The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-08-19
A "FACT" THAT Is NOT A FACT.

In recent issue of the Wilmington |
Messenger it was stated, in substance,
in connection with rape and lynch
law that death by mob violence of ne
groes guilty of rape was reasonably to
be expected, because convictions for
that crime could not be had against
negroes on account of the presence of
members of that race on the juries.
And it was declared in the same article
of that paper that heretofore in North
Carolina negro jurors had usually OBJ
structed the course Of justice by their
refusal to convict members of their
own race on that ground alone, and
that the judges and solicitors Of the
different circuit courts testify to the
truthfulness of that statement. The
editorial has been copied in other pa
pers published in the State. The OBJ
ject Of such publications, just now, is
apparent to all. 1t is to re-sOw race
prejudice and to cultivate the seed
diligently until the next election; to
call attention from great economic
questions which have frightened the
monopolies and their tools, the ma
chine politicians. That school of pol
iticians whose mouth-piece the Mes =
senger is, have already determined to
go into the next political campaign on
the old cry of "nigger" and "tariff."
The Messenger IS railroad organ.
1t is opposed to transportation reform.
1t fought the efforts of this writer to
establish Railroad Commission. 1t
fought the efforts Of The CAUCASIAN
to force the Atlantic Coast Line to pay
it's back taxes and place its property
upon the tax list. 1t is now opposed to
the reduction Of freight and passenger
rates to the gold standard level. 1t is
opposed to the passage of law to pre-
vent foreign corporations now doing
business in the State from removing
their cases to federal courts and tieing
the hands of our State administration
by injunctions issued by federal cor
pOration judges. 1t is opposed to test
ing the 90 year lease in the State
courts.
The Messenger knows that the
; people are aroused on these great
economic questions. 1t fears that
the people will elect legislature
} next year that will right these wrongs
and give the people relief and protec-
ton. The monopolies are also fright
ened about the same thing. Therefore
the Messenger is moving heaven and
earth to call the attention of the -peo-
} pie from these vital economic issues
, The only Trick that it, the monopolies
and the machine politicians could
, think of for this purpose, was te
! try to arouse race prejudice--to get
the people to look at the "nigger scare.
crow" while the mOnopolies rob them
2 This is the scheme, and from now till
:, the next election they will strive tt
: keep the "nigger issue" we'll to the
= front. We predict now that they will
! not fool the people this time.
= But is the statement, which the Mes.
t senger asserts to be fact, that negro
i jurors in North Carolina, have, as tn,
0 Messenger alleges, refused to convlc
: of crime persons of their own rae,
e simply on the ground Of color or rae,
r true? 1t is not true as far as our ob
! servation and information goes. W,
z have before us row q letter from one O
: the most intelligent,well.i informed ant
influential men in Warren county
d who has written Us a letter comment
j ing upon the Messengers editorial. Al
= is we'll known the majority of the vo
= ters in Warren county are negroes
e We publish the following extract from
: the letter. The writer, after referrin,
Z to the Messengers charge about nesr.
! jurors, says:
y ut 10 absolutely untrue 80 far a. i
d relates to negro jurors in warner
o county, and believe 1t to be uptrul
. as to the other eastern counties.
have 10 acquaintahce with the j1r,
system in the western counties.
{ FOR fifteen years after the right Of
h jury service bad been conferred b.
. law upon the negrUea 1t is safe to say
! that as rule in each Of the iuries EN-.
paneied in criminal cases in Wxrrer
D county at least one half were neSrOe