The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-09-16


AT least $500 people assembled in
the farmers tobacco warehouse at noon
to-day to hear Hon. A. E. Stevenson's
speech. He was escorted from his hotel
by o committee of distinguished citizens
OF North Carolina in carriages, and o
large procession OF mounted men from
the country adjacent to Asheville.
General Stevenson was introduced by
Hon. G. T. Raves as the distinguished
grandson Of North Carolina" and whom
he arose to speak there was tumult of
applause, lasting many minutes. When
the cheering subsidized Mr.. Stevenson
spoke as follows:
"Fellow citizens: 1t would be impos-
sible to overstate the Importance OF tho
pending political contest, ESPECIALLY to
the people of the Southern States.
With them it is not merely q question
as to who shall be elected President of
the United States, or what shall be his
policy on tai ration and expenditures.
The question is of deeper import and
moro far-reaching in its consequences.
Shall they have peace and protection to
life and prosperity, which results from
stable government of the States by
their own people, or shall they be mem
aced by repetition of the evils of the
reconstruction period?
''The present contest Is between the
Republican and Democratic parties
Which shall it be? To you the practical
question is, Will you have your State
governments remain in the hands OF
your own people or will you have q re-
turn of the carpet-bag dealing and mis-
rulepl Have you so soon forgotten the
sad LESSONS Of the past? 1 address myself
to men whose former affiliations have
been with the Democratic party, but
who incline now to casting their political
fortunes with the Third party. party
absolutely without hope Of success in
the pending contest. Either Harrison
or Cleveland will be the next President
and 1t is equally certain that either the
Democratic or Republican party will
control the next Congress.
"Your support of the Third party
candidate or'the Third party Ia simply
declaration upon your part that in
this great struggle, involving self gov
property and hearthstone, you are con-
tent to remain idle spectators. Let this
issue be plainly presented. If you de-
sire the enactment of the force bill with
its train Of evils, cast your vote for the
Republican candidate, or by standing
by the Third party, remain idle specta-
tors Of the great struggle. II, upon the
contrary, you prefer The peace and b APP
piness that comes with good govern
ment, your place is in the ranks of the
Democratic party. 1t is we'll to recall
some of the evils from which Southern
people escaped by the overthrow OF the
carpet-b bag denomination. Fully to re-
count the injustice, wrongs, outrages,
suffered by the people of some Southern
States during the carpet-bag misrule,
the Republican party had complete con-
troll Of Alabama from 1868 to 1874.
THE best citizens OF the STATE were
DISTINGUISHED. They were utterly pow
erless to protest themselves against
those who, unuer forms of law, sought
to rob them. All the departments of
the State government were in the hands
OF those who prostituted legislation and
courts OF justice to their own selfish
purposes. During this saturnalia OF
misgovernment the plunderers of the
people were men who in many instances
held high places among them. From
1868 to 1874 the State debt of Alabama
was, by q Republican legislature, in
creased from eight millions to more than
twenty-five millions of dollars. A largo
part OF this Indebtedness was created by
the issuing of bonds to build railroads
that we've never built. BY an earnest
effort the State was redeemed by the
Democratic party in 1874, and the era OF
carpetbag misruie and plunderers came
10 an end.
What has been the result? Alabama,
fourteen years later, under the govern
ment OF her own people, has reduced
her own debt more than one half, and
taxable property in the State has in
Gre ased nearly one hundrt d million dol
lars. In North Carolina. under the recon-
struction policy OF the Re publican party,
carpet-bag rule was, in 1868. gu bstitu ted
for the government of the State by its
own people. From the mountains to the
sea the State was in clutches Of tie
plunderers.' During the first session Of
the legislature, both branches of which
had large Republican majorities. bonds
of the State to the amount OF TWEEN "
five million 'hree hundred and fifty dol
lars were authorized to be issued. OF
this enormous amount fourteen millions
for the avowed purpose OF building rail
roads were actually issued and not
mile of railroad built.
us 1t possible that the people OF
North Carolina have forgotten how this
legislature robbed them of their school
fund? For the education of their child
rem the State held S42n 1000 Of bonds Of
the Wilmington and Weldon and Will
mington and Manchester Railroad Com
pany. This was sacred fund and
should have been sacredly guarded by
those in power. Was it so guarded?
The Republican State Legislature, in
order to pay expenses of this legisla-
ture, by It's authorities sold these bonds
for one hundred and fifty-eight thou
sand dollars. So the poor children OF
tho State were robbed of this school
fund nv the men who were solemnlv