The farmer and mechanic., 1915-03-02
.dieS and Fellow Citizens:

I
al,ewhere to say simply fellow citi-
zcns. II is a pleasure always to come
ta Greensboro. Your people are pro-
sressive and open minded. You are
Wiling to hear both sides of any
opposition and then give your voice |
ID the side that seems to be the better |
cause. You stand for the betterment |
II conditions, and from your opinion |
MY after hearing what can be said |
tur and against any measure In |
hort this town is not fossiliZed. It's |
.aOple belong to the Twentieth Cen !
tnry one of the leaders down at |
Baleigh in the fight to confer equal |
and just rights upon women is dis
upgushed son of your town-Sena-
.or Hobgood. He had the courage
80 stand for the right and will be
npard from III the years to come as
leader.
We have heard much of the Sub
merged tenth. l am here to say a
aOrd for justice to the disfranchised
na6. When our Constitution was
formed at Halifax in 1875 and at
Philadelphia in 1887 representative
.@Overnment was new. For thousands
If years, down to that time the peo-
ole had not governed themselves but
hey had been governed by whatever
power held the sword. Only partial
Experiment. had been made in few
tiles like Athens and Rome where
sorruption and military violence had
dominated and for three or four CEN
tur.es the landed interests in Great
Gritain had some voice in the gov
.ruinent, checked however by currup-
ii"u ana intrigue.
they are poor students of history
Who think that i'll 1875 we reached a
demoCratic form of government, as we
now understand popular government.
Dur State constitution at Halifax al
owed the manhood Of the State to
rote only for the lower house of the
eEislature. The Senate was chosen
only by voters who owned so acres of
land or more. The judges were elect
ed by the legislature for life, and the
1oyernor and the other State officers
acre also elected by the General As
srmbly which body chose the magis-
crates who in turn chose the sheriff
md other county officers except the
.lerk Of the court. who was appoint
ID 10y the judges for life. Property
Nas evidently afraid Of manhood suf-
trage and checked it on all sides SO as
make it merely a delusion. 1t was
tU years before the people were al
owed To vote for governor; nearly 80
years passed before they were allowed
fC vote for State senators, and 92
years before they were allowed to
vote Tor judges.
81 Philadelphia there was the same
discrimination. The people were en-
trusted with the election Of only one
sixth OF the government. i. e., with
"ne-half OF the Legislative department
the lower house Of COngreSS-whllt
the Senate was made elective at sec.
"nd hand through State legislatures
and ii took us lis years to acquire fol-
me people the right to elect L. 5
senators. Last year was the first time
the people OF North Carolina eveI
had that privilege. The President wa:
made elective st third hand by elec
lofs TO be chosen by the State legls
tatures. But after the lapse of 40 o.
% years the people, without any con
sututionaI amendment, forced tn
thoice of electors to be made at th'
hallut box with the result that the.
hecaIne mere figureheads and we thu
a'hieved practically the election o
he President by the people-contra
~ to the evident intention OF the Con
outution. The third department o
he government--the judges-Wer
made appointive at fourth hand by tn
resident who was intended to
'hosen at third hand by the elector
elected by the legislatures and SUB
iect to confirmation by State chose
AZ second hand, and they were give
'ife tenures to be beyond any consld
ration Of the popular will. This las
matter still remains In that archal
tate The United States judges ar
oot yet made elective by the peopl
and still hold for life,- though M
Jefferson one hundred years ago cor
tended that they should be made elet
I'VE and serve for term OF years.
/ have thus instanced the growth {
manhood suffrage. First to polI
"ut To you that this movement II
suffrage to the women is the loglc'
outgrowth Of this great democrat
movement to plare the government
The hands Of the people. and secondl
10 point out that while men have bee
slow in achieving their own emanc
patton and that manhood suffrage
still denied as to one-third of the Fe,
eral government--the choice or II
ludiciary--this movement for the G.
reimbursement Of the wohen has pr
crossed far more rapidly. Beg1nnil