North Carolina Newspapers

" - ii i .1 in i. ., , , , .. i i. . i I. VOL. XVIII. RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MARCH ?. 1900, NO. 11 v Vy i 7 (I 1 SENATOR wim Manhood Suffrage in North Carolina .and Proposed Constitutional Amendment. I He tuoten Alunl.itit and Conclusive Legitl Authority to Show ThHt Ser tluu ," In Not Only I'lieoiKtltutlonitl, Hut Dint It Will Full. Leaving The ICemalii'ler of die Amendment to Manl. lie DNimihv-h .IiMse IXrown's Proposed Amendment mid Slicms Tli.it the Court Would t.'nqiieAiSoii nbly Ignore uny Attempt of t lie Leg islature to In trui t It How to De cide Tills or uny Olhr QtieKtton. He llrund tlie Iturc of Nero Domlria 1 lfn us 11 Marnier on the State. -Other Features r fse Amendment DU- j cussed. He Says that the Proposed I Amendment Is Not Only I'nconMlIu tlonal mid 1;i narrow i to .li Liber ties of Fifty Thousand White Men In North Carolina, Hut That it Is Dishonest In Us Method and Puts the fonth In n I'alte Position. The Senate having under conddera t.on tho revolution (S. 11. declaring that nu e niietinrnt by constitution or otherwise by uy State which confers 'the rliiln to vote upon any of its cit izens because of their descent from certain persnrx rr (lasses of persons, and excludes other citizens because they lire not ile,ernrted from such per sons or classes of por.-uns, having all other qualith jtkms prescribed lv law in the opinion of the Sen ite is In vio lation of the foui tt;enl.'n and fifteen t a amendments to the constitution of th I'nited States and of a fundamental principle of our republican form of K'n ernmcnl Mr. Butler .said: Mr. President: I have listmcd at tentively to three speeches which have been delivered in the Senate in opposi tion to thin resolution; I have bpen sur- prised that these Senator have derot- HE GRANDPA I CUE OF I E MY Mm , t: the legal and constitutional ques- t jtt !ssue and about which there is t . C contention that is, whether or not tie negro rs as intelligent ad as capa 'eTot elf-gover1imcnt as the Avhite aan. If the proposition before- tho nat3 were a resolution for the repeal ? t"e fifteenth amendment then their eches would have been more to the '.nt. But that is not the question ; !ed by the resolution, nor is it tho 'cj:faUon. that confronts the people of North Carolina to bo voted on at the August election of this year, nor is it ,t'.'.t question that the courts would con Yhler. The fifteenth amendment, whether l adoption was wise or unwise, is n iWA tlrt of the organic law of this llepub- lon of the Federal Constitution; and Ivhllc'it o remains it should anti jniust e respected and obeyed, not only by Levery State but by every citizen and oter; nnd further, it is 'well known hat the highest court of the land, re- rdless of what the private opinions yf the individual judge might be as to the wisdom of the fifteenth amendment S. any other provision of the Constitu on. must and will declare null and an and every enactment of any legislature or any State constitu tional amendment that violates that or iny other provision of tho Federal Constitution. THE ONLY QUESTION AT I3SUE. The resolution now before the Sen- nte, offered by my colleague, raises this iqaeeitlon as two States of the Union. fne State of Louisiana na3 already dopted nn amendment to its State nstitution the open and declared pur- k.se of which was to evade the fu- rfent'h amendment to the United States onstitution. The legislature of tha tate that I have the honor in part to rent has submitted a similar am- ouent to the peopla of that State. ut tfo voted on next August Now, I rhertiit that the only question at Issue Jghtu will or can be considered by the kWlite In passing upon the proposed LJlOlUllon is wneuner or nut m uuui- vana amendment and the proposed 4orth Carolina amendment ore in vi olation of the Federal Constitution. "he opinion of the Senate on this legal iucstlon, when It comes before it, will Jetermlne whether such an amendment t'toall stand or fall. I may add also Hit It will be thU legal question that liall largely determine wether or not Jde voters of North Carolina will next lUguEt adopt the proposed amendment t the polls. I say this, for I feci that can My on behalf of tho voters of j I lorth Carolina, regadleas of party. (hat they will not knowingly and wil- illy vote for a measure that Is viola m of any provision of the Federal institution, even though. In their dgment such provUloin was not wise, .know myself, personally, many vot M who believe that the adoption of the .JtaAnth omonrlment was nrt nnlv-im. - .: ruuv.. - ' l'lse, but a great mistake and a greitr f f ia error, yet who will vote agalu-st Tae proposed amendment because they Te satisfied that it Is clearly in cou jct with our national Constitution. I The people of North Carolina arc kwablding. They believe in dealing 'v n a frank, honest and candid manner .f rltll public questions ns well as with " vy"Lyatfl ones. I believe that. a tnajorl V the voters of that Stats would to morrow, if the question were before km vote to repeal or amend the flf- Vntb ameudmeat. But 1 say U to ielr bouor And to their credit that iey have too much respect for their Una as eAlzens and too mucU regard r Yry law white i remains law to ill 1 1 in the E - j j vote for a proposition in violation of I the fifteenth amendment as long as i that amendment stands. ( Therefore, the only qneit ion at issue beforp lhf SJpnnlo anl lvt,f r.T.r v, ,ntr. ' PROPOSED 111 mil ion of North Carolina are the legal ones i the times, as well as the careful and wiiich would be considered by the su- ! measured terms in which the ariule prenie court if the proposed amend- j is framed, well shows the correctness ment should come before it to be test- of the