The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-27
Flem Senator Buffers, speech at Rocky
Mount, as reported ny the Argonaut.

~
Sometime ago the News and Observer.
predicted that Senator Buffers. political
days were numbered This was before
hissspeech at Rocky Mount. 81.
Since that vile SANDER upon the Man
hood of. the State, the prediction is be-
5ngsrapidiy verified. hq1a5rse5
Oue year ago, and he was mighty
man in North Carolina politics. To-day
hi. power is broken; ne is despised and
spurned as a viliifer OF his State, a
tradncer of his people and a vicious poll
teal trickster. Now. none SO poor as
The people Of the State are up in
wrath against him; nightly aroused in
many communities, they declare that III
he ever comes into their midst again
they viii heap some indignity upon him
TO show their condemnation OF his
slaAaerous words.
What is more the, news comes from
Washington that the Senate will very
likely take the matter in hand, inyesti-.
xatS It to the bottom and either expel
the author Of the words from that body
as q backyard, unworthy to associate
with decent men, much less pass laws
for n great, pa ton, or pass resolution
re1rimanting him for, SUCH a speech. !
This 10 the news that was yesterday
flashed over the wires and is this MORN
ing printed in some Of the New York
papers. What truth there is in it yet
remains to be seen. ,83 lafF- u
Certain it is that !, if the United
States Senate body in which bribe-
takers and bribe-givers are allowed to
sit as honored members-if this body
investigates and reproves or expels this
man who has tried to blacken and be-
smjrch the name of two races in one
breath. his case is most deplorable
one.
That the man realizes his terrible con-
dition in shown by the fact that he is
moving heaven and earth to prove that
ne did not use the words attributed to
him. He is importuning all the Popu-
lists and Republicans who were IN his
audience at Rocky Mount that day to
write him letters saying that they heard
no such words as those above quoted.
These letters he purposes publishing in
his paper next week, and using IN ms
defense should the matter come up be-
fore the Senate, as / am reliably IN
formed it very probably will.
In the last two issues Of the Cauca-
he denials. The first one was no denial
at all, or rather it was denial
Of an accusation never made against
him. This week he writes two columns
of lodging eyasive drivel in which he
says:
sIn the above quotation put the words
agents of shyfock and the monopolies'
In the place Of the word Democrats
and remove the charge that this IAN
gnape was used in conenction with rape
cases given this connection in which 1T
was used and then we might let the
remainder Of the language stand Though
they are not the words he used and no
one could object to the language but the
hired agents of the gold syndicate ana
the corporations"
And this constitutes his denial and
his proof.
Replying to 1t the Argonaut, the paper
that first published the extract from his
speech, produces affidavits from SIX OF
the best men in Nash county, who were
present and heard the remark. Com
menting upon these sworn statements
the Argonaut says:
III this does not convince. then an
angel from heaven would be looked up
on as a dissemination of campaign Ees.'
"rhis charge was not made against
the white people OF the State to white
people, but to a crowd Of negroes who
sat in one corner Of the seats provided
for the audience. Senator Butler
turned to this corner and pointing his
finger to the colored men gathered
there used the language we have quoted.
"Either Senator Butler has cruelty de-
famed his own race and own people and
stopped to base lie to escape the con-
sequence Of his words or six OF the best
people of Rocky Mount are perjured
scoundreIs--let the world decide"
Thus the matter stands, and the pub
he will await with interest anything
further Senator Butler may have to say
n IA 4 8.