The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1908-10-15


George Byrne, the author of the
plankS in the Democratic State plat
form, which pledges that party to
dsfranchise the illiterate white and
colored people of West Virginia, as
1t is done in the Southern States, has
been making speeches down in the
Norfolk and. Western railroad, and
without rhyme or reason, has been
appealing to the passion and preju-
dice of the WATERMAN to assist him
and others of his ilk in taking the
ballot away from the negro.
While he is advocating negro dis
franchisement, even the author of
the disfranchisement plank will not
tell his audiences that it likewise
means the denial of the right of suf-
frage to thousands Aof the white men
of West VirginiaiFe Here are few
extracts from the speech Lilly
White" Byrne delivered at William
son: 49,,
81 believe in helping him (the ne
gro) to: the highest position he is able
God Almighty laid upon, but / am
not insensible to the feet for our
preservation of the government, life
and home, the sanetity of the ballot,
we must strike the ballot from his
hands>an give him separate coaches
to ride in on the railroads."
81 was a long time in the South
in TeXaS-and became acquainted
with the cotton field negroes, and
learned this, that they did not have
to eat like white man-that he can
eat three or four times d week and
work right alongside the white man
who has to eat three meals a day"
I'm Africa, heavy wooded, tropi-
cal country, there are millions OF
| mosquitous that are very dangerous
and the negro has never been known
to build himself a house or make a
suit Of clothes or use the herbs OF
the fields to cure these dangerous
| bites; so nature, which always pro,
! vides for her own, stepped In, seeing
| him naked before his enemies, anc
| placed on his body a smell through
which the insects would not bite"
Did you ever notice a dog that hi
will turn around two OF three times
before he will lie down at night
| Why is it? The reason Of that il
this, that when the dog was VOL
thousands of years ago rupnin,
lose, in the forests, he turnet
around that way to mash the weed
and grass down to make himself ;
bed. The dog has been civilized
great deal longer than the negro an,
Iif his civilization has not taught hin
the uselessness Of turning to mas
down the weeds to make him q be-
when he is not going to lay on weeds
has the negro been civilized lon
for his character to make him capa
Bile of e1f-government?"
/ Every one that knows a negr
knows that his race will steal, bu
did you ever ask Why I do not sa
thing like that to attract attentio
or hurt the feelings Of the negro, BIT
\ 1T Is fact that his race trait is t
steal. He comes honestly by the
trait. For thousands of years h
people in the jungles have had n
property or property rights and whe
he sees anything he wants he simpI
goes and takes it,. The first neg1
came here three hundred years ag
They have not been here long enoug
to eradicate that race trait, and
nave instilled in them the FUND
mental principle of free government
which is common honesty. The goo
citizens Of this country obey the la
o not because they fear the conseque
ces, but because it .is right The n
gro fears to disobey the law becau
s he fears the open door Of the pen
Tertiary" ..,.. g.