New-York tribune., 1884-02-26
METHODS OF BOURBONS.
Use OF THE RACE ISSUE IN VIRGINIA.
now THE RIOT AT DANvILLE WAS BhoO"hi
ABOUT FOR POLITICAL EFFECT.

FOR EffhNl.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.-Congressman Jom
T. Wise was the first witness before the senate .onn
on Privileges and Elections to-day. he said 'ne % ".
,sses of the Virginia campaigns, beginning WIN 'u'
of 1851 were the public debt and the eieemOsS"''
tutioas OF the State The FuDder party soueu' " ~
cate the race Issue. In support OF 'niS , s''N-.S
witness fled copies OF Funder newspapers anu sp
of F,1uder leaders. He asserts tnst .ne WINES
,ss - che r,o, at Dauyile for political purposes,
having despared otherwise Of winning the campaign
Respecting the last election, the witness sad 'he Do
hons were by large majority in favor OF lueorIo"k
the color line In their platform Two Democrats OF
hurg he believed induced the convention not to ncopo
rae the color line their written platform In Tue
witness had preserved notes OF his discussions
with his opponents He asserted that from beginning 10
end they sought to win coored votes but TO make
The Coalition party odous 10 the iguorant whites as 10
make them band together against it, He submitted doc-
uments and pictures used campaign documents one
Of the latter displayed black teacher whipping white
punu When witness went TO Danville to speak local
papers advised white men TO stay away Danvile anu
Pttsyvania were the most avless communities IN VIZ
cpia Pittsylvanis County and the adjoining comfy IN
North Carolina were alike IN this.
Senator vauce-Thats Republican county by large
majority, sir.
Witness-Yes and wherever there Is Republican ma
jOrity there will be Bourbon shotguns.
Senator yance-There viii be a large number OF con-
yiotions 10 the penenuary.
WitneSs-And croWO- Will 80 VVNh pNi'i" '"N i-
OF Bourbon shOtguns
senator ysnee-I don't know as there any necessity
tor you TO assail North Carolina here sir
witness-T alude to these matters withregret.
Witness described which he said had been com
pitted in and about Danve He regarded the attempt
n attribute the state Of excitement preceding the riot 10
Smss speech as subterfuge. The excitement was due
10 the infammatory publications and efforts which he
had described. When he went to Danvne Mr. Jennings
Readtster called on him and said be was Readjuster
rraFTo NJ
threatened with in his business he did not with
draw NJ Jennings compelled TO join tho Dem
ocrats.
Witness submitted advertisements OF the "Hardware'
dealers from whom the rioters Of November obtained
Their arms In these advertisements guns, pistols aud
ammunition were made TO appear more pIohhei4S INA"
anything else.
During the examination by Senator Vance several
sharp passages at occurred Mr. Wise said to Sen
ator Vance, When first knew you thirty years ago.
you belonged to the X. " know Nothing party Now
you belong to the n. X. Negro killing party"
Senator Vance retorted, When first knew You, you
were Secession Democrat; now you are a."
Mr Wise" Hardly. was only nine years Of age and
could not have been much of a secessionist"
Senator Vance" Oh well. when man pleads the in
fancy act have nothing more 10 say"
Witness knew nothing Of the ostracs OF colored Demo
Gratis by their Readiuster race-felows. The Danvtle
Democrats had offered to protect cOlOTed Democratic
voters but the offer kened to that Of hawk TO the
u
ness described the operations OF the poll tax law which,
he sad was gotten up to defraud colored men Of their
votes He admitted that Readuser speakers had been
intenperae their language but justified II as being IN
reply TO Bourbon abuse The facts Of the DanTIe Tlot
had been exaggerated but its OucrOpptDg had not IL
had been represented by whites as negro uprising and
whites had appealed to to assist their fellows IN
danger with their votes This had aided 10 secure the
Democratic victory.
Witness said that the present Legislature had taken
steps to steal the State for all time by changing the cleo
ton law Fifteen Readuster members Of the Legislature
had rejected and some Of their successors had not
made a contest.
j. B. Raston Collector Of Internal Revenue at Danvile
was asked to look at the Danyue circular entitled
"Coaton Rule in Virginia." and give his opinion OF IT,
Witness read the circular through by paragraphs com
eutng upOn each paragraph In general his statements
rocar9in, the circumstances which made the
causes of copantin the circular that he had either
not heard them that he knew OF his own knowledge
that there was no ground for such complaints OF the
charges in the circular against the cOlored people OF Dan
Vile he said that those people would compare fsyoraby
with the laborng classes anywhere He had always re-
earded the Danvie circular as a political canard 1t
Was for use outside OF Danville, and helped the Demo
cratic cause greatly u other parts OF the state II 1t hld
sspderous assertions IL would have hurt the Democrats
j. he could had printed he would have used u IN
Dauviile as campaign document for the C0ahuonlsth
lie mad hesitation IN sans nat tne Ilot ~ouiu n4
Nv The Democratic candidates. aud the equally niamma
3 tory sTS 5 we're m @ made before the RIOT Gated that there
might be trouble and caused apPIehensons among
Inc Coatiouists Among tie preparations was the pul
fhase OF arms large quantities by the whites and Their
storage in unusual places one OF these places Of storage
was I'M an insurance office where the not occurred
Arms were carried 10 and stored n the yard Of TINS usuI-
auce Office Oh the morning before the rot occurred
PTeoa watkins coiored resident Of Danyille, and
member OF tie Grand Jury which investigated the ro;
I'D that testimony bad been submitted 70 the Grand
jury that the white had first fred over the heads Of
The negroes the air and that the negroes were fs
Ing upon the whites threatenlngy when the latter again
fr6d II upon testimony OF ths sort that DC con
scented 10 the finding OF the jury; ne neFcI eApGc 10
he able to ascertain the facts about the rot and after
about forty witnesses had been examined he was wIng
close the inquiry. He Knew rev coofeu men IN
Danvie carried weapons, but could not recall the
case OF any who carried them before the rot II Is me
fak people that many Of the coOTed people s wei
p the whites habitualy carried arms witness himself
In answer 10 questions the Treatment Of col1red
mon who vote the DemOcratctcket by the c0Ored people
OF Daave witness said be thought al depends on the
standing; that Il a Of any note al all votes with the
emocat the colOred people think be Is bctT3ylng his
cGeore5 men in Danvile who voted the Democratic
et and e stood well socially with their people
A coore an, Poteet by name who was the next wit
,ees tcsti6,d 10 having overheard conversation be
yn to vLite ex policemen lAe mOrung Of the not
IT,rv were distributing bills and arranging TO
o. N several houses and get something, he
bee u.e one OF white gentlemen from the country
% ro standing by said they had better leave there
ths niggers this evening" Witness short time after
ward heard fuss up the street and was told that Hense
lawson Noel had had fight; Mr. Hatcher cross
fhe street with pistol in hs hand, and M Jordan
out Of BaiI store with pistol IN MS hand Hatcher
Then they began fire. TWO co0red men fen, one in
front witness and behind him. ana he ran for shell
Ter the drugstOr aud out Of the back door OF the
store and got away. -
Every wlIte he saw on that day was armed White
between fifteen and twenty ~ had pistols
and shot guns in their hands. Didn't see any colOred
people with arms.
COPIAH COUNTY FANATICISN.