Newspapers / The Caucasian (Clinton, N.C.) / Jan. 4, 1900, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of The Caucasian (Clinton, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
ISflKD EVERY THURSDAY BT TH8 CAUJASI1N PUBLISHING CO SUBSCRIPTION .RATES. OlfX YYAS... ,..$1.00 BIZ MONTHS... .60 .80 THREK MONTHS..... Entered at the Post Office in Raleigh, K.C. as second-clsss mail matter "UANOKKOl'S AMU UNCOMTITU TIONSL." The New Orleans Timea-Demoerat, the leading Democratic paper in Lou isana, has several times admitted that the disfranchising constitution al amendment adopted by that state unconstitutional and has farther ex pressed regret that the state adopted it. That paper in a recent editorial. discussing the proposed disfranchis ing amendment in this state, which was eopied from the Louisiana scheme, saysi "The people of North Carolina will vote in August on the proposed constitutional amendment disfran chising the negroes from votintr, and which eontains the famous "grand father clans,'' borrowed from the Louisiana Constitution. It seemed probable at first that this amendment would be adopted with bat little opposition, bat there seems to have been some change of sentiment in Nrrtn Carolina since the legislature submitted the suffrage amendment to the vote of the peo ple, especially since the action of the Georgia legislature on the suffrage question. Thia opposition is not to the principle of the disfranchisement of the negro voters, but to th meth od by which it is proposed to get rid of that vote by the "grandfather clausft" and the possibility of its leading to Congressional legislation to teduce the representation of the Southern S rates. An opposition to the suffrage amendment has been orgaiiiz-d, led by Senator Butler, Chairman Ilolton, of the Republican State Central Committee, and oth ers. An atUmpt will be made to in duce the legislature, hicn meets in June, before tbe people have a chance to vote on the question, to withdraw the amendment, in much the same manner as Gov. Johnson of Alabama induced the legislature of that State to withdraw its call for a Constitutional Convention intend ed to change the suffrage system of the State and disfranchise the ne groes. Jf the General Assembly will not act the question will be carried before tbe people, and an tff rt will be made to defeat the amendment in tbe popular vote, as was done in Louisiana in 1896. Whether the movement will sue ceed or not it is impossible to say. Tbe "grandfather clause,'' which the Louisiana Constitutional Con vention invented, is objected to as of doubtful constitutionality, contain ing the elements of great danger and altogether unnecessary. It does not get rid of a single negro vote; its on ly i fleet is to make voters of those few whites who can neither read nor write and who own no property and pay no taxes. This class of the white population is fortunately, very small in the South, as is shown by the permanent roll in Louisiana of such voters, and there is a strong feeling tbat' these voters are not wortn tbe risk of having the Con gressional and electoral represents tion of the Southern S ates cut down one-half and their political strength reduced to the same extent. This is the txplana'ion of the movement io North Carolina against the suffrage amendment and of the defeat of the Hard wick mffnge bill in Georgia. Tbe theory that the opposition to the grind father clause come from the Republicans is wholly untrue. The Northern Democrats have unan mously declir d against this plan ot disfranchising the negro as uncon stitmional." Tbns it will be seen that the lead ing Democratic paper in the only State which has adopted this "grand father clause" disfranchising scheme admits outright that it is not only unconstitutional, bat also "contains elements of great danger." This Is exactly what Thc Caucasian has contended all the time. Barely the Democrats of North Carolina should listen to and profit by the advice of the leading Demo cratic paper in Louisiana as to the wisdom of adopting this monstrous absurdity. If the Democratic ma chine will not, then surely the Dem ocratic voters will. Why risk the "elements of great danger" which the Times-Democrat says that it con tains f No other legislature that ever as sembled in the State passed so many unconstitutional laws as did the last legislature, and yet the members of that legislature are asking the peo ple to accept their opinion on a great Constitutional question that effects in vital sun rage rignts oz tne peo ple. They have shown that they either did not understand or else have contempt for the State Const tution, to say nothing of the Federal constitution, resides, it they are to be judged by their many mistakes and blunders on other matters (as tho Democratic papers said the leg' islatures of 1895 and 1897 should be judged) then they were the "most in competent gang that ever trifled with the interests of the State. It takes the cheek of a government mule for these partisan and revolutionary legislators to style themselves the great constitutional lawyers of the State and ask the people to accept their opinion of a piece of their own vicious partisan legislation. J. he (Jatjoastah is glad to note that there has been organized in the West many anti-amendment clubs, with a majority of their members and officers composed of Democrats'. Tne more the people understand this dangerous disfranchising scheme, the more numerous these clubs will grow. Ths Caucasian wishes all its read' srs a happy Now Yea-. SENATOR BUTLER'S POSITION Oa tee Proposed Coi-stttutlonal Amend ment and the 81mmBa-Ooebl Election LW. Washington, D.C, Jan. 1, 1900. Hon. Giobob Wilcox, Carbonton, N. C.: My Dbah Sib: Yours in regard to the election law and the proposed Constitutional