The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-02-26
THE DANvILLE RIOT.
CONGRESSMAN JOHN .. WISE ON
THE sTAND.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Tilt Between Senator Vance and the
Virginia Congressman.
NO SOCIAL EQUALITY FOR JOHN $,
When Negro Legislators Call at HIS House
10 See film They Go Into the Kitchen.

WASHINGTON, February 20. congress.
man John 5. Wise was the trst witness on
the stand to-day In the Danyille inyestiga.
ton. He stated the issues OF the virginia
campaigns. beginning with that OF 1881.
The true issues were the public debt
and the eleemosynary institutions OF the
State. The Funder party sought TO per-
petuate the race issues The Readiusters
would have been fools to have sought to
keep alive the race issue, depending, as
they did, upon the colored vote In part
for success. He filed the Richmond
State OF June 10. 1881, as a specimen OF
the issue the Funders sought TO make. He
also filed circular which he picked up in
Carroll county, that county having but G3
cOlored voters, against 1900 whites. IL
set forth that the whites who voted for the
Resdjuster ticket voted for reputation,
mixed schools, &c. He filed the speech Of
ex-senator Johnston, OF Virginia, delivered
in Newbern in 1881. Governor Cameron
had said they would carry the war into
Africa. Johnston replied he would carry
Africa into the war. He filed an editorial
from the Norfolk Landmark.
Senator Vance entered his protest against
the further progress OF the course OF the
investigation. Mr.. Wise was making q
party speech. Judge Lapham said that II
the papers were 10 illustrate the condition
OF affairs they were proper. Mr.. Wise said
he proposed TO show that the whites had
brought on the onleute ut Danyille for po-
litical purposes. having despared other
wise 10 win their contest. Continuing,
Mr.. Wise submitted further papers de-
signed to show that the Funders set
forth that their opponents were seek
ing to make the negroes the social
equals OF the whites, and that the
Readjusters, in their uttcrances, de-
cared that the only issue was the debt
question. Cameron, the Readiuster candi-
date for Governor, was elected by ma
jority OF the white votes. Governor Cam
eron in his message repudiated the idea Of
mixed schools. In the next canvass, In
which Massey and the witness were oppos-
ing candidates at large for Congress, the
same effort was made by the Funders to
keep up the race issue. In the last cam
paign the witness stated that representative
Bourbons had stated in his presence re-
peatedly that unless they could revive the
race issue they could not hope to win their
contest. He submitted publications in
support OF these statements. They had
sought to make the race issue prominent
in the canvass OF 1881. 1t was not so
prominent in the canvass OF 1882; but il
was revived in 1883. Then Governor
Cameron appointed two colored men men,
bers OF the School Board OF Richmond.
The schooi-children numbered 1900 whites
to G,000 colored. This action was seized
upon as q preteXt for revivIng the race
issue. He submitted publications in sup
port OF the statement from the Danville
Times. He read "The Mahoneites band
the negroes together, aud we can only con-
quer by uniting the whites against them"
Senator Sherman asked IL the Funders
were inspired by objections to persons or
to race.
Witness said: IL was an objection to
race. The men appointed were unobjec-
Coming, then, to the last election
for the Legislature, he said the "Bour-
bons" were by large majority in favor OF
incorporating the color-Ilne in their plat
form. He read and submitted editorials in
support OF this statement. Two Democrats
of Lynchburg, witness believed, induced
the Convention not to incorporate the color
line into their written platforms. In this
canvass witness had preserved notes
of his discussions with his opponents.
He asserted that from the beginning to the
end they had sought not TO win colored
votes, but to make the Coalition party so
odious to the ignorant whites as to make
them band together against il. He sub
mitted documents and pictures used rs
campaign documents. One OF the latter
displayed a black teacher whipping white
pupil. When witness went to Danville to
speak the local papers advised the white
men to stay away; Danville and Plttsylva-
mia were the most lawless communities in
Virginia. Pittsylvania county and an adj
Joining county in North Carolina were
alike in this.
Senator Vance: That's Republican
county by large majority.
Witness: Yes; and wherever there Is
Republican majority there will be Bourbon
shot-guns.
Senator Vance: There will be large
number OF convictions to the penitentiary.
Witness: And crowds will 90 down be-
fore the mouths of Bourbon shot-guns.
Senator Vance: don't know as there
is any necessity for you to assail North
Carolina here, sir.
Witness allude to these matters with
regret.
Witness described crimes which he
said had been committed in and about
Danvile. He regarded the attempt to at
tribute the state OF excitement preceding
the riot to sims's speech as subteriuge.
The excitement was due to the intlamma-
tory publications and the effort which he
had described.
Senator Sherman asked II the witness
wished to say anything about the cause
OF the riot.
Witness said that when he went to Dam
vile Mr.. Jennings, Readiuster. called on
him. and said he was a Re.idiuster at heart,
but had been waited upon by Democrats
and threatened with ruin in his business II
he did not withdraw. Jennings was COM
PEELED TO Join the Democrats.
Witness submitted advertisements OF
hardware-dea from whom the rioters OF
November I'd obtained their arms. In
these advertisements guns. pistols, and
ammunition were made to appear more
prominently than anything else.
During the cross-eXamination by Senator
Vance several sharp passages-af-arms oc'
Cured. Mr.. Wise said to Senator Vance
when first knew you, thirty years ago
you belonged to the X. n. know Nothing
party. Now you belong to the n. X. (ne
gro-killing) party
Senator Vance retorted: when frs
knew you you were a secession Democrat
Now you are a."
Mr.. Wise: Hardly. ! was only nine
years OF age, and could not have been mucl
of a secessionist."
Senator Vance: "Ob, well, when maj
pleads the infancy act have nothing more
to say"
A little later Mr.. Wise said the attitudes
OF men had changed. "YOu ITO senato
Vance] came upt to teach us Democracy ant
debi-paying, when you had repudlaie'
..z,,.. r..... It,. -, "A ba1 mover DCen n Den