The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1909-10-07
wives own, and pays taxes on $500
worth Of property.

the trainers of the amendment tina
their object was to safeguard tn,
votes of all white citizens and to dis
franchise as great a number as posi-
BILE of the ignorant, non-taxpayin,
Negroes. This hal to be done will
the Fifteenth Amendment to the
Constitution Of tho United States il
full view. The Fifteenth Amendment,
prohibits the denial Of the suffrage
to any citizen of the United States
on account OF race. color or previou.
condition of servitude. Therefore
the denial could not be made absolute
and had to be chased upon something
else besides race. In order to take
the ballot away from the great bod,
of illiterate Negroes the INTELLIGENCE
test was adopted. / Under the prop
erty qualification, 10 which white
voters or the sta4 cannot be sub.
Jected a considerable number OF Ne
groes will conttnu8to vote.
The other test Is intended to be
more than an educational test #
Is intended to be 3he test of intell
gence. Senator Ra$nor. in q sDeech
sdlu tEe Jest IS an easy one. Mr.. w.
L. Marbury said that few NEGROES can
fstand it. Both ard right. The test
Is exceedingly. easy and simple. but
lhe average OF Negro Intelligence is
80 low that even isuch elementary
questions as are contained in the
amendment are beybnd it. A eople
who could be DISTINGUISHED by turn
i ing Llncoln's nose the wrong way on
the ballot cannot be expected to
stand even the most elementary test
Some gentleman who ought TO Tho
above such devices have endeayored
ITO persuade their fellow-citizens
that the intelligence test is extremely
ult1cult. The questions are arranged
SO as to require no great effort of
Inc memory to answer. them in order
me order arranges itself-name, age
date and place Of birth, residence
and occupation for the two preced-
ing years and the names of employ
ers during that time, when and where
he cast his last vote; then the name
/ of the president and a member of the
Supreme Court, Of the Governor and
a member Of the court Of Appeals
| and the mayor Of the city. Anyone
who could not afford the opportunity
Iof years preparation, remember
these questions in order! and answer
them In order is, surely stupid and
Ignorant" 49,, 49,. s-& .,.l. !.
Thus the Sun. the PseudoDemo D..
: cratic sheet of the state and the onlv
publlcatlon In the state supportin q
the amendment lays bare the inmost
intentions Of the Democrats At
least they are to be given for their
frankness and boldness with which
they go about their schemes. There
Is no secret made Of Inc fact that
they are attempting to get around
the Fifteenth Amendment and dis
franchise the Negro.
The Afro-American Ledger scents
danger in the apathy manifested by
the Negro voters. 1t publishes this
week stirring cartoon, using as a
, text the treacherous utterances Of
Senator Rayner, Governor Warfeld
and Mr.. Straus: The Amendment
Will have a tendency to make the
Negro better citizen; it will slim
nlate the Negro to thrift and educa-
ZION and Will create better feeling
between the races" Calling the Me-
, groes to a reason feast, the Negro
! journal says:
Many OF our people seem to take
1T for granted that because the Poe
ago. the Straus amendment will be
beaten this year. We must not rock
ourselves to sleep in that delusion.
1t VIII take the votes to beat the
amendment and all the votes we can
muster It therefore behooves each
man who has influence over another.
10 get him to register and 80 get In
position to cast his ballot against tho
amendment.
II you have observed the Demo
cratic lineup on this amendment
today, you must see how entirely diff
ferent 1T is from the lineup four
years ago. At that time United
. States Senator Rayner was against
the amendment, as was also the
Governor of Maryland; but today
both Of those political champions
are on the other side and are fighting
as hard for 1t as they fought at that
time against if.
In the campaign against the Poe
amendment, the Negroes long before
this period in the campaign were
white hot with interest, and the In.
huence Of the leaders In Baltimore
had permeated the entire common
wealth, and the Negroes were well
organized in every part Of the state
mo man has right to be indif
fereht. If your action affected no one
out yourself, you might afford tc
sleep through these stirring days;
but not so; what you do will throw
itS cleaning pencil Of light ahead ~,