Amendment, received. With reference to the proposed amendment, permit me to say that I have seen so much of the evils of tbe so-called race issue being injected into Dolitics that I did not hastily take a position on it. . This so-called race issue has been used by the dem ocratic politicians of tbe Ransom Simmons Machine type as the most effective barrier to the advancement of the nrincioles of the People's Par ty, and in fact, to prevent any inde pendent thought or action aiongany line. We all know that if the dis honest politicians, who have trifled with the interests of the people so long, could be prevented from rais- D . . v I'll log tbe bogus race issue, oeoina i i : j which they hide themselves and their records when necessity requires it, that we could successfully xpise them and at tbe same time unite the people vote for their interests. We also know that tbe men who condue ted the redshirt campaign of preja dice, abnse. lawlessness and violence, and a part of whom composed the last legislature, do cot desire to re move the race scarecrow from cam oaicrns. To do so would be as fool ish from their standpoint as it would be for a man up a tree to deliberate ly siw off the liiDD on which he sat, and to saw it off between himself and the tree. These Hansom machine politicians kept themselves in power thirty years by riding the negro scare crow into cmce, ana inen. when in betrayed tbe interests of those wbo had been deluded and f .ivUlnnnil ilia AW e9 'tll'lYf01' 1' - SOLEMN CAMPAIGN PLEDGES BBO KEN. These rame politicians, beaded by Mr F. M. Simmons, (one of Ransom's machine lieutenants and a man who Senator Vance denounced as unfit to hold a position of trust and whose nomination for Internal Revenue Collector he defeated in the Unhed States Senate), promised tbe people in the last campaign that if they were put in pow-r that they would not attempt to disfranchise a single illiterate voter. Mi. Simmons, act ing as State Chairman, issued an of ficial address to tbat effect Mr James H. Pou, an Ex-State Chair man, not only made tbe same pledge on the stump, but, when one of his audience expressed some doubt about the matter, he went further and made an affidavit to that (ffect. Be sides, a m j rity of the Democratic candidates for the legislature, to say nothing of the other Democratic speaker?, made tbe same pledge to the voters of the State. But notwithstanding that these politicians have, by submitting the proposed Constitutional Amendment, broken and betrayed their solemn campaign pledge.': and while I knew they did not, in submitting the amendment, intend to rob themselves ottneir only t Udcuve campaign is sue by removing the negro cry from politics, yet I decided that if tbe proposed Amendment was Constitn tionai and would result in any way in making it less possible f or them to use that demagogical and dishon est cry, and if there were no danger lurking behind it, that I would sup port it, or, at least, not actively op pose it. These reasons caused me to f limine and study the proposed amendment with great care before taking any position on the question. Now, not to weary you with too long a letter, I will state tbe conclusions I have reached: and, bri fly, the rea sons that force these conclusions. SHOULD IT BE ADOPTD EVEN IF CONSTITCTIONAL t First, for argument's sake, let us admit that Section 5. known as "the grandfather clause'' is constitutional and that it and the Amendment as a whole will stand the test of the Courts If this is so and it should bu adop ted, what would be the result! Would it make it impossible for these Ran somites to raise tbe old negro cry in subsequent campaign) What class of the negro population would be dis franchised by the amendment! It would be the good old country dar key who was as faithful and trne as steel to our mothers, wives, and sis ters during the late war, and who is a good citizen and a good laborer, who has never been offensive in poli tics nor in other ways. WILL NOT KEEP THE MACHINE POLI TICIANS FROM RAISING THE NE GKO CRY. Now what class of negroes would be left to vott! There would be about fifty thousand negroes wbo would still vote, and this number would include all of that element who have been active and offensive in Dolitics, and who, either from in nate perversity or for Democratic pay, have furnished the capital nec essary to enable the Democratic ma chine politicians to raise the negro cry and appeal to race prejudice. In short, the only negroes who have ev er made the race issue possible would be those who would not only be el igible to vote but to hold office under the proposed Amendment. The tri fling town negro who walks the streets of our towns with eye-glasses-' and with hat cocked on the side of his head, who talks loud and takes up all of the sidewalk, would be left with full power to vote.- This class would be sufficient in number to be the balance of power in politics and to lurnisn an odjci lesson at any time to neip tne uemocratio "negro howling politicians" to raise their old cry. When necessary to make the obj ct lesson stronger these poll ticians would not hesitate to hire one of these negroes to run as a candi date for office. If the last legislature had desired to remove this constant and fruitful source, which furnishes them with an ever ready opportunity to raise the race issue, they would have submitted an amendment to prevent the negro from holding of fice. That would be consti tntional. It was pointed out to them that no race prejudice was ever raised when the negro simply voted, because they compose only about one-third of the voters of the State, but that it was only when the negro held office or aspired to office that race prejudice and antagonism was or could be aroused. Bat they re fused to submit