The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-24
FRIDAY, DECEMBER "a. 1897.
THE CUMULATIVE EVIDENCE
AG AINST BUTLER

THE TIVE
AG AINST BUTLER
Buler is twisting and ~wrigglfng to
get out of the very dismal hole into
which he dropped when he 'shot of
his mouth" at Rocky Mount some six
or eight weeks since. OF all Of his
many upwfse, demagogical speeches,
this one was the most unhappy, the
most disastrous. 1t revealed the depth
of his malignant and low nature. 1t
brought into full light the hidden quail
ities OF his depraved mind. 1t showed
tn men that there was nothing too low
Tor this party defamer; nothing too re-
voting for this partisan ~scavenger.
Here is what he said and what he de
mics:
'Tf 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"
1t reflects his evil spirit, something
"a III dDyoIIo u ANo
standing. The Argonaut, a very de-
cent, we'll conducted newspaper. is
edited we'll by a man of character, Mr..
w. a.. Campbell. He reported the
declaration of the spiteful d~emagogue,
and sustained his own statement of
fact with his confirmatory evidence:
1--WE, the undersigned, do hereby
make affidavit that we heard the
speech of Senator Butler, and that the
above extract in quotation marks IS IN
substance what he said.
(Rev.) B. S. MCKENZIE,
F. J. THORP, M. D.
J. J. DAUGHTRY,
Nov. IL, 1897.
Sworn to and subscribed before me
this, the 18th day of November, 1897.
JNO. l.. ARLINGTON,
Notary Public"
This statement was ~controverted 10y
Butler and squarely denied. When Mr..
Campbell published in his newspaper
the following additional testimony:
1--WE, the undersigned, do hereby
make affidavit that we heard the
sneech of Senator Butler, and that the
above extract is in substance what he
said:
r. H. KICKS,
F. NJ. DRAUGHN,
ISAAC LEVY,
Rocky Mount,
Mash County, N. G.
Sworn to and subscribed to before me
this h oath day of November, 1897.
JNO. L. ARLINGTON,
Notary Public.
Butler took in the gravity OF his sit
uation. He saw his boat had a terrible
leak and he was about to be swamped
irretrievably. The songs of Indignation
swept against him., and the voice OF
the people came to him in ominous ac-
cents and with startling emphasis. He
must do something or the billows would
go over him, and the slanderer Would
sink never to rise again. The proven
bial drowning man ever catches at
straws. SO the artful dodger sends
his confidential henchman Ito Rocky
Mount ito procure counter-testimony.
He finds certain persons to give affi-
,davits in his behalf, as We learn, for
we nave not seen the certificates. These
witnesses for him are expected to u
Z VI Xix NANSAA
citizens, who make oath that they
heard what is given above-a most
malicious, base attack upon men whose
shoes he is not worthy to clean. The
witnesses against him are men of un-
questioned repute for integrity and ex-
ce1lent citizenship. What about his
own witnesses? Some are probably re-
liable men, and some not so good, it
may be.
The six gentlemen who swore as to
Buffers remarks were not anxious to
rush into print, but did it from a high
sense Of duty as citizens and men OF
decency and members of h party
thus so grossly slandered. Rev. MIR.
Mckenzie, to copy his statement, said:
.T would have challenged the SANDER
ut the time but did not think 1t be-
coming to one Of my calling to make
the first move. The more I thought OF
IT the more indignant I became. l
swear to the truth of the charge be-
cause I think it right that a man hold
Ing Senator Buffers position who so
vilely ISLANDERS the best people Of the
.6tate should be exposed"
No man Of honor or truthfuiness will
sA7are to malign these witnesses against
the mountebank. They heard him and
reported him fairly. Mr.. Campbell,
Aeeing that Buffers gaml- is to try to
dasrredit the six witnesses, and him.
.self. and to "save his bacon" ~ start
sing fresh smoke in another direction,
mss thought proper to add to the num-
Aer OF witnesses against Butler. In the
last issue Of The Argonaut the follow