preposition. ed. What are these legal questions? In Bank V3. Fenno (8 Wallace) Chief First. Is section five of the propos- : Justice Chase, in discussing the mean cd amendment unconstitutional in ! ing of the term direct tax, said: conflict with the fifteenth amendment? We are obliged, therefore, to resort Second. If tlie supreme court should to historical evidence and to seek th'j hold that section 5 is unconstitutional, 1 meaning of the words in the use ami would it also hold that the balance of ! in the opinion of those whose relation the amendment (which makes a com plete iiiid constitutional scheme of lim- iting suffrage) should stand as a iarl i of the organic law of the State? I cite, in "addition, the opinion of the These are the questions I propose to court, rendered by Chief Justice Ful di.sciiis. If the law and the decisions j ler, in the recent income tax case, as of our supreme court show that the i well as toe dissenting opinions, all of answers to boti: of these question which went into long historical dis mast be in the affirmative, I take it ; sertations. that then there would not be a man in ' In the case of Manns vs. Louisiana thi3 body nor a voter in North Carolina Judge Bradley reviews fully the his- who would dare support the proposed amendment. WHAT ARE THE FACTS WHAT IS THE LAW? AND i ntu ici u bfe. wuai me lucis are ,-, ,1 ...un4 u , 1 1 - ni i t 'I ' 1 , . . 1 . . T .1. e a i uim vuul Luc law is. i ne propositi amendment, with the exception of sec tion i. is admitted by every one to be ; the Constitution we must take into clearly constitutional. The education- consideration the times and the cif al qualification section, which is section j cumstances under which it was fram- 1, is as follows: Sec. 4. Every person presenting him self lor registration shall be abie to read and write any section of the Con-s-titution in the English language; and before he shall be entitled to vote he Khali have paid, on or before the first day of March of the year in which he proposes to vote, his poll tax, as pre schribed by law, for the previous year. Poll taxes shall be a lein only on asRe-3-fed property, and no process shall is sue to enforce the collection of the same except against assessed property. Now, is this section limiting suffrage to those who cau meet the educational test to read and write constitutional? Clearly fo, because the States have full power to limit and rqgulate suffrage, except as inhibited by the fifteenth a wend men t of tho Federal Coitatltu tion. That amendment is as follows: The right cf citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State cn account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The Supreme Court in a number cf ease, iiassins upuu uua yucauiiu uuu , construing the fifteenth amendment, i has definitely laid down this principle: : A suffrage qualification, to be in ac- j cordance with the fifteenth amend ment, must operate equally, imparti ally, and uniformly upon both races and upon those formerly free or form erly 'bond. Thus we see that the fourth section, limiting suffrage to those who can read and write, operates uniform ly upon both races, and upon those formerly free or formerly bond, and therefore is clearly not in violation of the fifteenth amendment, but comes directly within the rule laid down by the court. If the proposed suffrage amendment in North Carolina had stopped here, there could have been no question as to its constitutionality. But there is another section which, by an arbitrary provision, pretends to attemnt to create a special privileged ancestral class and to exempt them 1 from the operation of section 4. It is as follows: Section 5. No male person who was on January 1, 1S67, or at any time prior thereto, entitled to vote under the laws of any State in the United States wherein he then resided, and no lineal descendant of any such, person, shall be denied the right to register and vote at any ejection in this State by reason of his failure to. possess the educational qualifications prescribed in section 4 of this article: Provided, He shall have registered in accordance with,the terms of this section prior to December 1, 1908." The general assembly shall provide for a permanent record of all persons who register under this section on or before November 1, 1908, and all such persons slraJl be entitled to register and vote at all elections by the people In this State, unless disqualified under i section 2 cf thi3 article: Provide!, Such persons shall have paid their pell tax as required by law. Now, the question is this: Is this sec tion (known as the "grandfather clause") constitutional? It -provides that a citizen who could vote on or toe- fore January 1, 18G7, or whose fathers j or' gran,dfathers were th yctc ghall ue exempt fri en. allowed to from the pro visions of section 4 and permitted to vote, even though unable to read and write, and therefore not possessing the qualifications required of other voters. New. does this provision operate equally, impartially, and uniformly upon both races and upon those form erly free or formerly bond? If it does not, as the Supreme Court says it must to be constitutional, then clearly it is unconstitutional and must fall. THE SUPREME COUR1T RULES OF CONSTRUCTION. The advocates of this proposed amendment "boast that its purpose U to. disfranchise all illiterate blacks while not disfranchising a single il literate white man. Yet they claim that they have so covered up their pur pose in the wording of section 5 that the Supreme Court of the. United .-dates will be unable, from Its form, to de tect its purpose and effect. Let us see if this 13 true. We can best determine what rule of construction and intepre tation the. court would follow In con siderlns such a provision! 