Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-09-16
ADLAI f. STEVENSON.
He MAKES HIS FIRST SPEECH IN
NORTH CAROLINA.
The Horrors of Carpst-Bag Misruie Re
calied-rhe Meaning OF the IN
iquitous Force Bill.
lnr ,.lopr,nh 70 tho prspa.ch.l


-
tBy telegraph 10 the Dispasch.l
AsHryrLLy, N. c.. September i5.-General
Adlai Z. Stevenson. the Democratic can
didate for Vice-President. spoke TO an
audience of at least $500 people here az
noon TO day. He was escorted from MS
hotel to tho Farmers tobacco warehouse
where the speech was delivered, by mum
Der Of the most distinguished citizens OF
North Carolina in carriages and large
procession of mounted men from the
country adjacent 10 Asheyille.
He was introduced by Hon. q. i; Kawls
ne distinguished grandson OF North
Carolina and when he arose 20 speak
there was loud ud'applause, continuing seNe-
ral minutes.
TRIBUTE TO NORTH CAROLINA.
General Stevenson began by paying
tribute 10 North Carolina. saying that her
history and traditions were as dear 10 nun
rs to any one present, and continued as
follows:
"Feuow-Citizen would be impossible TO
oyerestimate tho importance OF the penang
political contest, especially n the peopio OF the
southern states. With them Il - not merely
question as 20 who shall be elected President OF
the United States or what shall be MS poucy as
10 taxation and expenditures. Inc qutsHon Is
Of deeper import aud more far-reaching IN its
conselueLces Shall they have peace and pro-
ie'slCn OF life aud the prosperity which results
nom stable government Of the states py lhen
own people. or shall they be monaced by n repe-
ttiOn the evils Of the reconstruction perlodE
The present contest Is between the hepubhcau
ana Democratic parties Which shali u DO 10
you the p~actcnl question Is, WIZ you haYo
yonr State government in the hands OF your
own people OF viii you have return OF carpet
bag dealing and inisrule? Have you 80 soon
forgotten the sad lessons OF the past9
TO TBBD-PARTYIrEs.
J address myself 10 men whose tOCmer affllia-
tions have been with the Democratic party but
who incline 70 cast IN their political fortunes
WIKI the Third party-a party absolutely WITH
ont hope Of success IN the pending contest.
Either Mr. Barrtson or hr. Cleveland VIII De inc
nest President, and u II equally certain tnat the
Democratic or the Republican party viii control
the next Congress. Your support now OF the
Third-pGrty candidate, or the Third party, Is
simply declaration upon your part that ia this
great struggle. involving se!t-soYernmont-t
may be the protection OF property aud OF the
bearthstone-you are content 10 remain idle
spectators.
Let tho issue be plainly presented. II you de-
sire tho enactment Of tho force bill, with its
| train Of evls cast your vote Tor the Republican
| candidate, r Dy standing with the Third party
remain an IDLE spectator Of the great struggle
| IL, upon the contrary, you prefer the peace ana
hal ptncss that comes with good government,
| your place Is in tho ranks OF the Democratic
patty. ~ ~ we'll 10 recall some OF luN OWLS lIplh
| winch the southern people escaped by the over
| throw Of carpet-beg domination. Fully 20 re-
count the injustice, the wrongs, tho outraees
suffered by the people oi some OF inc soutnoL,n
| States during the era OF carpetbag mlsrule
| would Oil volume.
CARPET-BAG MsRCLE.
| AZ you well know, the Republican party had
| complete control OF Alabama from 1868 20 1874
Tho people there were utterly poWerless 70 pro-
| tec5 themselves against those who, under tho
| forms u law, sought to Oppress them. All le-
partmcnts OF the state government were IN the
| hands Of those who prOstituted legislation ana
| tho courts Of Justice 90 their own selfish pur-
poses. During this saturnalia of misgovern-
| mont the ulunderers of the people Wero the men
| who in many instances held high place among
| them. From 1868 TO 1874 the state Was gov
/ erned by a Republican Legislature. which In
/ creased the public d0bt from S6,OOO,OUO 10
| m.re than 325,0O0,000. largo part OF tnis IN
debtedness was created by issuing bonds TO
| build railroads that were nevor built In addl-
| tlon 20 this the municipal Indebtedness and
| comfy Indebtedness was enormous.
