The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-09-28
BILL DAY, BUCK KITCHEN AND HALIFAX
COUNTY.

A few weeks ago We published an
article regarding Halifax county,
giving the substance of a speech de-
livered by one who was born and
raised there, but who now lives in
another part of North Carolina. The
speaker was a headed man;
NOT only were his perceptions very
acute, but he was also honest, and
told some plain and honest truths, in
a very positive manner. He drew a
contrast between the good old times
when his old fellow citizens had
been prosperous, contented and hap
py, and the present days, when the
roads and bridges of Halifax are out
of repair, the fences down, the hous-
es without glass or paint, the fields
grown up in sassafras bushes, sage
straw and cuckle burrs. lie
said the best of the people lad left
the county. Indeed, he painted
gloomy picture of things; and show
ed how the lands had deprecated in
value, and no one was investing any
capital in the old county. He pre-
dicted that Bill Day would be sent
to the senate and Buck Kitchen to
the house of representatives of the
legislature Of North Carolina. He
explained that all the hard times
of Halifax, one of the richest and
best counties in the State, by nature
were attributable to the bad politics
introduced by these two bad and un-
scrupulous men. He condemned
the election-methods which had
been adopted in the county through
the instrumentality of these two bal
lot box fiends; and said they were
stencil in the nostrils of all honest
men In and out of the State.
The speakers advice was disin-
terested. He did not live in Halifax
and his only interest was in her
fair fame. It will be sad day in
the old county if they do not give
heed to what he said.
Let US give some of the election
figures of old Halifax. These will
show to any candid man that lts
people have fallen upon evil days
and are under the worst kind of In
fuences. Bill Day and Buck Kitch.
en- claim to have been fairly elected
to the General Assembly. Let us
see whether they lie or not; for they
could neither of them be elect.
ed without negro votes in large
numbers; and no ole in Hal
flax believes yet that the ne.
groes are voting the Democratic tick.
ct unless it may be few rascals
among them who may be bought
with Democratic money. Neither
Bill Day nor Buck Kitchen, separ.
ately, or together, have money
enough, at fifty cents head, to buy
the negro voters of Halifax county
In 1890, by the United States
census, the aggregate white population
of Halifax was 9,614, and the negroes
then numbered 1924, or nearly
ten thousand more than the whites
The same year the white males o1
the voting age were 1921 altogethe,
and the negroes of the same ag'
were 3,711, that is 1.420 more ne
gro votes than whites in the county
In 1888 Harrison polled 2,S6'
and Cleveland 2,4S8 votes in Hall
fax; Harrison's majority over Cleve
land was 397 votes. In 1892 Cleve
land had 3,O79 votes, Harrison 1875
. and Weaver 451. Cleveland's plu
rality over Harrison was 1,703 AM
his majority over both Harrison ant
Weaver was 1852. The total vot
of the county in 1888 was $3.50 ant
in 1892 1t was 1906; SO it wa
449 more in 1888 than in 1892, wheI
, the natural increase should hav
, made it greater. Harrison's vot
was ,491 more in 1888 than it wa
in 1892; Cleveland's vote was SO
more in 1892 than it was in 1888.
Now who has brought these mar
velous changes? The answer is Bill
, Day and Buck Kitchen. How hay
, they done it? In variety of ways
r Some of the vote in Halifax the
have suppressed, as it appears ther
, was loss, in four years, of A
Some of it they have caused to b
counted for the Democrats when
, was cast for the Populists and th
Republicans. This is shown fror
q the fact that Harrison polled 1,49
E more votes five years ago, than b
did one year ago; and by the furthe
fact that Cleveland received SO
, more IN 1892 than in 1888. Ever
body knows, and none better tha
Bill Day and Buck Kitchen. thu
e the negroes did not freely and viii
8 ingly vote for them nor for Grove