'as tb pro posed amendment by referring to the decisions of the Supreme Court in similar cases. These decisions (sense of which I will cite in a few moments), ehow that in considering questions like the proposed amendment the court would consider, first, the political his tory of the times that called forth the fifteenth amendment to the Conatttu- tion ol the United State and section 5 of the proposed amendment In North Carolina, and next the court would consider the effect of section 5 o! the ill j natural and reasonable effect -would be to dfcfvi TOV ,thA ruapjnttf gviintf 1io iMiuiuduuu m me mieeuin amona ment. I take It that no lawyer familiar with the decisions of our Supreme Court will question that this is a fair and correct statement of the rule of construction" and interpretation by which the court has in (the past been guided and. would, of course, be guided in this and all similar cases. AUTHORITIES CITED. I cite the opinion of the court, ren dered by Chkf Justice Marshall in the I case cf Brown vs. Maryland (12 Whea j ton), in support of my statement as to j the rules of construction that the court ; adepts in such cases. . Also the opinion of the court in the j Dred Scott case, rendered by Chief Jus i tice Taney, and, in addition, every r ;- curring and dissenting opinion in that case bear out this rule of construction, In discussing the constitutionality f Article IV, section 3, sub-section 2, of the Constitution, the court in the latter case said: A lrief snmmnrv n.f the hicir-.rv nf to the government and means of knowledge warranted them in speak- ing with authority tory that surrounds the enactment of the eleventh amendment to the Con stitution. Chief Justice Cooley, the author of Cooley's Constitutional Limitations, in " 1'eople VS. Harding (53 Michigan), says: In seeking for the real meaning of ed, the general .spirit cf the times, and the prevailing sentiment amcng the people. Every constitution has a his tory of its own, which is likely to be more or less peculiar, and unless in terpreted in the light of this history is liable to express purposes which were never in the minds cf the people when agreeing to it. This the court must keep in mind when called upon to in terpret. Many more decisions to the same cf feet can be cited, and none to the con. trary, as far as I have been able to find, to support the rule of construction and interDrctation to the effect that the couit would consider the political ire tory cf the times, etc., in determining the object of section 5 of the amend ment. as to me second ruie ut tuiisuuvuua that the court will look to the effect of section 5 when passing upon its con Rtit.ntinnalitv. the authorities are enuallv as abundant and conclusive. In Parke vs. Press Company Judge Campibell, one of Michigan's greatest ti7rifre Tp.nderin-fir the oninion ol the J (I 7 court, saiu: But we do not think the State con- trols the action or is within the power Cf constitutional legislation. This will, in mr inrlffment. anoear from a state- munt nf lf offrt if e.arviftd out. I Again, in Soon Hing vs.XJrowley (113 it s. Reoorts. nasie 03). the court sa.vs: And the rule is general with refer ence to the enactments of all legisla tive bodies, that the courts can not in auire into the motives cf the legisla tors in passing them, except as they may be disclosed on the face of the acts, or inferrible from their operation considered with reference to the con diticn cf the country and existing legislation. The motives of the legis lators considered as the purposes thej hn-ri in view will alwavs be -presumed to be to accomplish that which follow as the natural and reasonable effect c their enactments. T it. -nossible for anything to be clearer or more to the point and con elusive than this opinion of the court Again', in Minnesota vs. Barber (136 tt s Reports, nase 313). the court says: In whatever language a statute may be framed, its purpose must be deter mined ibv its natural and reasonabl effect. The United States Supreme Court has universally followed the same rule of construction. I will stop to quot from but one more case In Henderson vs. The Mayor (92 T S. Reports) the court, using almost the same language I havo quoted aDove said : In whatever language a statu t might be framed, its purpose must be determinsed by its natural ana reason aible effect So I take it that everyone will admit that should section 5 of this proposed amendment come before the court, that the court would, of course, con sider the hisitory that surrounds and is so mingled with the fifteenth- amend ment and section 5, and would also consider "tho natural and reasonable effect" of that section. I repeat, Mr. President, that I do not think there is a lawyer in this body or ( in the country that will question, that J statement. Now, if that is true, and it is true beyond question, then what follows? SECTION 5 CLEARLY. UNCONSTI TUTIONAL. The court, following" these well-established rules of construction, would necessarily discover that section 5 wa plainly obnoxious to the fifteenth amendiment. The court would first in quire, Why was the arbitrary date of 1867 adopted? Why not 1875 or 1880 or 1S99? The court would necessarily have !to inoulre what class of citizens could vote in 187 or prior thereto and what class could not: whose gran fathers could vote then and whose grandfathers could not. The answer to this question would bring sharply to the attention of the court the fact that all of that class of citizens who were in servitude, and who, therefore, could not vote in 1867, are discriminated asrainst by being excluded from the special privilege attempted to be con ferred iby section 5 upon the class that was not in. eryltude in 1867. Mr. President, can