The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-07-20
RICHLANDs, July goth 1898

@N" ~ ns'"i pop'4s tlC HltH
party writ you about and for fear
they would write you from Rich
lands how us fellows done on elec-
ton, and make mountain out of a
mole hill. I'll tell you what they
charge US with--we Simon Pure
Democrat. They say (of course
we amt going to admit it and they
can't prove it, we had lots Of whisky
on election day at Richards, Cath
rine Lake and jacksonville and 9TH
er voting places in the county, Now
what if we did? Is that any of their
business. Our leaders furnished
the whiskey and did not cost them
anything. They say we took the
voters what loved it in horse stables
and gin houses and stores and made
them drunk. Now they wernt but
: or 3 fellows that got drunk that
day, and they wanted to vote a split
ticket, and some of our leaders give
them little too much getting them
strait, but we led them to the polls
and held them up, while some of our
fellows got their tickets for them,
and they voted our ticket. There is
nothing wrong in that. These Third
party fellows say we violated the
law. But we were advised by our
leaders at jacksonville and New
Berne how to do and we carried out
their instructions to the letter. SO
admitting we had a dozen jugs of
whiskey at Richlands. they claim
to have seen them that morning
about day sitting a. stores, and also
other places in the county we did
not violate the law, cause all our
treating was done in horse stables,
gin houses, stores &C., and not on
election grounds. Tom Gimlet our
leader in county, boosted he give
away $50 drinks on election day,
but he had it in the livery stables
near by the polling place and not on
elections grounds. So he did not violate
the law. They say the whiskey did
not cost us anything that we treated
out, that certain rich churchman
in the State, who stands high in the
church, and is popular before the
people, sent us $50 dollars few
days before the election to buy whis-
key with, and $35 of it was used at
Richlands to buy whiskey. And We
tod them to prove it, and they said
they could, but they can't tell who
the big churchman was, don't be-
Iieve, who give us the money to buy
whiskey with. They tried to scare
us next day after the election at
jacksonville, it was court week.
They said they were going to indict
us to the grand jury, one CT our
leaders told me they had it fixed.
SO we snapped our fingers in their
faces and told them d-n it, to pop
their whips. They could never get
d true bill in Onslow County against
US, about our acts at the election.
They SAID they could prove we bought
votes with coffee, whiskey aud tobac-
co, but we were instructed how to
do, and had no fears at that time,
our leaders said we should not be
hurt for it, They also claim we liz
Inundated 300 voters and kept them
from voting for old Weaver and the
r rest of their gang, by hireing Rev.
Mr.. Isaac Johns for $500 to canvass
the county, and tell his Primitive
Baptist members that if they voted
for the Gideon Alliance set, they
: would be expelled from the church.
Its true that a preacher did make
such a canvass as thev say, and about
/ 800 voters did stay away because
, they could not vote like they wanted
to. But that don't prove We hired
him. But after the Messenger man
printed that piece about some ct ou1
, big men that were gentlemen, said
e they had rather see the party win
, than see such rascality as our side
, used this time used again. And as
Z our leaders seem like had gone crazy
all of EN- after some office er mother
and were so bad Mr.. Cleveland had
to shut his-self up in a room, and
tell his wife to tell EN- he weren't
home. we got a little uneasy just be-
fore last court and we treated the
! Third party fellows mighty clever
:. along then for we were afraid they
might indict us, and we would not
know what to do as our leaders
were all at Washing ton trying to ger
EN- an office, but they didn't as W.
know of, and one of our fellows tolc
"a Third party fellow after court hi
e could not prove nothing no how, and
= the Third party fellow told him he
! could prove he gave him drink c:
whiskey and 2 or others on cleo
l. ton morning, and he told the Thirt
!. party he was his friend and to ler
: that thing rest easy as the two years
f weren't out yet and some enemy o
his might hear of it, and have hin
for witness. | expect we don
n wrong but it is over now and
should not notice it. That edito
of our side that told you to prove u
or shut up he is little too smart
| would not notice him because W
are willing to let the thing pass OF
i very quietly now, for our leaders ar
8 gone wild after office and we are lief
/ with the bag to hold, and some o
i orr fellows have turned over sine
the election and told things the.
/ ought not, and some of these Print
is tive Baptist fellows have told thing
e they ought not. Rev. Mr.. John
Ie ght to have EN- up about it, bu
:. one of his members said, we did nc
do what we promised him and h
, was done. That's the trouble abOu