Question

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?

• laws that keep the poor or uneducated from voting are unjust.
• laws should not keep black men who are living in poverty or uneducated from voting.
• unfair laws can encourage white people to stay uneducated and living in poverty.
• all laws can lead to unintended consequences and reactions.

Explanation:

1. Analyze Option 1: The author's reasoning goes beyond just stating the law is unjust; it explains the consequences of such a law (encouraging Black people to get educated/own property and White people to stay ignorant/poverty - stricken), so this option is too simplistic.
2. Analyze Option 2: This is more of a restatement of the author's claim rather than the reasoning to support it. The author provides a reason (consequences of the law) for why such laws should not exist, not just a statement of what the law should not do.
3. Analyze Option 3: The author says the law "encourages the white man to remain in ignorance and poverty", which matches this option. It is the strongest reasoning as it explains the negative impact of the unfair law on White people (a consequence that supports why such a law is bad).
4. Analyze Option 4: The author is specifically talking about unjust laws (not all laws) and the reasoning is about the specific consequences of this unjust voting law, not a general statement about all laws.

Answer:

C. Unfair laws can encourage White people to stay uneducated and living in poverty.