there be any shadow of a doubt as to what the de cision- of the court would be when it thus had plainly before it the fact that the purpose and accessary effect of section 5 ds' to establish an educational qualification for every former slave or descendant of a slave wmie expressly removing this educational qualifica tion, from practically all others? It was to nrevent this very thing from -being dona ' that the fifteenth amendment proposed amendment and oe if i was adopted. If section 5 of this pro posed amendment is not in violation of the fifteenth amendment to the United States Constitution then it seems to me that it would be Impos sible to violate that amendment- Sec tion 5, as worded, is just a3 unconsti tutional as It it were worded as fol Hows: Every male person who was a slave or who is the descendant of a slave thall not be allowed to vote unless he can read and write, out all male per sons who could vote ia 1807 or whose fathers or grandfathers could vo.e then shall not be required to submit to 4 any educational test. Is there anyone w ho would contend that this language -would be constitu tional? Ceitainly not. But how does this language differ from tection 5? in form only; the purpose cf effect of both are the same. When this same amend ment was before the Louisiana conven tion, Judge Coco opposed section 5 be cause, he declared, it was clearly un constitutional. He argued that, inas much s in 1867 enly whites cou'd vfd. the fifth section, as far as its con.-Lit.u- icnility was concerned, might as well read: No person shall be denied the riht to vote who on January 1, 1868, or anj date prior thereto, was a white citizen cf the State of Louisiana. Continuing, he said: To my mind the .section presents a weak and transparent subterfuge, an mmanly evasion cf the Constitution of the United States, and on that ground alone I could not give it mv i- support. This extract of the judged speech i- aken from an article in the Harvard Law Review of December, 1899, in which iMr. Eaton ably reviews the pro ceeds of the Louisiana constitutional onvention. Mr. President, it ii so well settled that the constitutionality of a law u to be determined net by its form but by the effect of its operation that this principle has become an established axiom of constitutional law. Hence the ! legal maxim: "Nothing can be done indirectly which can not be done directly." I do not deem it necessary to burden the Senate with further cita- tions on 'this point, for there is not a case in the United States Reports that is not an authority to support this position. Then how can the court escape the evitable conclusion that section 5 is unconstitutional? Indeed,- unless tht court should reverse all former decis ions-it must so hold. No'thing can be clearer: nothing can be more certain. Mr. President, this completes my argument as to the unconstitutionality of section 5, and I would proceed at once to discuss the other question, as to whether ths amendment would fall as a whole or only section 5 would fall, were it net for the speeches made by Senators on the c'ther side of this ques tion. There have been, three of these speeches, and I desire to call attention briefly to each of them before proceed ing to discuss the legal phases o the other important question. that .not an argument or a eitatioi aiade by any of them controverts mj position, yet I will refer briefly to the few cases which, they cil&i and wh.ici they claim as authority to the con trary. (To be continued in next issue.) A NATION ON HORSEBACK. Most of the Boers Go Into Two Steeds. Battle with One of the mysteries of tlie lirst part of the campaign in South Africa was the unexplained disappearance of a Boer commando from a field as if it had vanished into thin air. Julian Ralph in the London Mail lias found the explanation. He says: "It is won derful how the formation of the coun try aids and perhaps inspires the Boer methods of warfare. You hav beard how the burgher comes to the battle with two horses, a poor one to carry him to the light, and the liest steed lie lias to be kept frosh until it is? needed to carry him swiftly away. Usually we have seen the Boers run down the far sides of the koples they have been defending, to find their best lwrses knee-haltered. on the veldt, and to mount and ride them away. At Belmont, when a thousand or more were In full flight, they all suddenly disappeared in a mysterious way. "We found that nil had ridden into what they call a 'sluit,' which is broad and deep enough to hide a cavalry regi ment. In this gutter or ravine they made their way to the next place of rendezvous. On the island at Modder River such a ravine or gutter exists. It is 30 feet wide and 15 feet dvep. We found its bottom covered with hay and other fodder, and we knew that in it, out of harm's way and yet close at hand, they had kept their horses in readiness for their retreat. . "After every battle the veldt has been dotted with Boer horses in conse quence of this custom of bringing two horses for each well-to-do man, and in consequence of the loss of riders by death and wounding. But both pre vious battlefields combined showed no such number of riderless horses as Modder River. -There were literally hundreds of them. I had lost mine in the fight," but in the first half-hour of the next morning I took, my choice of four, and might have made my pick from a hundred, saddled and bridled, before I had gone over half the field." A Boston letter to the School Journal says that Edward Atkinson's New England kitchen is proving to ue of great service. Warm lunches are now the rule in most of the schools of the city. The materials are pre parec at the kitchen on Tremonfc street and are delivered in wagons. Careful planning on the