to such an Amend ment, though requested and urged by prominent men in their own par ty to do so. Tney not only refused to submit that provision but. on the other hand, they explicitly .provided in tneir Amendment tnat the negro should be eligible to hold office. It is clear from this that these politi cians ars carefully nursing and pre- serving the race issue for use in fu ture campaigns. Look for a moment at the other states that have pretended to restrict negro suffrage. Mas tbe raee issue been solved in any of themf Have they not had daring tbe last few years as many race conflicts, as many outrages, and r more than in North Carolina! Is not the negro the slo gan in their eampaignst Is not eve ry man who attempts to raise his voice against tbe existing order of things at once shut up with the cry of negro domination! Look at Mississippi. Does not that condition exist there! In fact the white people of that State have been so disgusted with the farce of holding elections that a very large part of the white voters have ceased to pay any attention to the elections and do not vote. In that state there are over 200,000 citizens o' voting age. How many voted or got their votes counted in the last Congress ional electionf Only 27 187. Do we want to put an autocratic machine m power that will reduce the number vhA Atn vnfA in this era fat ri thar fl rw- who can vote in this state to that fig nrt Look at Louisiana, a State that has already adopted this same amendment. We find the Machine there preparing to do the same tning. In the last campaign tbe howl of "nigger was as loud and as lusty as ever; and, besides, a political machine has been en throned that has res ul tea in prac tically disfranchising the rank and file of the Democratic party, if they dare oppose the Machine. TO DISFRANCHISE THE POOR, HARD WORKING 12 YEAR OLD BOYS. There is another great objection to this Amendment. It provides that after 1908 every white man of voting age who is not then able to read and write any section of the Constitution, shall be disfran chised. Think of the . number of boys in North Carolina to day who are twelve years of age and under who may not be able to get an edu-1 cation by the time they are twenty one years of age ! These boys are sure to be disfranchised and put on a plane lower than the town darkey with his eye glasses and cocked hat. How many fathers and mothers are there In the rotate to-day, strug gling to make both ends meet, who nave managed to rai.-e their boys until they are now ten or twelve years of age, an age at which these boys are just beginning to help them on the farm or in the factory ? In how many cases is such a boy the mainstay of a father and mother who are dependent upon his work to support the family until he is twenty-one years of age! How many of these boys will reach twenty-one without getting an ed ucation! Yet it is this kind of a noble boy who will bo called upon each year to pay taxes, to work the road, and to shoulder his musket and do tha fighting if his country needs his services. This is the boy who will be expected to do the fighting and give his life for his country, while Mr. Simmons, who is trying to disfranchise him, will no doubt, like Cleveland, hire a substitute. THE POLL-TAX RECEIPT SCHEME. Another objectionable feature is the -provision requiring the pre sentation of the poll tax receipt be fore voting. What does this an! Every man in the State who is on the delinquent tax list or who has not paid his taxes as much us six months before the election, will be disfranchised. Bow many good men are there in the State who are unfortunate or who from any rea son cannot pay their poll tax before the election, much less pay them six months before the election? Y t these are the men and every one of their sons who are not more than twelve years old now, whom Mr. Simmons is trying t' dibfranchlse under the false and specious cry of 'white supremacy.' A man mar have paid his taxes in April or May, as long as four or five months before the election, and yet he U disfranchised at tho election in August or November, unless he has paid his poll tax as far back as the first day of March previous. A SCHEME TO TRICK OK BRIBE VOTERS There Is another provision In the same poll tax section that is in tended to encourage a man not to pay his taxes so that he mav be disfranchised thereby. Its purpose is to try to trick or bribe the voter into not paying his tax before the first day of March so that this Sim mons Machine may get rid of his vote. The result will be not onlv to cut off thousands from votine. but to also rob the State and tbe public school fund of tens of thou sands of dollars of taxes which the public schools will lose, or which other tax payers will be forced to make up by increased taxation. The evident purpose of this Sim mons autocratic Machine is to try to restrict the suffrage of the people down to as small number as possi- Die, so tnat tney may the better manipulate elections and fortify their Machine in power. 