The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-20
BUTLER IS CONVICTED.

Senator Butler with being guilty OF the
infamous language attributed to him in
his Rocky Mount speech, not because we
be douted the correctness Of the Argo-
nauts statement, but because we thought
it wisest to wait for the Senator to Of
fer what explanation he can.
We have already shown in these col
umns that the utterance at Rocky Mount
was in keeping with editorials in the
Causacian. Several weeks ago, in an
editorial in that paper, he declared that
Democratic editors secretly long
ed for more rapes because it gave
them an opportunity to work what he
called the ''nigger racket" In his Rocky
Mount speech he went one step further
and said that negroes were hired by
Democrats 'to commit outrages." 1t,
was but a logical outcome of his edi-
torial.
The Argonaut charged him with say
ing in his Rocky Mount speech:
"If colored men commit outrages the
Democrats pretend to be terribly shock
ed in public, but when they get behind
a wall they laugh until they grow fat,
and if the outrages are not frequent
enough they hire worthless negroes to,
commit them"
What answer does Butler make to this
charge that convicts him of language so
Infamous as to bring down upon him the
condemnation Of all right thinking men?
Here is his explanation in the Cauca-
sian:
1--WE have noticed that several papers
have published a clipping from
Rocky Mount paper which stated that
Senator Butler in his speech at Rocky
Mount charged that the brute that COM
mitted the nameless crime in Richmond
county was hired to do so by Demo-
Gratis to furnish them with political cap
ital. In the first place, the speech was
made at Rocky Mount some time be-
fore this shocking affair occurred in
Richmond county; in the next place Sen
ator Butler, of course, never said any
thing of the kind. The papers that have
been so eagerly copying and commenting
upon this false and malicious report could
have ascertained whether or not the
same was true, if they had desired; and,
besides, the statement was so unreasOn-
able that it seems that any fair and hon
est editor would have attempted to as
certain the fact before publishing the
same. there is any paper, that de-,
sires to knew what Senator Butler said
in his speech at Rocky Mount and will
publish the same, he will take pleasure
in furnishing the paper with copy of;
his remarks"
This was no explanation at all, and no
denial. 1t was an attmept to get out
of the hole by trying to make it APP
because the speech was made before the
Rockingham outrage. AS a matter of
fact the Argonaut did not so state, butt
the remark was used by the editor of
the Argonaut to ask the question, ''Dol
the white people of Rockingham rejoice
that this young girl was outraged by
this black beast? and not to say,
that Butler had the Rockingham case in
mind at all.
II order to give the Senator an oppor.
tunity to give the people what he did say
at Rocky Mount, reporter of this pa
per called ON him when he reached Raj
eigh this week and published |
column interview with him.
1t was lame and impotentI
attempt to explain away his utterances. |
The conclusion of his interview. which
was very long, was "such man tone
who sows race prejudice to help mono
polies) is happy when the negro makes |
himself offensive and il necessary would
no doubt hire negro to make himself
offensive to furnish campaign capital in
the interest of the monopolies. The man
who uses the cry of white supremacy
in the interest of monopoly is using the
livery of heaven in which to serve the
devil.
"This is what / have said at Rocky
Mount and elsewhere, and the editor
Of that paper either heard a garbled YER
sion of my remarks or he wilfully mis-
quoted me-"
This is a substantial admission that
he virtually said practically what the
AT2OuHuL puplISLCd, IlC AAAASi
being that he charged that under stated
conditions Democrats ''would no doubt
hire a negro to make himself offensive"
AS the matter of outrages was the sub
ject of discussion, the term offensive"
has the significance Of "outra ges."
Now as to the proof. The following
telegram was received from the editor
Of the Argonaut:
Rocky Mount, N. C. Nov. IS.
sTo the Editor: FL. S. Ledbetter, of
Rocky Mount, has affdavits from promi-
nent citizens here, as to the correctness
of my report of Buffers speech.
"W. A. CAMPBELL,
editor Argonaut."
The following is copy of the affidavit