Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-25
roo munH roR MR. ProKmTr.

Mr.. j. R.eW. Pickett of Bullock county
was up to a short time ago the leading
populite in his county. When Captain
Johnston opened his campaign at Leeds
he took occasion to inform the people of
this state of few of the many unpal-
atabIe things they might expect in the
event fusion succeeded. In doing this he
called attention to some things that the
success of fusion had brought to the peo-
pie of North Carolina. The speech was
published in full and paper containing
it fell into the hands of Mr.. Pickett, the
popu1ite leader of Bullock county above
referred to. Mr.. Pickett was unwilling to
believe that the party he.had seen proper
to cast his fortunes with would be guilty
of such acts as were charged against
them in North Carolina by Captain
Johnston in his Leeds speech and
promptly wrote to the governor of North
Carolina for a confirmation or denial of
the charges. The governor replied, in
forming Mr.. Pickett that the half had not
been told; that the few things charged
up to the account of the North Carolina
fusionists by Captain Johnston in his
Leeds speech were not a drop in the
bucket.
To ascertain the effect this information
had on Mr.. Pickett, and will have on ev-
cry other honest populite in Alabama,
one has only to read the following, taken
from the last issue of the Union Springs
Herald a paper published in Mr.. Pick
etts county by a man who knows the
gentleman and whereof he speaks:
"All our readers will remember Captain
| Johnston's references to the way negroes
were put in Office over white men IN
North Carolina under the populfSt rule
The most prominent member of the popu-
list party in this county did not believe
that Captain Johnston was correct IN mis-
statements so he wrote the governor or
North Carolina asking II such was the
fact The reply came that the hair had
not been told by Captain Johnston, and
that things were decidedly worse imam
the people of Alabama had been told.
The negroes who were appointed TO OF
flee there to preside over cases wherein
white persons were concerned are ap-
pointed to lifetime POSITIONS, ana
the only way to get them out
of office Is by impeachment. With
such policy as this behlnd
the populists in those states where they
gained power white people who reside
| in the sections where the negroes are, as
they are in the greater part of the south,
cannot countenance such party, ana
this action toward the negroes is doing
more to break the populfst party in the
south than anything else.
1.-The person to whom We referred
above is Mr.. ]. r. w. Pickett, a person
who has wide influence in his section,
and the first one we heard openly assert
that he was a populist. When he re-
ceived the reply from the governor OF
North Carolina it was enough for him
That, connected with Mr.. Goodwyn's vot-
ing for a negro to be placed in white
eongressman's seat, was more than MI
Pickett could stand, and Monday last he
remarked to representative of the Her
aid that he didn't think Captain GOOD
wyn could have a vote in his beat. Mr.,
Pickett is one of the best posted persons
in this county on all political matters,
and though he went with Kolb and later
claimed the populist party, he has ever
held that the white man must
rule in this country, and to
that lofty principle he adheres
closely and he and his partymen In TINS
county can be turned from a. party quick
er by a violation of that principle than
by almost anything else. Mr.. Pickett
was once an ardent supporter OF demoe-
raey, and we believe that he truly sees
that this faith is the only one for the
people of the SOUTH.