By earnest effort the State was redeemed by
the Democratic party In 1874 and the era OF
| carpet-bag misrule and Of plunder came 70 an
: end. what has been tho rnsuit 2 Alaoama,
| fourteen cars later, under the government oi
| her OWN people, has reduced her enormous DEBT
| moro than one half, and tho tsKabe properly IA
1 the State has increased nearly slOO,oOO,UOO'
| NORTH cAR0LIsAs RXPgRIEsCE.
| In North Carolina, under the recOnstruction
| policy Of the Republican party, carpet-bag ruie
| wasin 1868 substituted for the governmnt OI
| the state by IT'S own people. From the m0Nu-
tHins 20 the sea the State was in tho clutches OF
| the plunderers. During tho irst session OF the
| Iegi4lature, both branches of which had lalge
i,epGUiican malorties. bonds OF the state 70 inc
| amount Of s2j,35O,OOO were authorized 20 20
| used OF this enormous amount Sl4,OOO,OOO,
! for the ayOwed purpose OF builiirg raliroads,
! were actually issued, and not mile OF railroad
| built.
4 Eit possible that the people Of North Caro-
I g. fhfa LOCI 4lnfuTa robbed
| theIn OF their school fund? For the education
OF It's children the State held s42O'OOO OF mo
I bonds OF the Wilmington ana Weldon ana tho
I Wilmington and Manchester hnilrOad COnhph-
\ nies. This was a sncred fund, and should nAVo
| been sacrediy guarded by those In power. was IL
/ so guarded7 A Republican state Legislature, IN
: order TO pay the expenses ~ this legislature, by
~ authority sold these bonds for Sl5H,OOO. -
the people or children OF tho state we're rooDcd
l OF this school fund by the men VINO we're SOL
omnly pledged Oits protection
those were but part OF the scheme devised
W, this Legislature TO plundec the people. ny
So close Of this Legislature the debt Of the stat
: ID been increased until It exceeded one third
81. tho taxable property OF the State.
You need hardly be reminded that during this
Eng night OF horror the administration ol JUS
Z tice was a m0ckery. The triumph OF tne Demo
= cratic party in 1876 Wrestcd the Ola North otAto
[ from those who had robbed the people Ui thelr
heritage.
SOUTH CAROLINA AND OTTER SOUTHERN STATES.
During the eight years of csrpet-bag rule the
| State OF south Carolina was OpOnly and unOiush-
ingly pundered. Onicial corruption reached
the high-water mark. The state was hteiahy
| Frustrated. and the robbers we're those VINO sat
| Ia high places OF power In legislature and the
lcOurts. During this era a distinguished kepnD-
alicau declared that the Iro1sury OF South caro-
II lima had been so literally Quilted by tho thieves
| who had hitherto had possession of TIE stato
| government that there was nothing lett 70 rtHal.
| Mr.. Stevenson then cited the wrongs inflicted
on Missouri from tho close VI the war TO 10 :
4 .fsa ~ ftr q f
| 10 Mississippi and LOuisiana and other states ol
! the south. The history OF one IL the history ti
| all. IL was TO tho people u dark nisht oi h-
| Justice. wrong. and outrage. In many instances
! ilhterate and corrupt men were tho sworn mln'
isters OF the law. The administration OF lnsti. q
was the mercst mOckery Not cOutent with rob
bing the people o: their substance. every attempl
was made by those In poNor 20 ioment dlScoFu
and hatred between tho TWO races
| Dnriug the four years OF Democratic admins
| trafi1n Of the National Government nOrthei q
! Immigration ana nOrthe n capital toinl thri
way TO tho South to a degree unprecedented lu
our history. Under DemOcr9tr Gscandancy
millions q northern capital sought ln'es.Iheu'
IN tho South. It's resources are being developed
and "a career OF prosperity II has not Known
since the war IL before II.
THE FORCE BILL
The purpose Of the force bill is by intimidation
to control the election OF representatives IN I on
gress. This Ia 20 DO done by substituting redcra
officers for the electl0n-Onlcers provided Dy etat'
law. In other words, the officers you have -
lected arc 10 be displaced and tuer places taker
by tue agents u the party IN power. lou neec
not be told that such Legislation argues uhinls
takAbiy a lack Of confidence IA tue people. Inn
, bill has had tho vote Of the representatives o.
the Fifty-nrst Congress. Eyory RepuOllcan bu
three voted Tor IL, and every Democrat yote1
against IL With tie aid OF a few Republicans
the Democrats we're able Tor tue time 10 encoiil
, pass lis defeat in the Senate. Republican
senator who aided In its defeat declared al th'
time that aft was the most infamous piece OF ie
, gslatton that ever crossed the threshold OF th'
Senate But for the fact that three or four ne
publican senators co-Operated with the Demo
Gratis this bill would have passed the Senate re
ceiyed executive approval. aud would now b'
upon your statute books.
EXTRAORDINARY FEDERAL POWERS
AS have said, the force bill takes the election
, OF representatives In Congress out oI the hah1
OF the officers provided by state law and gives
It 10 Federal agents. IL provides for the ap
4 poinlment by the Federal courts OF supervisor