Read the excerpt from Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington. I do not believe that any state should make a law that permits an ignorant and poverty-stricken white man to vote, and prevents a black man in the same condition from voting. Such a law is not only unjust, but it will react, as all unjust laws do, in time; for the effect of such a law is to encourage the Negro to secure education and property, and at the same time it encourages the white man to remain in ignorance and poverty. What is the strongest reasoning the author gives to support his claim?
Answer
A
All laws can lead to unintended consequences and reactions.
B
Unfair laws can encourage White people to stay uneducated and living in poverty.
C
Laws that keep the poor or uneducated from voting are unjust.
D
Laws should not keep Black men who are living in poverty or uneducated from voting.
Explanation
Washington argues that an unjust voting law will eventually have harmful effects: it encourages Black people to gain education and property, while encouraging White people to remain ignorant and poor. This contrast is the strongest reasoning supporting his claim, so the correct choice is “Unfair laws can encourage White people to stay uneducated and living in poverty.”
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