1 hese ire some of the many ob jections to this undemocratic dis franchising scheme, even if it were constitutional. And these are to my mind sufficient reasons wby it is not safe to adopt such a scheme, if there were no others. BUT IS IT CONSTITUTIONAL ? But we now come to consider a still greater and more serious ques tion. It is : Is this proposed amend ment constitutional? Every voter nas tanen an oath to support (and not to violate) the Constitution of the United States. So, in the first place, if this amendment is uncon stitutional, every voter has sworn to vote against it. WHO SAYS IT IS CONSTITUTIONAL 1 Practically nobody but the Dem ocratlc lawyers of North Carolina who are backing the Simmons Red Shirt Machine. They adopted it as politicians, tnereiore their legal opinion about its constitutionality is discounted in as much as they are simpiy interested partisans. WHO SAYS IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL ? An overwhelming number of lawyers of standing and reputation outside of the State of North Caro Una unhesitatingly pronounce it unconstitutional. I have discussed the question myself with nearly every one I have met in Congress and from other parts of the coun try. The practically unanimous verdict is that Section 5 f known as the "grandfather clause", -of the Amendment) is unconstitutional. The only question they differ about is whether the Court will declare j Section fi unconstitutional, leaving the remaining sections to stand, or whether it will declare that all of the other sections will fall with Section 6. Now, in as much as every voter in tne State mast vote for or against the Amendment as a whole, therefore every one who believes Section 5 Is unconstitutional mast vote against the whole Amendment I or violate his oath to support the Constitution of tbe United States Besides, It Is of the greatest im portance for every one of us to con eider what would be the result If the Court should declare Section 5 unconstitutional (as it clearly is), and leave the remainder of the Amendment to stand. WHAT WILL BE THE RESITLTf No ote will deny that tbe result will be to disfranchise fifty or sixty thousand white voters of the State, many of them old men and Confederate soldiers who are now too old to start to school and get as education even if they had the time ana money io uo so. rneee men, wbo compose some of the verv best and most substantial citizens of our State, would be disfranchised, while the town negro with his cocked bat and eyeglasses would vote and be eligible to hold omee according to the provisions of the amendment, i regret to say it, and would not ad vertise the fact if the threatened 1 i m i - a&nger or aisirancDiseuient ot our good honest voters did not demaud if, tbat North Carolina has a larger per-centaee of illiterate voters than any other State in the Uaion. There fore, the adoption of sueh a disfran ehising scheme would, if Section 5 is knocked out as unconstitutional. result in disfranchising more good substantial men in our State than in my other 8tate. The very political Machine that is now trying to dis franchise these men is tbe political Machine that is responsible for this illiteracy and for these good men being forced to go through a life handicapped by ignorance. You will remember that when you and I wpre in the Alliance legislature of 1891 that we not only call, d attention to the alarming percentage of illiter acy in the State, but also to tbe fact tbat little had been done by the Democratic politicians to remove this blot upon the State this crime against our citizens. We succeeded in getting that legislature to make a larger appropriation for pnbUe education tban had ever before been made. We have since, in the legi slature of 1895 and 1897, added largely to this fund. The amount is still insufficient to mak3 it possible for all of the boys who are now twelve years of age or under to get an education before they are twenty- one; and it is too late, even if the amount were sufficient, to educate tbe older men who are also in danger of being disfranchised by this scheme Besides, the poll tax trick in the Amendment will rob the public school fund of thousands of dollars and make it still more difficult for poor boys to get an education Now shall these fifty or sixty thous and white men, to say notLing of their sons, be disfranchised when their ignorance is no fault of theirt! That this may happen is not onlv M- 1 - 1 . t , T , possiDie, out pro on oie. is tnere a voter in the State who will say A. 1 A- 1 A 1 1 . 1 A T . 1 mat ue wanis io oo tnibT is tnere a voter in the State who will say that he is willing to vote for something tnat may result in this! WAS IT THEIR PURPOSE! As I have already said, these politicians did not intend to settle the race issue, and they have care fully prepared an Amendment that will not doit. But they have pf pared one that in my judgement will do something else one that will (if any of i's sections snrviye the test of the Supreme Cour )' surely dis' franchise about 6ixry tho".vaud white voters. It is trne that :hey ?eny this was their purpose, bnt in reply 1 ass tbat it tbis will be tbe result is it no: iair to say tnat tbis was their purpose! , They claim their legislature was composed of the brains of the Democratic party. then surely they must have intend ea what is clear will be the result. Besides, why should not the Sim mons Machine desire to disfranchise a sufficient number of good, poor, plain people of tbe State to make tneir leaoersmp and supremacy cer tain in the future! Liet us se for a moment who this Mr. Simmons is He was one of Ransom's political lieutenants and Machine henchmen K&nsom always feared the good, plain people because he knew they loved Vance, and that they and Vance hated the methods of Ran I'tf l -m i t . asm s poiiucai macnine wnicn was organized to defeat the peopled will in convention and at the ballot box so that it could with impunity betray their interests. In payment for such machine work, Ransom had Cleveland to name Simmons for Internal Revenue Collector. ,Vance knew Simmons, and he knew that this nomination was to nay him for dirty political work. Vanco stood in the Senate and denouced the nomination on the ground that this man Simmons was unfit to hold a position of trust and honor, and fought his nomination. If Vance had lived he never would have been confirmed. The persecution and misrepresentation heaped upon Vance's head during his last days (and which no doubt hastened his death), was inspired and