Don't Worry, Illiterate White Men Will Still Be Able to Vote, 1900

“No White Man Disenfranchised” from the June 7, 1900, issue of the Wilmington Star

With the hope of building up opposition to the constitutional amendment, its opponents, led by Senators Pritchard and Butler are trying to make illiterate white voters believe that they will be disfranchised if the amendment is adopted. They know that there is not a particle of truth in this, but they are asserting it and playing this as one of their big cards in the game. They know that under this amendment every white man in the State who is now entitled to vote will continue to be a voter, and they know, too, that every white boy who comes of age before 1908 and registers will become a voter and continue to vote. After 1908 it will be necessary for those coming of age to be able to read and write, but this gives ample time for every white boy growing up to learn to read and write.

What transparent folly it would be for men who are contending for white supremacy to disfranchise their own people and leave the ballot box open to the negroes. The assertion carries its absurdity with it.

But they say it will be declared unconstitutional because it discriminates against the negroes. This is not true. It does not discriminate against the negroes, for any negro who was entitled to vote in 1867, in this or any other State, or the lineal descendant of such negro, will be entitled to vote, so that there is no discrimination on that ground. There may be very few of these, but the fact that they are not barred from voting knocks out the discrimination objection.

There is not the slightest danger of that section being declared unconstitutional by the courts, without so declaring the other section, for they are so coupled that they must stand or fall together. This is in accordance with the opinion of courts on germane questions and is the opinion of the ablest lawyers who have studied this question.