part of the superintendent is necessary to-have the food on hand at the right time and in good condition. Only tho best articles are used in the cooking and the milk comes from a regularly in spected farm. The bill of fare in cludes such things as oyster broth, milk cocoa, Bandwitches, graham roll", corncake, custard, baked applep," cookies, and ; fruit. Everything is Blrictly home made. - The food is sold at a very moderate price, so that it is a hungry child who needs to spend more than ten cents a day. UOver in Cambridge, however, at the Kinclge Manuel Training School the young laborers need a f nil dinner and this the kitchen sends them at the rate of two&ty-fir cents a head. BOERS RE-ENFORCED. fhey are Now Facing Poberts At Osfon'e!fl GATHERtD ABOUT 5,000 STRONG, And lire Located Eight Miles East of Paardeberg Roberts Able to Cope With Them. Ixmdon, by Cable. Ixrd Roberts, at Osforkeln, six or eig'at miles eaU of Paardeberg, faces tlhe re-formed Boer army tram 5,000 to 6,000 strong. This may be merely a corp3 of obiervat!on ready to retire on prepared portions. TVubtless it is receiving aceretlons Lrm the late beseigers cf Ladysm th and from other points. -Whatever the force may be. Lord Roberts has ample troops to cops with It. The Boer.s are temporarily favored by a heavy raia failing on th veldt and making the grass improve. Lord Robecis ha3 sur prised observers by the excellence of Lis transport during the first advance, and he is likely to do so again, al though military men here think he must wait for some days before going much farther. The Boer3, presuma bly, will use this delay for all it is worth, pulling their resources tcgother. Dr. Leyete gives out the opinion that the British entry of" Bloemfonteln i daily expected, as commandants Wt wet and Delarey had been instructed to retard 'the advance of Lcrd Robert 11Etil th concentration, under General T.. . - l- utc" aaumi",a,cu' iNO adequate explanation Is yet mado of the 50.000 re-inforcemenls that are preparing for Lord Roberts. Such ex planations as are advanced tentatively suggest .either that the Cape Dutch liave become more restive, or that the (imperial government has a hint of for eign suggestions as to the future status of the allied republics. The War Office has received the fol lowing from General Buller: "Ladysmith, Friday, March 2, 6.30 p. ox. I find the defeat of the Boers more complete than I had dared to an ticipate. The Whole district is com pletely clear of them, and except at the ,top of Van Peener's pass, where several wagons are visible, I can find r.o trace of them". Their last train left Modder sprutt station about 1 o'clock yester day, and they then blew up the bridge. They packed their -wagons six days ago, moving them to the north of La dysmith, so that we had no chance of intercepting tutai; out. mey wave icit. vast quantities of ammunition of all sorts, herds, grass, camp and individu al necessaries. They have got aw3y wish all their guns except two." Lord Roberts wires to the War Of fice from Osfontein under date of March 2, 4.15 p. m., as follows: "I have just returned from paying - Kimberley a hurried visit. I was much gratified at finding the enthusiasm among the Kimberley people regarding ! the care of the sick and wounded. All the houses had been converted into hos pitals and the men had been nude most comfortable. I was struck with the friendly manner in whtich the wounded Boers and our men chatted together upon the experiences of the campaign. It delighted me to see cur soldiers sharing their rations and bis cuits with the Boer prisoners before they' commenced their march for Mod der Tiver. Some of the poor fellows were very hungry after having been starved in the laager." Telegraphic Briefs. Eleven universities, including Johns Hopkins, have decided to maintain uniformity of requirements for gradu ate degrees. Lord Roseberyhas severed his connec tion with the Liberal party in England. It is reported in New York that the Tjeyland Line has absorbed the At lantic Transport Company, of -which Bernard M. Baker, of Baltimore, is president. F. T. F. Lovejoy, former secretary of the Carnegie Steel Company, has joined IL C. Frick in his suit against, the company. Ex-Mayor Hugh Grant has been ap pointed receiver or the Thir-i Avenua Street Railway of New York city. Argument Begun. Louisville, Ky., Special.- Argument in the cases involving the title -to the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor was begun before Judge Fields in the Circuit Court Friday. Counsel for Governor Beckham, Presi dent Pro Tem L. H. Carter and Gen eral John B. Castleman, Democrats, filed a demurrer and motion to strike out the answer and reply to W. ' S. Taylor and John Marshall, the Re publican incumbents, after which an order for argument was agreed upon, and Attorney David W. Fairlelgb opened for the Republicans. Strike Ordered Chicago, Special.. The executive-of the International Association'of Ma chinists has decided to call a general trike of machinists in thia city, as a Suit of failure to agree with the Chi eo Association of Machinery, manu facturers, on disputed question?. Presi dent McConnel said that ii was pos sible that the strike -would extend to all the metal working organizations in the country and would effect - Searly 500,000 men. For Robbing the Kitr . ur. AtlantaGa., Srpwrii. Soock, Jr., an electrical contractor, wa3 ar rested here for robbing the Kimball House Friday morning, of about $1,500' in currency and checks. When arrested he said he bad been pilfering fcr four years, and that one of his victims last year was a bucket shop firm, from which he secured several hundred dol lars. -He was married one year ago and recently returned from a trip . to Paris. Soock was prominent in church work, and admitted that he had beer, leading a double life. He says he wa drirea to stealing by necessity Mckinley in new vote. The President Makes An Address Be fore the Ohio Society. New York. Special. The Ohio so- ciery or rew York held its Hth an- our blessinga and our burdens and slill Saturday night. William McKinley. President of th United States, was the guest of honor. More than 4 covers were laid. Among those at the president table were M. I. Southard, president of the Ohio society of New York; Governor Theodore Roosevelt. Governor George K. Nash, ex-Gov. Levi P. Morton. Cor nelius N. LIUs. Sen.itor Mark IUnna. Lieut. Gov. Timothy L. Woodruff. Judge Addison Brown. Gen. Wagner B. Swayne. Gen. H. C. Corbin. 