Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-05-24
WELLS CONSPIRACY AGAINST
THE BLACK MAN.

1t Is well known fact that the pecu-
liar friends of Wells fought like tigers
in the convention at Petersburg against
the nomination of DR.. Harris as the can
didate for Lieutenant Governor. No
equivocation, explanation, or downright
lying can smother the glazing truth.
They opposed the nomination of Harris
because he is a Black Man, and for no
other reason. In this they carried out
the instructions of their leader, and the
programme of the carpet baggers every
where-"The negro is voting animal
because we want his vote; but he must
not be an office holding animal, because
WE want the Offices" But as DR.. Bayne
said to Platt, who was opposing the
nomination of Harris in the convention,
"Colored men have rights in the Re-
publican party, and they will not vote
q. tiukot composed entirely OF whites,
when there are competent colored per-
sons to Ell portion of the Offices" The
result was, the Wells faction was defeat
ed, and Harris was nominated. But the
Wells faction say eve will NOT STAY
defeated !; if we cannot beat our colored
friends by fair means, in an open stand
up fight, we will whip them by treach-
cry and cunning. The name of Harris
will stand upon the ticket like pint of
molasses to attract the confding darkeys
until election day. But when the ticket
goes into the ballot box the black mark
will have been drawn through the black
mans name, and the name of Lewis
will stand in the place of Harris
This is the Wells program me. 1t has
leaked out, as all falsehood and trickery
is apt to do, rather prematurely for the
benefit of those who concocted the clever
scheme.
The desertion of the Petersburg plat
form by the Wells crew, to fish for white
votes, was but the prelude to the lately
discovered conspiracy to USE the black
man first, and then SLAUGHTER him.
They saddle him, they bride him, they
ride him, they founder him-and they
knock him on the head, and give his
carcass to the buzzards. Well may the
black man excIaim, Save me from my
friends!' How much safer to trust to
the honor and integrity of a respectable
and responsible man like Col. Walker,
who is National Republican from con-
viction--who recognizes and respects
the rights of all men before the law,
without reference to color or previous
condition-who has embar ked his all in
our Ship of State, on whose broad deck
the white man and black man mus
both stand, encountering the same storms
aud tempests, or basking in the same
sunshine, than to follow like blind
horse at the end of a hempen rope, II
lead of demagogue and trickster
who fawns upon the black man but tt
deceive him, who t1atters him but tc
ruin him-who would ride into office
upon the Negroes back, squirting the
| TANKS OF his beast of burden through
the serried ranks of contending races
and sea of blood.
But the SCRATCHING process of the
Wells crew will hardly prove success
They count without their host" who
think that an African skull is imper-
vious to the rays of thought. The de-
scendants of Ham "know heron from
handsaw" as we'll as Hamlet or any
other man. Wells may laugh in his
sleeve at the credulity of the race, but
when he tells them ONE thing from the
hastings, and instructs his white satellites
as to ANOTHER thing in secret, the whis-
pers will be heard for walls have ears
J and political secrets are hard to keep.
"vaulting ambition overleapeth itself
and falls on t'other side" But Wells
has "gone up" to use a vulgar phrase,