instituted by this Ransom Simmons .Machine-. Now of course Vance's admirers (and he had no greater admirers than the plain people who loved him) do not 1 O: rr . . . love simmons. iney came witnm a few votes of controlling the last Democratic State convention and overthrowing Mr. Simmons and all the old Ransom Machine. Mr. Sim mons knows they will yet do this unless he can get rid of them. Tne only way to do this is to rob them of their votes. But he also knows that if a straightforward Amendment professinsr to do this directly were submitted, it would surely be defeat 1 c i . i ea. do io carry out nis scheme it wa necessary ior mm io get up a dishonest device known as the "grandfather clause," which would pretend o protect all of these white voters, but which the Court would be sure to declare unconstitutional, (i -i , i . . . aiier me nanus oi me voters were tied by the adoption of the other sections which, are constitutional Mr. Simmons has no doubt figured it out tbat it be can pass the Amend ment which will disfranchise about fifty thousand Democratic voters, tbat then the Ransom Machine will for all time to come eontrol the democratic machinery. He is satis fied to disfranchise this many Demo cratic voters to secure his own leader ship in that party, if at the same time he can have the Amendment disfran cuise aoout sixty mousana negroes and ten thousand white Republicans, because this would still leave Democratic maebine under his eon trol stronger than the Republican party. 8ince nearly all of tbe Popu lists ean read, he knew he could not disfranchise many of them with the Amendment, so he adopted the Goebel election law with whieh to steal their votes. I am aware that they will indignantly deny that this is their purpose, just like they indi- nanny denied in tne last campaign the charge that they intended to disfranchise anybody, white or black. They fooled the people then; I do not think they ean fool them again. But let us lor argument's sake, ad mit that they had no such purpose: yet the result, if the Amendment is adopted, will be the same as far as the voters wbo are disfranchised are concerned. No matter what the pur pose was, when they are disfran chised it will do them no good to be told it was not done on purpose. It will not give back to these sixty thousand white voters when disfran chised the power to vote unless the Constitution could b again amend ed. And remember. thesA aixtv thousand white voters could not dot a single one of them) v te to change the Amendment and w.pe out the wrons: and remember also, that the machine politicians only fear the vo ter so long as he has a vote. They would not fear, and therefore would not care for these sixty thousand dis franchised citizsns when they no longer had a vote. The simple fact that there is danger of this being the result is suthsient cause for every man whodes not favor disfranchis ing th?se men and having the state ruled by a small autocratic machine while tbe masses will be denied a voice in government and forced to pay taxes to support it to vote against this disfranchising scheme. WHAT SENATOR 8TBWABT SAYS. x discussed mis question at some length a few days since with the ven erable Senator from Nevada. Sena tor William M. Stewart, who is ad mitted by every one to be a great lawyer, oenaior mewart is an es l t1 . ri . pecially high authority on this ones tion, for be is the author of the 15ch Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and is the man i who led the fight to put the measure through Congress. He is the only man who was in the Senate at that time, who is still in the Senate. He said he had examined the Louisiana Amendment and the proposed Amend ment in our State and that it was his opinion that section 5 of the propos ed Amendment was clearly uncon stitutional, and that he was satisfied the Supreme Court of the United States would so declare when the q uestion came before it. WHAT THE LOUISIANA SENATORS SAT. Now let ns see also what tbe two Democratic Senators from Louisiana say abont this Amendment. As you know, Louisiana is the only state that has adoptod a disfranchising scheme, containing the 'monstroes absurdity" known as ''the grandfa ther clause.'' The two Senators from that State are recognized by every one to be able lawyers, and one ot them was Chief Justice of the State when he was elected to the Senate. They have both publicly declared that section 5 was unconstitutional and must fall when it reaches the Court. Surely every one will admit that their opinion is very high author ity. WB AT THE LEADING . DEMOCRATIC PAPER IN LOUISIANA SAYS. Besides, the New Orleans Times Democrat, the leading Democratic paper in Louisiana, has also ad mitted that Section 5 is unconstitu tional, and has expressed regre mat me Amenameni was ever adopted in that shpe. In the last issue of The Caucasian there is copied an able editorial from that paper, in which it says "the Amend ment is not only unconstitutional but dangerous besides." WHAT THE GEORGIA LEGISLATURE SAYS. Now let us look at the example of Georgia on this question. The present Democratic Legislature of that S ate, which is now in session, has repudiated this very Amend ment by a large majority. A mem ber, named Hardwick, a few weeks ago, copied the North Carolina amendment, and introduced it in the Georgia Legislature. The ques tion was debated at some length. The speakers opposing the disfran chising scheme took the position that it was not only unconstitu tional, but tbat it was also unju-t to attempt to disfranchise "the good, honest old country darkey'' while allowing the young town ne gro to vote. They also took the position that no State that had less than a majority of negro votes could be justified in attempting to pass such unjust, doubtful, danger