11. Clay Evans. Gen. Thomas H. Hubbard, Charles Dick. John Barrett. Tunis G. Bergin and Julian T. Da vies. The list of speaker on the pro gramme was a folio.: President MvU nley, Gov. George K. Nash of Ohio, Solicitor Genfral of the United State3 John A. Richard.. Lieut. Gov. Timothy L. Woodruff HUd James H. Hoyt. There were no fixed toasts, the speakers having sublet allotted to them as they were calld upon. On the cover of the menu was a rep resentation of a buckeye. Grouped on ! tnc cover were the portraits of six pres idents, natives or Ohio Wm. Henrv Harrison. Grant. Garfield. Hayes. Ben jamin Harrison and William Mc Kinley. President McKinley arose amid ap plause. He said in part: "Mr. Toastmaster and gentlemen: I ppreclate your welcome and thank you for this renewed expression of good will. It has b'en some years since I was your guest. Much has hap pened In the meantime. We have had-l our blessings sud our burdens and t-tll have "both. We will soon have legis lative assurance of the continuance of the gold standard with which we measure our exchanges, and we have the open door in the far ea-t through which to market our products. We are neither in alliance nor antagonism nor entanglement with any foreign power. Dut on terms cf amity and cordiality with all. We buy from all of them and sell to all of them and our sales exceeded our purchases in the past two years by over one billion dollars. Mar kets have been increased and mort gages have been reduced. Interest has fallen and wages has advanced. The public debt is decreasing. The coun try is well to do. Its peopie for the most part are happy and contented. They have good times and are on good terms with the natives of the world. There are unfortunately those among us, tew m number. 1 am sure, who seem to thrive best under bad timea and who when good times overtake them in the United Spates, feel con strained to put up on bad terms with ie rest of mankind. With thorn I can have no sympathy. I would rather give expression to what I believe to bo ment of my countrymen, in the wih not only for our peace and prosperity, but for tthe peace and prosperity of all the nations and people of the earth. "After 33 years of unbroken peace came an unavoidable war. Happily the conclusion was quickly reached, with out a suspicion of unworthy motive of practice or purpose on our part an I with fadeless honor to onr arms. I cannot forget the quick response of the people to the country's need and the quarter of a million men who free ly offered their lives it their country's service. It was an Impressive spec tacle of national strength. It demon strated our mighty reserve power and taught us that large standing armies are unnecessary when every citizen is a 'minute man,' ready to join the ranks for national defense. "Out of these recent events have come to the United States grave trials and responsibilities. As it was the na tion's war, go are the results tho na tion's problem. It3 solution rests upon U3. It 13 too serious to stifie. It is too earnest for repose. Nr phrase or catchword can cancel the eaered ob ligation it involves. No use of epi thets, no aspersion of motives by those wno quit win coiKriDute to tnat so ber judgment o essential to right con clusions. No political outcry can- ab rogate our treaty of peace with Spain or absolve U3 from Its solemn engage ment. It is the people's question and will be until its determination is writ ten out in tneir enlightened verdict. Wa must choose between manly dcina. and base desertion. It will never be the latter. It must be soberly Eettled In justico and good conscience, and it will be. Righteousness, which exal- te'th a nation, must control In its eolu- i tion. No great emergency has arisen in this nation's hi3tory and progress which has not been met by the sover eign people with his capacity, with ample rtrength and unflinching fidelb ty to every honorable obligation. The Lafayette Dollar. Paris, By Cable. Mr. Robert J. Thomas, secretary of the LaFayette Monument coarmift.tee, as special com missioner of the United States' repre senting -President McKinley, and in his name presented to President Ixrabet Saturday morning the first of the La Fayette dollars, which was enclosed in a casket costing $1,000. The pre sentation took place at the El)-see palace. Mr. Thomas was accompanied by the United States ambassador. Gen. Horace Porter, who introduced him to President Louhet and the presentation of the dollar was then made by -Mr. Thompson In a few appropriate e marks. Early War Predicted. London, By Cable. The French Situation i3 becoming more obviously threatening, despite the Imminence of the exhibition in which the, Frenrh people are taking surprisingly luke warm Interest. Hostility to England has reached an intensity -which - is gravely perilous. Sir Charles Dilke. who is one of the coolest and keenest observers, entertains, similar, appre hensions, and prophecies of a war v. kh En-gland by September are common in Paris. An Arctic Cxporer flissing London. By