The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-10-11
Dockery's Record.

One of the most competent writers in
the State is leisurely and thoroughly
bringing out the Chief facts in the
Pee Dee shade-farmer's ugly political
record. We are glad of this and not
because we have the slightest personal
ill-will, for we have none. But Dock
cry is conspicuous character in what
r.mains of the black and tan party in
North Carolina. He is u.sluestionably
one of the ablest of the survivors. He
is man of education and force of
brains. He IS not great man, but
he is very unsound, very dangerous
politician. We have not a word to
say about him except what comes up
in political way. He is a public
man, and his public acts and public
utterances are public property and are
proper topics.
We suppose that of all Radicals in
the State, Col. Dockery has about the
worst record for polltician-the most
damaging for success. He is commit
ted to three things that ought to damn
him irretrievably as politician. What
are they?
I. He favors the abolition Of the
present system of County Government
upon which really depends the pro-
lection OF the whites.
2. He favors the payment of the
fraudulent rascally Special Tax Bonds
that would impoverish the State, and
its final results would bankrupt it.
3. He is for more of that Satanic
device and poor mans gin trap, know
as High Protective Tariff that is un-
constitutional according to the decls-
ion of the Republican Supreme Court
of the United States that is unequal
and unjust in its adjustments, being
laid with reference to the protection of
the rich and for the oppression of the
poor ; and that has been source of
constant evil and ruin, destroying COM
merce and the merchants marine, and
creating few hundred thousand mil
lionaires and plutocrats to corrupt the
country and lord it over Gods heri-
tage.
These three things are enough to
blast his prospects and to consign him
to the groves and fields of tine Pee
Dee.
But Dockery's record in the past is
bad, very bad. No man ever lived in
North Carolina who showed more dis
| like for the negro than he did. His
record Just there would make him very
offensive to any race on the earth but
the negro race. We heard it intimated
by an intelligent colored man that
Judge Russell's description of the negro
was all right-"savages" and "thieves. ;"
So Dockery's course towards free ne
groes and slaves in the past gives no.
offence to the negroes now. He per-
haps loves him better because before
the war he showed his intolerance of
Cuhee and Sambo. But any other
race under Heaven would not hug
the man who denounced them and
hold up the hands that struck them.
Now let US turn to his record prior
to the war on the Negro question. Let
US see how Dockery felt and acted in
the ''piping times of peace" We re-
ferred recently to the abounding ed
itorials and we said that when we
used them or any part of them we
would give due credit. Col. w. L.
Saunders is doing serviceable work in
preparing sheets containing discus
slons of important questions for North
Carolina voters. An experienced and
able journalist, with leisure to investi-
gate and elaborate, he has sent out al
ready articles that are being well used
and well read. We copy the follow
ing concerning Dockery and the ne
groes:
"But Colonel Dockery's record. "In
the Legislature of 1850, in the
House of Commons, bill was intro
duced 'to free persons of color from
the State The object of the bill, as
is plain from its title, was to ged rid OF
all free negroes. The indefinite post
ponement of the bill was moved, which
if done, would kill the bill. The yeas
and nays were called and motion to
indefinitely postpone was carried, there
by killing the bill But o. IL Dofke,y
Ootea against postoonement. See House
Journal, pages So, Asa and 453.
In the same Legislature, in the
House of Commons, bill was intro
duced sto enforce the collection OF
debts from free negroes, in this bill
was provision to put up free negroes
foi term of five years or less-prac-
tically sale for the term for which he
was bid off to the lowest bidder. 1t
was moved to indefinitely postpone
the bill and thus to kill it, but Co..
Doekery 0oted against the motion.
1t was then moved to kill the bill
by laying 1t upon the table, and Mr..
Doekeyy again 0otea no! See House
Journal, pages $50, 5I3, 5i4 and SIS.
SO much for Dockery and free ne
groes. Now for Dockery and slaves.
"In the House of Commons of the
1 L.