ous and drastic legislation. Now what are the facts about Georg a ? In that State 46 per cent, of the vote is colored, and there aro nearly sixty counties that have a majority of negro votes. How is it in North Carolina! With us there is only about one-third of the vote colored, and only thirteen counties where the colored vote is in the ma jority. These few counties can be controlled by having a different systom of county government in them, while allowing the people in the other eighty-four counties to elect all of their officers. That is what the legislatures of 1895 and 1897 would have done had not the Democratic Supreme Court held that it was unconstitutional to do so. But the present non-partisan Supreme Court has since held that it is constitutional for the Legisla ture to provide one system of county government for one county and another system for another. So the way is now clear for the Legis lature to settle the race question in those thirteen counties in a simple and effective manner without at tempting to enact any dangerous or unconstitutional legislation. Then why adopt a scheme which is not only clearly unconstitutional but which is to objectionable and fraught with so much, danger nut only to the fifty or sixty thousand illiterate white voters of the State, but to the State itself and the strength of its representation in Congress? It Is certain that the more the people thit k about it, and the more the matter is discussed, the more the voters of the State will be against it. , THE SIMMONS-GOEBEL. IjAW TO LE- GAUZE VOTE STEALING. Now I come to the Simmons bull pen election law, I will not in this letter discuss its various provisions for fraud, thievery and rascality, for I thoroughly agree with you in what you say about that infamous thai piece oi machinery, maae ior in 'purpose of debauching tho ballot box and stealing the State. As yon ay, Mr. (Simmons not . only p- led Goebers infamous election law In Kentucky, but made it even worse. . Mr. Simmons evidently thought the people of the State 'might pile up a majority of forty or fifty thou sand or more against his disfran chising scheme, so-he took every precaution that cunning and dis honesty could devise- to try to pre pare an election law to steal fifty thousand or more votes, as the ne cessity might require. Bat in spite of mis iof mu Sim-mons-Ooebel ele'ion law. I ylievt the people ean defeat the daperou' disfranchising sebem and overthrow the ballot box stuffrs and the reo sbirtmob. I believe there is as much love of liberty and as much mtnHood in North Carolina as thr- is io Ken tucky, and that an ourMged and in dignant people will rise in 'heir ms j- esty at the polls nt xt August and pit up a msjmty larger than Simmon and his election thieves can steal; an that they will, as the brave met of Kentucky did a few weeks ago, see to it that tbat vote is counted af ter it is cast. I beheve in- manhood suffrage and freedom of speech and conscience. I believe that the good people of the State will never endorse, but will ever condemn ballot-box stuffing and election fraud?; and that they will band themselves togethei and fight until these evils are remov ed and the red shirt mob is driven from power. It ean be done; it urns' oedontl The liberty of the plain, stardy citizens, and the welfare of tbe State demand it. L?t every good law-abiding citizen prepare for th contest. Tours for the fight, MARION BUTLER. SENATOR CAFFERT ON -ELECTION FBAUUS IN LOUISIANA. One of the Democratic Senator from Louisiana, Senator Caffery, u reported in a speech delivered ai Rayville, to have said: "I believe, fellow citizens, that the mass of our people are honest and desire and demand honest elec tions. I believe they will realize their desires when they patriotically determine that no fraud or other mal-pratice be perpetrated to render their votes nugatory. I claim there is deep dissatisfaction with the methoda as affecting elections that prevail in this state, and I believe and assert that the dissatisfaction is well rounded, l claim that it ie necessary that organization be un dertaken and perfected looking for ward to the co-operation of what ever elements of opposition tbre may be to the present system. Tbe task is beset with difficulties. A powerful and compact organization confronts the body of tbe c uz ins Such organizations nearly always fall into the hands of professional politicians and are then usnd to maintain and perpetuate them in place and power- If brokan in Louisiana it must be done by deter mined and intelligent action of tbe people." As our readers know, Louisiana is the only state tbat has adopted a disfranchising constitutional amend ment containing the "monstrous absurdity" known as the "grandson of the grandfatber clause." To pass such ai; fmn dment in that state, it was necessary to have as infamous election law as the Goebel Simmon law in North Carolina. Senator Csffery has not only publicly de clared that the amendment is uncon stitutional and dangerous, but he now denounces the ring put in power and its ballot box stuff. np methods without qualification. It will be noticed from the above that he appeals for the organization of all the elements of good people in the state opposed to the machine system, and favors the co-opetation of these forces to drive the machine from power and wipe off such in famous legislation from the statute doors, wnat senator Uanery ap peals to the eood citizens of Louis iana to do is just what the good people of North Carolina will do in the coming campaign. Tbe Washington Poet in an editorial last Sunday discussed the proposed Constitutional Amendment which will be votd on next August, in thi State. The Post savs that the Amend ment is not only vicious in princi ple due tnat it is besides uncon stitutional. We will publish the Post editorial in our next iesue. "Never quit certainty for hope. Never take a medicine ol doubtful val ue instead of Hood's Sarsaparili which Is sure to do you good. S. S. S. is the Only Remedy Equal to this Obstinate Disease. is equal to ar.v blood trouble, and goes down to the seat of the disease, ONLY Oil CURE .' The serious consequences to which Scrofula surely leads should impress upon those afflicted with it the vital im portance of wasting no time upon treatment which can not possibly effect a cure. In many cases where the wrong treatment has been relied upon, complicated glandular swellings have resulted, for which the doctors insist that a dangerous surgical operation is necessary. - Mr4 H.