause to know,
that thousan ds of white mon have
already been DISTINGUISHED in North
Carolina and many thousands more
will be DISTINGUISHED after 1908 I'M
less they become political slaves and
vote with the democratic machine.
Mr.. Aycock's speech in Baltimore
brings TO mind the speech he maze
in Asheville, in the spring of 1900,
advocating the North Carolins
amendment. Now listen and let's
see if the Ex-Governor didn't mis-
state facts then as he did in his Bal.
timore speech. In his speech al
Asheville, in speaking of the poll tax
provision of the proposed amend
ment, he said that "Senator Pritch.
ard is trying to make capital against
the amendment by saying it will
disfranchiss the poor white men who
cannot pay their poll tax by the first
of May preceding the election; he
ought not to say that; he knows bet
ter. The Constitution provides that
ifthe poor men cannot pay their pol
tax, the County Commissioners may
relieve them. If you are 6
white man the County Commission
ers can pay it for him and the white
men can vote all the same"
Now the amendment has been in
force in this State for five years, and
we would like to hear how many
white men have been relieved" OF
paying their poll tax and have beer
given their receipt so as to enable
them to vote? Mr.. Ayoock is 6
lawyer, and it is supposed he had
read the Constitution of his State, anG
while the Constitution provides thai
the County Commissioners may ex
empt persons from poll tax in specia
cases on account of poverty and sin
trinity" it does not provide for the
payment of the poll tax of any one
no matter how poor or meritorious
and to "relieve I" them from thu
payment of poll tax would do NJ
good 80 far as allowing them to vote
Mr.. Aycock and the Simmons
machine have managed to fool thu
voters during the last three STATE
campaigns. But the voters art
waking up, the dawn is b. eaking
and the time is not far distant wher
the voters of this State will relegats
to the rear the false prophets and
throw off the democratic yoke OF
despotism with which they are nov
burdened.