The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-07-26

There are some sho s-il contend
that re Grandfather Clause will
dis.raaca.se iliters.s white people.
The proposed amendment o. the con
s,lt1tlOa d, az follO<s
SO person shall De registered as
ar elect0r Of this state OF BE- allowed
- sO-e lG the election he'd herein,
ul.esE he be able 70 read ani write
aay section Of the constitution Of
the state Oi Oklahoma, but 10 per
son Who vas. OF January I. 1856, or
any time prior thereto. entitled 10
.o-e under any form OF goyernment,
Or who a. ina. time resided IN some
foreign nation. and 10 llneal descend
.nl OF such person. shall be denied
the night 10 register and vote be
cause Of hi, inability 70 read and
arite sections Of such constitution
II you are d white person or an
Indian sou Bas entitled TO vote on
January T.. 1866, or some time prio-
thereto. or you was a foreigner. o.
you was 4 lineaI descendant Of such
person. descendant Of a person
who vas entitled 10 vote under some
form Il government al or prior 70
that 'im- mentioned or vas de-
.ceudant Of person who resided In
a foreign country a. that time The
negro IS the only person that the
provision could possibly disfrsnchise.
The Indians had their form Of gov
ernment, 50 every Indian was en-
t!tled 10 vote on or prior 10 the date
mentioned Or he is q descendant II
= person who vas entitled 10 vote
under their form Of government
Some who are insincere will say. ~
yoi mean; 70 disfranchise the negro
Only, ~hy didn't you say 50 IN plain
ords?' Plain language is used, bu,
II the clause had designated the ne
gro as being disfranchlsed such pro-
vision would be unconstitutional. The
proposed amendment Is taken from
North Carolina and it has stood the
test Of the courts II such proyis-
ion vas not constitutional the repub.
licaHs and socialists leaders would
not be afral. TO let the people vote
thereon If they could strike down
the law IN the courts, they would
not hesitate 10 thwart the vii! Of the
people. In the issue Of June 81, OF
the Oklahoma City Times. we find
the following editorial expression:
The Grandfather Clause is to he
voted on in November. 4 majority
on this amendment means the dis
franchisemcnt of thousands Of ne
eros in the state. 1t means in short
tuat any negro whose father on
grandfather was a slave will be de-
priyed OF voting. II also disfran-
chlses those nergroes who cannot
either read or write The law does
not apply to white men or Indians
and If it did the democrats who
have the election machinery in their
own hands would see that It was no,
enforced"
This is a strong partisan lepubli.
can paper, but it unwittlngly gave
the true construction OF the law
when it said that Il would not apply
to the white men or Indians.
Abraham Lincoln delivered a
speech at Charleston. H., September
II. 1888, in which he declared that
he was not IN favor Of making voters
o. jurors Of negroes. nor OF quail
Tying them TO hold office. He said
there was a physical difference be.
tween the whites and the negroes
which forbid their living together
on terms Of social and political
equality. He said they occupied the
position OF superior and inferior and
that he, as much as any other man.
favored giving the superior positions
TO the white race. In 1871 a repub. F.
Lean congress abolished local gov.
eminent in The District of Columbia
in order to get rid of negro domina-
ton Prominent republican authority /.
claims that this was done to "es.
cape the ignorance and profligate
rule Of the negro" and became an
imperative necessity to protect prop
erty and maintain social order"
Oscar Ameringer is distributing a /
circular, in which he appeals to the
socialist to vote against the Grand.
father Clause Among other things
he says: We socialists are as blind
rs bats concerning race, color or
>" The negro belongs
Ia our class No man, | contend.
has the right to insult the honest,
Ciling white man with such lanCu-