-E. Thompson , of Milledgeville, Ga,, writes: "A bad case of Scrofula broke out on the glands of my neck, which had to be lanced and caused me much suffering. I was treated for a long while, but the physicians were un able to cure me, and my condition was as bad as when 1 began their treatment. Many blood remedies were used, but without effect. Some one recommended S. 8. 8., and I began to improve as soon as I had taken a few bottles. Continuing the remedy, I was soon cured permanently. ana nave never had a sign of the disease to return." Swift's Speeifle S. S. S. FOR THE BLOOD is the only remedy which can nromntlv reach and core obstinate. blood diseases. By relying upon it, and not experimenting with the various so-called tonics, etc.', all sufferers from blood troubles ean be promptly eured, instead of enduring years of suffering which gradually but surely nndermuMS the constitution. 8. 8. 8.. is guaranteed purely vegetable, and never tails f cure Scrofula, Eczema, Cancer, Bheumatism. Contagious Blood Poiaoa.Boaa. Tetter, Pimples, Sores, Ulcers, etc Insist Books on blood and skin diseases will hot aoiGNomANT a you surras. The Charlotte Observer in a re-j cent editorial, pointing oat the dan- geroi deieat of the disfranehiaiag amendment, says "The danger to thi. U with the ignorant whites, and nothing will be left undone to persuad them that m voting far it they will vote for their own disfranchisement. To this point the Democratic party will need ro direet its work in the eaapaiga aow upon us.' It is trne there s a very large il literate vote in North Carolina lar ger, we regret to aay, than in any other Southern State and it it cq- tlly true that those who are now try ior io aisirancuise toe men are largely responsible for this illiteracy. oai wis class of illiterate voters are uot so "ignorant" as the charlotte Observer might thiak. Thev not only comprise torna of tbe very best tnd truest men in the State, bat in many cases men of considerable means and influence besides Thev re intelligent enough (notwithstand ing the fact they are not able to read and write a clause of tbe Constitu tion to the satisfaction of a Demo cratic ballot-box staffer) to know that the Democratic politicians Headed by Mr. Simmons, their State Chairman, in the last campaign, of ficially promised the people that if they were pat ia power they would not attempt to disfranchise any of the poor illiterate voters of the State They are intelligent enough to know that when the Democratic legisla ture met that they violated these solemn pledget and proceeded to submit a disfranchising scheme ot wuich will not only disfranchise all he best element of tbe rood old country darkey. leaving the town negro to vote and elegible to hold of fice, but which also eontains a hidden danger tbat threatens to disfranchise fifty or sixty thousand of these illit erate white voters. - The Charlotte Observer will find that there ''igno rant whites" are intelligent enough to know this, and will vote accord ingly next August. Tb G9veramnt Pacific Cabla BIM. Asheville Gazette. Senator Butler has reintroduced his postal savings bank bill, on which a favorable committee report has been secured, and his Pacific cable bill. It i believed the letter bill will soon become a law. as tb president recommended such a cable. cd as it is endorsed by -the navy J . . m . ..." . . department, ine dim provides a government cable to Manila among other places. WORKING NIGHT AND DAT. Ibe busiest aod mightiest little thing that ever was made is Dr. King's New life Puis. Every uiil is a sugar coated globule of health, that changes weakness ioto sireogtb. Iitlesnes into energy, brain-fag into mental power. Thv're wonderful in build ing up the health Only 25s per box. Sold by all drug-gists. F. I) Winston aad his rro Schaol CamKlliMmn. Tty Times-Mercirv. Our Democratic brethren have decided to make the "nigger'' the - m. n i ssue again. j.ne uoserver can use its eld cuts again. It ean add a cartoon of the negro elected on the school board in Frank D. Winston's county ;ju8t after they bad carried the state for "white supremacy. "Actions of the Just Smell Sweet." The fragrance of life is vigor and strength, neither of which can be found in a per son whose blood is impure, and whose every breath speaks of internal troubles. Hood's Sarsaparilla purifies, vitalizes and enriches the blood, gives a. good appetite and makes the weak strong. Run Down "My husband ws ran dcram in health and jlH tirtd ocA. Those excellent medicines. Hood's PtZs and Sarsa par&U, built hint up again." Mrs. H. L. Mcmrry, Totoanda, Pa. Hood's mill curg IWgr 111,; tho non-trrttJitinK n ouly cut turtle to take with Hood's BrprlHm. There aredocens of remedies reoommeaded few Scrofula, some of them no doubt being able to afford temporary relief, but 8. 8. 