Cable. Some anxiet has been felt for the fits cf the young Duke of Abruces, who started last sum mer in the steamer Pclar &sr on an expedition io the North Pole. King Humbert, the uncle of the explorer. wrote o Xaosen. who has replied that he wili take another expedition to the polar regions this season and make it hl3 "business to find the Polar Suar. He ha3 nct the least doubt of the safety ana complete ruccess of the ' duke, whose expedition ws almost the finest equipped fcr the work that t--r u forth. : TOIOCCBOIT TBE COUNTRY. The South. The Virgin! Stste rVniocntlc con- . Tent Ion to elect delegate to th n UonaJ iVaocratie convention, will t held In Norfolk on May 2. Lycurirua U l-fila. tie wtiRhr ub powder a:iaufa-tutfT of (Til-g. at Okl !int Conu'ort, V. It l reputed ml Moa:no!Qry. Ai . that Genera! Wheekr. who U eircw! borne sooa from the IUl!!pjlne. wr.l announce hlnueif aB a cn d:date for tht Dnocvrtic nomination for governor of Alabama, snd will not. therefor. t a candidate for rec(min4tcn to Con grs from hi district, lie 1 a gw. fivorite In Alahaau politically. Detectives, with bloodhound, left Chattanooga. Tenn . for Aetna Mine, near Whiteside. Tenn.. wner a strtk U in progress. I: is id thcr has be& damaged by an explosion of giant piw der and engine and engine boue haw been blown up. r Wake In Middleret . ountv. Va . the boiler of the steam tui:i of Mer chant and Hanson eiplodej. killing Mr. George Steurer and tloiu!r In juring his two sons. Mr. ilenry Gar land, who was Ktanding by. had bit fckull crushed and will hardly reoner. Steurer was an ex-l"n!on veteran, form. j etly of Illinois. The North. Mayor Jones, of Toledo. O . recently the "golden rule" candidate for Gov ernor. H said to have (nres'.nil ambitions. Rev. CharleM Palnierrtoa Ari-rua wa Sunday consecrated Hihp C adjirtor of the Eplwopil I:oeafe of Chicag.i. III. A terrific suow$;orm. a -coirpini'.! by a forty-mile gale prevailed through out Northern Ohio Saturday, seriously blocking traffic. Accueed by her Lusoand cf infideli ty and locked out of her rooms. Mr. Martha ritmeyer. 20 years old. drank carbolic acid and died at New York. Because recognition of their union was refused 60'J machinists struck at the works of Frarer and Chalmers and of Crosby and Co., at Chicago. III.. Sat urday. As a result of a e ret meeting at Cincinnati, O., of the WouJenware As sociation, It is said there will be an other advance in prices of all wooden, ware articles. The Pern Biidg- Company, of Beav er Falls. Pa.. wat th lnax w $94,610, fcr the erection of a Vhip'fl'- ! ters fcuop at Norfolk Navy YarJ. A wealthy farmer. Matthew LattL mer, aged 72 years, was frozen to death while walking a half mile to hi ham near Elyrla, O. The body of Henry Waterhotis-e. Jr.. Vpf .U-'y", I v1 !'' , x ... ork during his honeymoon, has -ie.i cremated, and the widow will take home the ashes. Although the American Magazine, the official organ of the Daughters cf ; the American Revolution, his not been ' a profitable venture, the fcoolety ha i decided to continue It. with Mr. Elroy M. Avery, of Cleveland. O.. as editor. Herbert J. Willaid, of Somervilh. Mass., whwe obituary was widely pub- I l'shed in New England a couple of ' weeks ago, writes to the Dartmouth ! College papr that c appreciates thv eulogistic notices, but he is still alive. Forei. Herr Ilg. King Menelik chief. , is in Marseilles, refutes the story that the Kins is planning an antl-EnrJli coup in Abyssinia, Ritter von Jauner, of the Carl The tre. Vienna, one cf the bett tbeatrlil managers in Austria, his commirtel euiclde with a revolver. Young Mrs. Ada. William, murder ess of her baby, says the "finds Lon don prison life dull." and wasts the officials to "expedite her execution." Countess Dundonald. wife- of Duller' cavalry general, has had a magnificent avenue cf elm3 in Abergele, North Wales, razej to spite an offending Dis trict Council. Lisr-ovrry of the mutilated buJy of Thcmas M. Atkiun, a marine cf tb Unittd Slates cruiser Pra'rle, la the canal at Havre. irriiateK tha f murdered and robbed by seaport thu 3. At last accounts General Cronje ai ' Ctill at Paardeberg drift. Orange Fre-s ' State, holding out againet Ird Roberts' British army. An assassin in the etreets of Cara- ; cas fired two Ineffective shots at Presl- : dent Castro, of Venezula. General Buller has gained a decisive advantage by the capture of Pieter's , Hill, Natal, one of the strongest Bot ; positions South of Ladysmith. but the ; garrison is represented to be In cies- perate straits and Buller has bard fighting ahead. . Miscellaneous. The scene at the surrender cf Gen- eral Cronje at Paardeburg. Orangs , Free State, Is described In dispatches. ' The house in which John Brown was " born in Torrington, Conn., aad which ba.3 been in a dilapidated condition and ; occupied for some years -by a -poor ne gro family, is to be purchased and pre- , served by a society organised for the ; purpose. The Ways and Means Republics a members learned at the party caucus! on the Puerto Rlcan Tariff bill that the committee cannot rule the house, A su-bcommiKee to amend the WU ws ! appointed and was in session moi of j yesterday. It now seems certain the bill in Its present form cannot .pais. Marcus Daly attended the CLrrk In- f over tbe State who haTe to make their vestigation. Contrary to expectation, mark. They ay the negro is an ln fc was not called to the stand. John R. ' ferlor rate, but alter WS I? yoa boy Toole was the only important witness. cannot read and write, be will o Moustlgnor SbarretU has been In- ita w with that inferior stalled at Havana as Bishop of Cuba. Eternal TigLence is price m - : liberty, lo a eareks rnaaeat we can Secrejtary Long has submitted a re- j 0 that which tbrooah log year we