Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1892-05-24
A RATIFICATION MEETING
HELD IN THE COURT HOUSE
LAST EVENING.

GOOu SpeeCneS MaOS OS A' A.
Gudger, J, H. MerrimOn, X. M.
Furman and Others at the DEM
Ocratic club Meeting
The ratification meeting of the Ashe-
vile democratic club was called to order
in the court house at $50 last evening
by President c. T. Rawls, who, on TAX
ing the chair, congratulated the demo
Gratis on the excellent ticket put out by
the state convention.
Hon. II. A. Gudger WAS first called
UPON. He said he had heard republi-
can say that the majority of the demo-
Gratis would be $4,000. He did not
know what it would Il, but he believed
that there would be one of the largest
majorities cvergiven. He named eachman
on the ticket. and had words of praise
for every one of them. 1t was really
tirst-class ticket, one that everybody
could support heartily. Referring to the
presidency he said that if the Chicago
convention would nominate a western
man the democrats would carry the solid
south, New York, and enough of the
north to elect their man and make the
whole country democratic.
J.IH. MerrimOn's Speech.
The next speaker was Hon. Jas. II.
Merrimon. He said the nominations
would be acquiesced in by all democrats,
but thought the convention had passed
by faithful and capable public servant
for no adequare reason. Gov. Holt
could have been elected by a large major
ity. The republicans had been fondly
hoping that something would turn up to
split the democratic party, but their
dream had been dispelled. North Caro-
lima will still retain her place in the solid
democratic south.
Speaking of the solid south reminds
me-" said the speaker, that some of my
republican friends had their feelings very
much hurt by remark made at the
organization of this club. They under
stood me to say that all the republicans
ought to be hung. | met one OF them
the other day-a prominent man in his
party-and told him that | had under
stood that he had said something about
it.. He replied that he did not know he
had, but that he had read what | had
said, in THE CITIZEN, and thought it
very unkind.'
81 assured him that the language |
used wds not intended to apply to the
republican party; that l was speaking OF
class of men who would resent any ei-
fort to connect them with the republi-
can party, men who claimed to be demo-
Gratis, yet were doing all they could to
disrupt the democratic party, and there
fore enable the republican party to carry
the southern states, and pass the Lodge
force bill i'll the next congress; that
had said that if such result should be
brought about, the blame for it woult
attach to these trcacherous men, and
they would deserve the fate that follows
treachery.
"In the south, the republican and the
negro party are one and the same, and
the democratic solidity of the south de
nency, in very large measure, upon the
continuation and permanency of the
! organization of the negro party.
there were no negro party in the south
the solid south would soon be broken uT
and dire calamity would follow. Tc
, keep the south solidly democratic it i:
essential that the republican party shoulc
be kept solidly negro, as it has been evel
since its organization in the southern
states. say these things not to Civ,
offense, but as "A plain statement O
} facts.
Every white man who joins the repub
lican party thereby places himself ii
antagonism to his race, and arrays him
q sell in opposition to the honor, progress
prosperity, and the very civilization
itself of the south. do not saw that h
intends these things by joining tina
party. Some join it from one motiv
!, and some from another. But no matte
what may be the motive that prompt
: him, the result is the samc-he stand
opposed to the white people.
!, ut is reported in the newspapers tha
Fred Douglass, the foremost negro il
America, the negro with white wife
the negro who has been honored wit
important and honorable public trust
and Offices, has declared that if til
southern outrages upon negroes don
cease the negroes would learn to b
chemists, by which he was understood
to mean they would learn to be mani
facturers and users of dynamite boml
with which they would destroy both I'll
people of the south and their propert,
/ don't think any white republican woul
join the negroes in a warfare of tn
kind, even if Douglass could prevail upo
the negroes to begin it.
The "SOuthern Outrages."
Now let us talk minute about whi
are called southern outragcs' upon Il
o negroes. The other day the general confe
~ ence of the Northern Methodist churc
at Omaha, made desperate attack upt
the southern people. As reported in t
New York Herald of the 18th instar
the conference committee on the sta
of the church brought in report callil
upon the government, the state ofhcia
the Methodist Epis .opal church and ;
good citizens to arise in their might a,
N abolish the indgnities and outrages tn
are put upon the colored people, and
white people who love to work for t
salvation of the colored race in the sout
crn states. The resolution declared tn
g the colored people were treated shan
~ fully on the railway trains and at hot
and in every way-they were shot do,
like dogs, and the law of the land W
ou trampled under foot by the people W
despiscd the colored race. The reso
tion was the signal for tremendous che
6 ing. DR.. Queal, DR.. Fayne and 9TH
S made vehement speeches calling up
the Methodist church to stand firmly
the rights of the colored race. Now
f. would be extremely difficult to compr
more falschood in smaller space. A
to think, too, that it was done by CT
ference of Methodist preachers! A
- worse still, when their opportunities
E, know better are considered, it is hard
resist the conclusion that their act
was wicked and malignant-the