8. is absolutely the only remedy -which completely cures It, Bcrofula is one of the moat obstinate, deep seated blood diseases, and is beyond the reach of the many so-called purifiers and toales because ome- cning more tnan a mere tonie la required. B.B.B. never faila to krt fWofnla. thus permanently iiw1iwtig It upoa & 8 & ; nothing eaa take its flar be availed free t samy sdseast? tti DO YOU GfiTUP WITH A LAJTE BACK? KUaey Troofcte Cakes Tea m Vho reads th nnr of the wonderful cures made bf Dr. Kilmer's Swamp-Root, tbe rreat kidney, brer and bladder remedy. It U the great meA cal triamph of the aiae teeout cj&ury. dis covered aHer years of sdenttfic rv-jearca by Dr. KUmer. tl emi nent kldaey aoi t Ud der saerUKsL aad U wonderfully saccesrful ta prompOy curiae bkk, luaner . pi icacr. une acta trou bles and Brtcht'a D.'aeaae, which Is the worst form ol kidney troutOe. rw trit r r m. . rmtow a swinKgM n TKH reO ornmended for everything but if yon have kid ney, fever or bladder trouble ft wiQ be found uat tbe remedy yau need. It has bees tested ta so many ways. 1a hospital work, la rrtvmie practice, among the helpless too poor to pur chase relief and has proved so successful la every case that a special arrangement has been made by which all readers of this paper who have not already tried ft. may have a sample bottle sent free by mail, also a book telling more about Srarr.p-Root and how to find out if you have kidney or bladder trouble. When writing' mention readies this generous offer la this paper ari send your address to Dr. Kilmer & CoBlnr- hamton. N. Y. The regular mty cent and riaari dollar sizes are sold by aU good drugglsta POU'S CMtPAIGN AFFIDAVIT. ONE OF IITS. METHODS OF FOOLING VOTERH IN THE LAST CAMPAIGN. easavaasBSBsi Ht-MAEtl AFFIDAVIT TBAT A PROP OSITION TO DISFSAjrCHISB UK- HKllICa ln 1I.1.1IKKAIK vk Mix WOULD NOT KBCKIVB A 1G ui4U'-hiiiu orr.Kin tbclioii- UATURB AND DXXOUNCXS THOSE WHO MAKE TH1 CHARGE AS BPEAK IKO FALSELY AND TBYISO TO FtHL THB PEOFLK. From Caucasian Oct. IV. The following affidavit made by James II. Pou, ex-Chairman of the State Democratic Executive Com mittee, daring the last campaign, will be interesting reading. Oar readers will remember tbat when ever and wherever It was charged In the last cam pal crn that if the Democratic machine under Sim mons got control of the State, tbat tbey would offer a scheme to die- franchise illltterate vote", tbat the charge was indignantly denied and denounced by every Democratic speaker as being Infamously falee. Even Mr. Simmons, tbe Democrat ic State Chairman, Issued an offici al statement to the voters of the State, branding every such charge as false In toto; saying tbat that campaign lie had been charged against tne Democratic party be fore, and that tbe charge was bow so old and so false that no one would believe It. Mr. James II. Pou, tbe ex-Chair-man of the State Democratic Com mittee. In his speeches made tbe same declaration. But It st-ems that in one of his speeches In More eounty. some members of his audi dlence expressed doubt of the truth of his Indignant denial, and called upon him while upon thestsnd to know If he would make an affida vit to that effect. He publicly agreed to do so, we aro Informed. Tho result Is the affidavit below, made at Raleigh, dated Oct. 14th. 1898. It will be noticed that Mr. Pou, shrewd, 6llck and cunning as he is, attempted to word h s affida vit so as not to say explicitly what he had said publicly on tbe stump, and yet at the same time, to say enough to make It appear that his affidavit had made good his cam paign dtclaratlon, and fool the vo ters Into accepting his statement and voting for the machine. The following is a true eopy of the affidavit: State of North Carolina, j Countv of Wake. James H. Pou. being duly sworn deposes and says: MI have nver said that, If the Democrats regained control of tbe Utetn f kna I ntAtirtoH rt A I tf t n" ri I sisa the negroes and Illiterate white vo ters. I never have said anything like this, and I know tbat such Im not the intention of the Democrat ic party. I have never beard a sin gle Democrat give utterance to such a sentiment, and I do not be lieve, if such a proposition comes before the General Assembly, tbat It would receive a single Democrat ic vote. I believe tbat a majority of tbe uneducated white voters of North Carolina are Democrats. Tbe Democratic party is appealln to them for aid In preserving white supremacy in the center west and In restoring It In tbe Eastern part of this State. Tbey are responding to our appeal, and to repay them for their aid with a disfranchisement of their votes would be folly and Ingrattlude indeed. Tbe man who makes these charges know tbey speak falsely, but their cam paign this year is run upon the idea that the peopl of North Car olina would ratber believe a false hood tban the truth, and they woold rather bear libels upon tbe honbred dead than to er rntu ments based upon truth. Sgned Jambs H. Pod. Sworn to and subscribed before me this October 1st 1898. Signed Gbo. W. Thompson, Notary Public Notarial Seal, G. W. THompsus, Notary Pnblie, Raleirb, N. C. 1: Two (! cent donmentary,, rev enue stamps attached. -THE LOSS OF GOLD IS GREAT; Tne loss of neaU bis more" Health is lost by neglect I pg to kep tbe blood pure, bat it is regained by parifiiag enriching and vitalising tbe blvd with the great baltn restorer Head's Sarr-aparil'S. Thousands se thought bealtb bad been permanently lewt bare beta made perfectly well by taking tbis great medicine. Tear experience may be tbe asms. . Hood's Pills are gentle, yet always effective. , - , Mr. W. W. Strickland, of Dnkee, N.C , informs ns tbat he has two petrified stomps on his place that weighs near 1-600 pounds, lis wonld like to sell to some one that would prias them snore hi-hly than he doss ASiuoei cvnjbodj papers is aur to i rasa
The Caucasian (Clinton, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 4, 1900, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75