Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-03-02
I\INs II IL . msTllIIt TIif
DEMOCRNTIC PAKTS My
NOT LONG SURVIVE.
STRICTLY A PlaIY Measure
Free Suffrage Shoaid Not BE Coniin-
gent tpon An. inymont What
>octrI--Muui1 BiaCken Party.
(BN j. \. ~ hEENER.)
(Slan Correspondent

OKLAHOMA CITY, Mar l. (Spe'
ciaID- within III. next rev days the
SENATE NH he cDIe- upon to pas'
the democratic party measure seek.
ing to make eacu lotei pay a p0l
taN Of SL50 before being allowed tc
exercise the righ, Of suffrage Tho
bin has passed ,le house, although
without tho emergency clause
thanks To the few democrats who
oheyed conscience and votod against
IT, Iu order that the people might
have a chance to express their views
Among the Leading house demo.
Gratis who opposed the measure wai
Representative II. II. Smith OF shaw
nee. who declared that although he
had been threatened that he was
running his political career. he In
tended TO vote against the measure,
Ills iull speech follows.
MI Speaker and Gentlemen of the
House:
II am opposed to this measure and
this amendment as well. | am OPP
posed to this measure for TWO good
and sound reasons The first one 10,
that ii will injure the party that It Is
aimed to help, and that Is the party
10 which | belong, and to which the
great majority of this house belongs,
The other reason Is that Il Is un-
American, un-demOcratic and wrong
in principal, and 1t is in violation OF
the spirit of our democratic form OF
government. If ! were the only man
i'm this house to raise my voice
against this measure, | would CON
slider it a high privilege to protest
this measure, | would consider 1t
high privilege to protest against this
enactment as law in this state and
| warn you. my brothers of the house,
while | hato to disagree with the
judgment of so many men. whose
Judgment may be superior to mine,
feel that I must speak first In
the name of the democratic party,
which stands for equality, right and
liberty, and that right shall never be
qualified with n requirement TO pay
i'm order to exercise the liberty OF
free speech, of freedom of worship
and free suffrage. If YOU can com
promise one, you might go a little
further and say that you can com
promise them all
"A man who can read the Bill of
Rights Of any written Constitution
of America and vote for this iniqui-
tous bill under his oath must justify
his vote by some great emergency
to the health or the prosperity of the
people. No such reason exists here,
and il is offered in the name of
failing party, which | deny requires
such q measure. ! speak, second. in
favor of that principle that every
man should have the right to cast
his vote on every question that may
he presented to him irrespective OF
any circumstance that may weigh
upon him or any condition of life
that may surround him. You cannot
excuse a statute providing for
property qualification by saying that
there is an isolated community now
and then where negroes may pre-
dominate. for we know the negro iJ
jealous of his right of suffrage, and
II he must go without his meals, he
will pay this tax in order that he
may have his vote. The capitalists
cannot by law be qualified to be
better citizen than the poor man.
and that is what you seek to do. You
cannot deny a man of any inalien'
able right because he does not pay
his debts. but you seek to deny
him Of one Of these rights. because
he does not pay his debt TO the state
High Objections.
II am always guided in these mat
ters by the highest obligations OF
fealty to the liberty OF the individual
and good conscience. so | say that
would he recreant to the great reo'
pie of the state Of Oklahoma If | sat
here and did not raise my voice
against this iniquitous measure.
did refuse TO go into the Democratic
caucus of my party, because, as
stated to 1t, had made up my mind,
Mr.. Speaker that my judgment, my
ideas of democracy. my idea OF good
government, my sense of right and
love of justice as the paramount
thing in every transaction, moved me
against this measure: and ] never
could go back to the people that
represent in this house with such
convictions resting upon me, and by
the Eternal God, | never will.
Secs Party's Mistake.
within this democratic party
there are some of you who are older
than I but there are none who are
better = 'quainted with the negro or
the common people of the state. J
have seen my party go down to de
feat because of the mistaken leader.
ship of few politicians who wished
to profit by prostitutlng its principles
and enacting into statutes such laws
as this in the states of the union. AZ
much as would like to perpetuate
white domination IN those communl
ties where they are afflicted with
negro supremacy, ] would have no
chance to do that even by voting for
this measure. for the poor white
farmer and laborer will feel that a
new burden has been imposed on hls
right to participate In elections. and
he will not only resist IT, but many
of them will be unable to meet it
and when you add to these, the great
number of disinterested white voters
you have helped to destroy democrat.
ic success. Besides. 1 am unwilling
to impose condition upon republi
cans that would not impose alike
r. %.