The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1916-12-07

II it is the correspondents idea that
this predujiee IS honestly based on
the illiteracy OF negroes, here are
some contradictory figures: Accord
ing to the last census the number of
illiterate whites in Oregon over ten
years old was 9S02. of these 1852 had
the necessary birth qualifications to
make them citizens without naturli-
zation. The number of illiterate ne
groes in Oregon was 46. guess we
can throw different light upon this.
The total white population Of Ore
gon was 655,0s0. the total negro po-
pulation was 1892, the percentage of
illiterates whites was one and four
hundred and ninety six one thousand
tbs per cent, found as follows: 1902
divided by 655.090 equals .01496,
equals per cent of illiterates. The
percentage of negroes that are illite-
rate is three and eight one hundred
tbs per cent found as follows: 46
divided by 1892 equals 030S equals
the per cent of negroes that are illi-
| terate.
To put this in a more comprehen-
sive way, in population of six hun
dred and fifty five Thousand and nine
ty whites, there are ninety eight hun
dred and two illiterates over ten
years old. In population of six
hundred and fifty-five thousand and
ninety negroes there would be twenty
thousand one hundred and ninety il
literate negroes, in other words there
are more than twice as many illite-
rate negroes in a given population as
there is illiterate whites in the same
population, and yet the Oregonian
says that it is the correspondent s
idea, that predujice is based on the
illiteracy of negroes. Here are some
contradicting figures: Hasn't the
Oregonian proven itself ignorant? II
it has not. B-gosh / have. The
number of illiterate negroes there
would be in a population of $4,000
was found as follows: 46 to 1892 as
K to 655,090, 46 times $4,000 diyid-
ed by 1892 gives 20,197. There is
no agent of learning nearly so help
full to us as the leading newspapers
Because this is true great responsi
bility is placed upon these news.
papers, It seems to me it ought to be
the highest ambition of every news.
paper to attain this distinction and
prove itself worthy of that distinction
and after the Oregonian has made
such blunder as I have just shown
it did make, how can we place any
confidence in what is says.
| Quoting farther, the Oregonian
takes this occasion to say that the
Importance Ct this Amendments de-
feat is wholly abstract.
The Oregonian is tar wrong in this
as it was in the percentage of illite.
rate negroes. The Importance of the
amendments defeat is that it has
proven, that the majority of those
who. voted on the Negro Suffrage
Amendment refused to express their
approval by ratifying this negro Stuff
rage Amendment with their votes
And Mr.. Oregonian we are intelligent
enough to know that your motive III
abusing and insulting our intelligence
i# to whip us into line SO thai when
we vote again ON this Nego Suffrage
Amendment we will vote, YES. II
has come to pass when an electorate
must be insulted and humiliated by
the Oregonian because he had the
courage to vote in accordance with
his honest conviction.
Quoting farther from the Oregon
ian: No ones Status as voter
would have been changed by its adop-
ton. No negro Is denied Suffrage
by it's defeat. We are well aware OF
all those claims. We did not vote
NO in an effort to change the result
but we did vote NO on the Nego Stuff
rage Amendment because we posi-.
lively refused to express our approva
by voting for it. The Oregoniar
says the result is interesting only as
disclosing lack of knowledge of the
fundamentals of Civil governments
and as one revealing the existance OF
race predujice not due to presence
of consequential number of negroes
or the illiteracy of the comparative
few negroes in Oregon. The Ore.
gonian had to draw entirely on its
Imagination for these deductions.
! wish / had the exact vote of the
NEGRO Suffrage Amendment, the fact
that is was defeated proves that many
thousands voted NO on the Negro
: Suffrage Amendment. 1t is amazing