quest-to batih houses for more officers ' cannot undo," Ke then alladed l th and men for tie navy. i dlfficolties of the poor W on ,h Another chapter in Lis report on the tum B a Jon while th battle cf Santiago from the pen of ' town negro hai the advances 01 Captain Concas. Orvera's chief ol-' graded school, but that nnoer th- Htiff. has een given to the ptsble. through the Navy Department. framed iu unirawi , uv- ' be on a level with tbe Ignorant xiegro Puerto Ricans, according to dU- 1 apijcaUon of this dlsfranrtls patches from San Juan., consider 'the j a- Act ln ejSbt short years, proposed 25 per cent, tariff onjus. , conclusion he appealol to tbe au - Emperor William, of Germany, nis ! cknee to tblak about this naestian. conferred Utles on actors ln tbe Royal i and If they hal a reasonable Theatre who pleased hlmin presea about the constitutionality of t Ing "The Iron Trotn - measure that they should act on Uiat , - 1 fioubt id TtXt atainit IU til mm ai tin. He Discusses the Proposed Consti tutional Amendment in a Mis terly ind Argumentive Ad dress Before a Large and Representative Audence. whytheTmTndment IS OB- JECTI0NABLE TO WHITE PEOPLE- I! IHrr J a.lge lr ' Abr4 II), ! (.Ite the !(- faadtW Y!utottie le Hrratl- )laage ft he I rtor1 new feetl. I fee l)at-r of the f at lri mt the I'ropated Amlmrl.- Mr let y ICtMratlI Jaallfirtlen t m leoier lrtl of tbe r lte mf m levfle ta ;oe'M 1 kfMirlirt. ?Je.al to tbe j;a:ar Xe;on. X. C. Marm l.-Ou e ter isy sna.or Pritchard fill J h.m a txfttnttmnt at thW pi ire ta aJlr a ers .n the j-.npwj oaftltuttoait amend men'., la pi'.e tif tbe rata anl sleet, meet dic.rceal!e wea'.ber. oei fceaj and tin !er fot. tbre gktberej a very large and represent Uc aud.en wh'.rh tnor than .kel tbe court houve. Tbe aul.enee wj eaaip '1 of rvn(k'.. Rpui5lrar. anJ IV-jwi lists from the cun;y. with a sprink ling from adjoining jiicu-a Many or tbe biUvincM iu-n ot Newton e:e yrt -rr.t. On jfiinJij un. W. II. lloaer ad. drcted an &u.Lei.-e here tbi amenlmeni. but hl.i arguments were lUtened to In cold Utue without any evidence of approval much lea ap plause. Not i with Senator Irltcli ard's sp3cch. lie bad cbi and txr-r attention from the audlenre. and fre quent mi refutation .f intetet anJ approval. Mr. PritrharJ htatej briefly tbe fart, now familiar to all L have atudlcd tbe question, that the propMe4 amend ment la its fifth ectlon. is iu direct violation of th fifteenth amendment of the federal onUtution. He tltel ex-Senator George P. B1 munis opin ion to this effect. He qnot4 Chief Justice Puller of tbe United State Supreme court, to prove, that only the fifth section would be declared uncon tUtutloiul. if th amendment wer ratified, and fhoael that the runktito tlonal portion cf tae amendment ap- !tbVItb aate dUfranrhising force to wbi.e men an to negrorn. Sen ator Prltchard allud'd to tbe uew ac tion Mr. Simmons ay the If gila.ur I going to a!. to the amendment in substance as follows: Judge Bron, of the Superior cour.. now on the ben h. has bandfd down a jJeHnion in advas'-e regarding WU:..r. v t, t.ia J "ins'liKf job and told Mr. .Simmub thai r doomed unlet be can fix It up. Simmons God knows I don't know how I can fix It up. I've told them ao many thing they won t telle an thing more I say. Can't yun help ni on I Judge Brown Gh. yef. You Jut rf the legUlature tn lntru t the Supn n, Court thai section i 1 unconstitutional and fcctlon I Is roast Ituticail. sal that when It declarer ration i unron ftltutlonal It mutt il3 derlare secta 4 unronMltutional. This 1 T.'i!nf lh amecdinect t tbe court with a "key" t- work It with. "If I had a boy 10 years o',1." ssid Mr. PriUbard. "and be 1.:1J fcuggent such a thing as thu. I'd wblp tbe ihlrt off of him. Trda was one : the few tlzm la Us peevb that Mr. Prltchard provoked a langa at the ex pense of the amendment tinkers. !' the legislature paes an tiiu-onstltu llonal law. he artded. the .Supreme Court will say o and ni legV.itite can prevent It. They racaot say to lb Supreme Court cf tbe nation you U clde It this way or do not deride It at all. Why have they p.oeJ th' new thing? Beaue we bsve raa(ht p with tbrm. V.'e have exp'wed the x trick. They want to fool tbe ptoy'e once more. A large part if Senilor Piit.-lird-address was devoted to a very dirt and instructive analysis of tbe pM tt payment requliemc-nt cf the propose amendment. The measure ieqalre that tbe tax b paid beTcr Marth 1. If the amendment were In forr no to citizen could vcte next August r next November If they VnooK to pn: tbe election forward to tbe man whi has not now pail his tax. Senator Pritchard declared that tbi poll tax provision was a bribe to cltl tens to induce them rot to pay poll tax and thereby lessen the srbool fund. 11 said: "We have on tbe Insolvent list r 0,000 white uwn In the ?tat who will be denied to rht to vote under thii poll tax provision. !! asked if tb-s sheriff of the county was i.TcW. as b wished to know what percentage a the citizens of Catawba county had no, yet paid their taxes. Laur R learned from tbe county records that 20 per cent, had cot yet paid in tin township cf Newton it was nearer S- pec cent. Twenty-three per rent, cf the -white men cf the State ran neither read nor write ani tbe educational re quirements and th poll tax achemi showed how sincerely tt promoter of the amendment were protecting tbe "poor and ignorant white man. Senator Prltchard referred to Sens tor Vance as being not only again Mr. Simmons and hi mot bods, but as U ing directly opposed to very soch scheme of limiting suffrage, and show A how his influence had defeated W anca propuo " .aid that acr since l bare U w,.vn,, "f? c1 a2?.'?.t?S said: "1 Had seme of the braJnest. wealthiest and cnost Uflaentia! men all mendmenC " wl. m r ll