The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-05-06
THE ADMINISTRATION
.ruE Effect OF IT'S WORK FROM
SOUTHERN STANDPOINT.

T.tfCTS From WO NOrtn SdrOIlnIanS
no Results Of the Democratic Admin
Ietration "a Relating to the South.
The CHRONICLE presents letters this week,
r,Uowing up the series, from two North
D,rolinians, one white man and the
other a well known colored man. As these
letters are from ''home" men,
.. Native here
And to the manner born,
rcn who have the best interests Of the
state at heart, and as they treat Of North
Carolina Matters they will be read, We
frust with interest
copyrighted 1886
From the White Mau's Point of View.
Josephus Daniels editor of the STATE
CHRONICLE, Raleigh, n. G., in answer
fa the question, What has been the
effect Of the Cleveland Administration on
the problem Of the South, and the feeling
Of the people of North Carolina 2" writes
a. followsi
RALEIGH, N. c., April %, SO.
For the first time since the war do the
people or the south really feel that they
are in the Union and that they have
voice in the affairs of the Nation. This is
not because Mr. Cleveland is a Democrat -
not at all. 1t is because he is the first man
who has been President in twenty years
who knows no sectional lines, lie appoints
man to position of trust because of his
fitness without mentioning or thinking, so
far as we can judge from his actions,
whether he followed Lee or fought with
itrlnt. There has never been a day since
the surrender that the southern people
we're not true in their allegiance to the
Union, but the Republican Presidents
adopted policy OF surVeilla lanpe aad dlstrust
which prevented Southern men from tax
ing that interest in public affairs for which
their training and knowledge fitted them.
lhe coerciye policy Nf the Reoonstruutlon
days, lhe lgnOrlng OF southern men OF
ability by the Republican party, and the
abuse and denunclation of Southern men
by their leaders, made the South solid
against the party that manifested such
Hnmistakable signs of distrust and hostll-
ity. To-day the South feels that it IS III
The Union, and think ! know whereof
affirm when | say that there is no State,
in proportion to population, that would
furnish more troops to defend the Union
Of States than North Carolina
There is doubt and wide difference of
opinion as to the effect that Mr.. Cleve-
lands Administration will have on the
solidity of the South. pnscrupulous Re
publican politicians had deceived the ne
FRO hy telling him that if Il Democratic
itollttiip NtS tftt|td It Nohid ioSC iiou
only his right to vote but probably be again
placed in bondage. Now that Mr. Cleye-
land has been III office over year and has
not only not deprived them of a sing lie right,
but has appointed colored men to respon-
sible and honorable positions, the negroes
nayc in measure lost CONFIDENCE III the
men whom they have heretofore followed
unquestioningy. | do not believe, how
ever that any considerable number VIII
h,,t
if Mr. lieyeland'S resent policy Is pur-
sued through his term many of the more
intelligent negroes will feel inclined to CO.
operate wi h the Democrats. say feel in
clincd" because several things will be IN the
way of this cooperation. One OF the great
4st barriers is that the Democratic leaders
have fought all POLITICAL campaigns for a
number of years on the color line, and
most of the political speakers have told
the negroes in so many words that they
didn't want their votes 1t has been the
policy to keep the white men united by
appeals to their fears Of negro rule and its
eonGomitant evils. As the result OF this
policy nine, ,tenths of the white men IL
North Carolina are Democrats and nearly
all the negroes are Republicans. | doubt
very much if another campaign III Pres
idential election can be won on such ar
issue-an issue that is thoroughly devolo
of principle. As Democrat | hope not
and yet there have been-they exist to
day less strongly than five or ten year,
ngo-reasons why white men should stan(
together to oppose themselves to a united
negro vote usually led and controlled b.
lnprinlipled white men. The Southern
States-North Carolina did not escape
suffered so greatly by Republican rascallt.
in the Reconstruction era that the people
are loath to do anything that might resul
in reinstating the Republican party il
power. There is excuse, there is palllatloI
for the color line It seemed necessary t
0Dlaln good government and has served
without doubt, a good purpose, but hop
the hour of its burial IS near at hand. |
ought not longer to be the rallying cry o
a National party. 1t tends to raise ant
keep up racial preiudices and animosities
II endangers the peace of society. 1t re
Inands to the back ground all the grea
questions of the day, and oftentimes give
to narrow and preiudiped men the leader
ship. Its tendency is to strip both partle
If devotion to principle and put polltlca
campaigns on the lowest plan. | hav
heard Democratic speakers say ''Ihls Is
white mans country and white men mus
rule" | have heard equally ineendiar
utteranoes from negro leaders who eour
selled the negroes, whenever they had tn
majority to elect none but their own colo
TO office | think | see signs pointing t
the breaking up of this color line, whlc
serves during featcd political contests
lprovoke race prejudice and race hatrec
in North Carolina it has not resulted
race conflict.
While there are many, especially thos
who have attained their majority since th
var, who would be glad to see poitics
campaigns fought and won on eeonomi
and governmental questions, rather tina
q upon the division by races, there are thos
who fear the result Of dividing the negr
ote. This is no selfish fear but is promp
ed by patriotic love Of country and a sill
eere desire to promote the welfare of tt
uegro Every man who has been raise
here or who has travelled enough IN tt
s SOUTH to learn the habits and character I
The negroes, knows that they are-I mea
il a majority of them-not only illiterate b'
q ignorant, and many of them add supe
d lttion to their Ignorance. They are cree
ulous and easily Influenced. Their cupl'
ity is largely developed and most of the
know absolutely nothing about the atfai
Of government and cannot appreciate II
81 duty and responsibility which the rlgl
4 to vote imposes upon them. They cann'
81 see how their vote will affect their pc
sonal condition, and if they once drl
away from their political moorings-vo