The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-11-01
WHICH WILL YOU CHOOSE? WAT
SON OR RUSSELL?

The election is upon us. Next Tues
day it will be decided whether North
Carolina is to be governed during the
coming four years by the white man
or the black man and his tools. Eth
or Watson or Russell viii be North
Cardinals next Governor. There is no
possibility of Maj. Guthrie's election
If he should get the entire vote OF his
Marty his election would still be out
Of the question. But he cannot poll
The full vote of his party because lbs
denuncHation of gold-bugs and all
combinations by members of his own
party to elect gold-bugs to Office as an
abandonment of the principles OF his
party has arrayed against him the
men in his own party who are aiding
and abetting in the election of gold
bug Republicans.
The chairman of the Populist State
committee, who has recently been plac-
ed on the Republican State ticket for
Auditor, has withdrawn his support
from Maj Guthrie because he refuses
to sanction the deal his committee
has made to assist the Republicans to
elect four gold-bugs to Congress from
this State. The choice, therefore, is
between Watson and Russell. IL
man who prefers Watson to Russell
votes for Guthrie, he by that act casts
a half vote for Russell and helps to
defeat his own wish and purpose. 1t
is firmly believed that large majority
of the people of North Carolina do
not wish Russell to be elected Govern
or. The way for them to make his
defeat certain is to cast their vote
directly for Watson. The Populist
party has time and again said it was
not it's purpose to promote the sue
cess of the Republican party or its
principles nor to restore it to power
in this State. That party as to-day
constituted is composed almost entire
ly of white men-the negroes who
voted with it four years ago have re-
turned, almost to man, to the Re-
publican fold The most of the white
men who now constitute the rank and
their horror of a return in North Car
DINA to the dark days of 1868. They
must know the Republican party to-
day is not one whit better than it was
then and that its return to power now
would mean another era of corruption
and incompetency in office and adj
ministration, and of shame ad humil-
iation to the good people of the State.
Ff1. -. IF lan III ia
men who to-day are the leaders of
that party are the same who led it
then and helped to heap ignominy up
on the State. They know that Russell,
the head of the Republican ticket was
then a Republican Superior court
Judge and as such held that the Con-
stitution of the United States guar
anteed civil as well as political equali-
ty between the white and black man.
They must know that If the Republi-
can party is restored to power in
this State by the election of Russell
the negro will be a more potent factor
in shaping the policy of that party
than he was in 1868, because he is now
not only more assertiye, but more re-
solved to have full and complete rec
ognition in civil as well as political
privileges.
In Judge Russell's own county there
are now seventeen negro magistrates,
in his town there are negro policemen,
and he recently forced the removal of
a white Republican from an important
city Office to make place for one of his
colored hendhmen. In Northampton
county, but a few days ago his party
nominated 80 negroes for magistrates.
No one can shut his eyes to the con-
dition that will exist here in North
Carolina for the next four years if Rus
sell is elected and gets control of our
charitable, benevolent and educational
institutions and system. In view of
these plain and practically undisputed
facts can any man who loves his State
and wants to see continuance here,
not only of competent and honest gov
eminent, but of that state of peace
and harmony between the races in our
borders that has wrought out such
good results to both races and been
the guarantee and bulwark of the
orderly social conditions that we have
established and maintained, despite
the homogeneous nature of our popu-
lation, fail to appreciate that he ought
not only not to vote for Russell, but
that he ought to give the full effect of
his vote against him by voting for that
opponent who has the only other
chance of election?
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TO0R OTTT T0P TsIJAT COX oon