The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-09-18
SATURDAY, September 1S, 1897
ONLY A DIFFERENCE IN TERMS.

The Fayetteville Observer says tnat
'sthe paramount issue in North Caro-
lima is white supremacy" The Green's
boro Telegram says: ''The paramount is
sue in North Carolina, just as in other
States, is clean, honest, honorable, eff
fcient government. The government
that we have at the present time Is
neither of these"
There is no conflict here. The para
mount issue everywhere and at all times
is good government. white supreme
cy'' is but the synonym in this State
for good government.
We have had two experiences in North
Carolina when the negro vote controlled:
First, in the period beginning in 1868
when the carpet baggers and their al
lies stole not only everything in sight
but mortgaged the industry of the peo-
Pile for many years to satisfy their
greed. The negro participant got little
besides mean whiskey, shining beaver
hats, chance to confab with so-called
big men, fine cigars and swagger that
made him offensive. The average negro
voter got nothing except promises and
higher taxes. The people under the
leadership of Vance drove that gang out
Of power under the shibboleth of white
Supremacy because it was the solid
negro vote, which Governor Russell says
IS almost always cast for the rascals,
that made the reign of Littlefeld and
Swepson possible. That the men who
won this fight had no desire to injure
the negro is seen in the fact that the
Vance, Jarvis, Scales, Fowle, Holt and
Carr administrations gave the negroes
every educational and other advantage
they enjoy. They were told that their
own subservience to scoundrels of their
own and the white race untitled them to
select leaders, and most of them recog-
nized the truth of the frank and not I'M
friendly statement. (
Twenty years passed. A clean, eco
no~aical and honest administration be-
came seemingly so permanent as to be-
come commonplace. The people forgot
what the negro vote plus sprinkling of
selfish white men had done years be-
fore. A generation had grown up that
s'knew not Joseph" The Federal Demo
cratic administration grossly betrayed
the people by becoming the agent of the
gold standard power. Hard times and
general depression fell on the people.
Discomfort at bad conditions and disap-
pointment at Democratic Federal policies
were the twin parents of the Populist
party, and into it went many farmers
who hoped in their desperation to bring
about better things. With them went
scheming and selfish men who longed
for the flesh pots. The great bulk of
the white people said: at is better to
bear the ills we have than to fly to
those we know all about, to-wit: rule
through the negro vote" Soon the lead
ers, seeing no hope Of getting Offices
for themselves except by embracing the
negro, organized fusion movement and
won through the negro vote. Result:
the leaders got offices; the people got
higher taxes and a disgaceful, dishonest
and incompetent government of affairs.
Now the best citizenship of the State
educated and uneducated alike, see that
it has all been a horrible mistake, ant
are anxious to return to better govern
ment They see that negro rule by ne
groes or by white men who look to ne
groes for the bulk Of their support i
degrading the commonwealth among it
sisters, tearing down a civilization it ha
required centuries to build up. Russell
ism and Pritchardism, which stand TO
bad State government and corporato
and trust dominated Federal government
could not exist a day without the soil
negro vote. 1t could not exist withou
contingent of white voters, mainl
animated by desire to get office G
by ignorant prejudice. The presence c
a solid mass of 10000 negro vote
ready to be traded off for an.
thing hurtful by dozen bad, sc
fish white and negro leader
Is not only menace to good govern
ment, but is temptation to men wi