The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-09-05
WHY WHITE MEN MUS UNIit IN HOh Il
CARO- LIMA.

"a few days ago, in conversation
with w. d. Pruden, Esq. Of Eden
ton. he recalled an incident i'll the
famous political canvass of 1916 III
Edenton. in which Vance redeemed
the State from the Republican vul-
lures. An mpudent negro, smart
Alec" Interrupted Vance when he
was speaking. He turned to the negro
and said: l. am not addressing you.
an speaking to the white men who
have the fate of North Carolina in
their hands. They are in the majority
and can control you The times then
and now are similar. Elizabeth
City Economist.
Mr.. Pruden does well to recall this in
cident at this time, and Mr.. Creecy is
correct in adding, ''The times then and
now are similar" 1t was never asserted
because he declared that the white man
ought to control that Vance was not the
friend Of the negro. Indeed no man in
the executive chair has shown WISER
friendship for the race. He did not sum-
mon the white people to rally TO restore
the State to honest government because
! he wanted to injure the negro. 1t was
for higher reason. He wanted to pre-
vent the negro and his base allies from
dragging the whites down to the low level
in government set up by the carpet bag
and negro administrations Of the South.
He saw the negro voted as so many
sheep for the undo:ng Of the State. He
saw that if that rule continued the civil
lization the white man had fought to Sc
cure would perish, and that the decent
people of the State would have to move
away to escape evils worse than death.
Impressed by the need for good govern
ment he led the fight that gave us twenty
years of good government by the white
men of North Carolina. In those twenty
years of government by the white men
Of North Carolina. the negro received
not only protection and justice, but was
given the same EDUCATIONAL advantages in
separate schoo enjoyed by the white
children. Those elected to office. in
Vance's day and since, said in deeds to
the negroes: 1--WE have tried your rule
and our treasury is bankrupt; our schools
houses are closed; justice is made mer-
chandise in our courts and your leaders
tell us "the judiciary is exhausted" our
positions of trust are held by corrupt and
incompetent men; our Legislature be-
longs to Littlefield and other dishonest
railroad thieves; our counties are in the
hands of men who steal what they
please. You and your leaders have made
a disgraceful failure. We will not trust
you again to administer public affairs.
We will see that you have every right
and protection under the law" That was
the policy from 1876 to 1894, while the
white men ruled North Carolina.
! In 1894, by reason of fusion with men
who separated themselves from the white
mans party, the negroes and their allies
came into power again. During the first
Legislature, while going very far toward
restoring Radical rule, provision was
made to give some protection to the gov
eminent Of the Eastern counties and the
polluting hand of politics was not allowed
to dominate the public schools and the
public institutions. But, when they won
in 1896, there was not even the semblance
of Difference to the rights of intelli-
gence, and corruption held high carnival.
Legislators were bought and sold shame
lessly. Lobbyists found profitable occu-
patton. Bribe-giving and bribe-taking
were so common that it excited little COM
ment. Offices were created for unworthy
politicians. Expenses were permitted to
grow. Taxes were increased. Foolish and
wicked laws were enacted, and the body
adjourned in a riot and a mob, COM
parabale only to the days of 1869, when
the drunken legislators, half dressed,
danced in their orgies in the sacred pre-
cincts of the legislative halls. There is
hardly a piece of legislation that is not
marked by ignorance, crudity or corrup-
ton. There were honest men in that
LEGISLATURE of all parties certainly, but
from the scandals arising during the SEN
ator:al election to the mob rule on the
closing day, the vicious, ignorant and We
nal majority had full sway. 1t is due to
most of the majority Populists to say
that they with the Democrats did not en-
gage in the notorious deeds that made
the Legislature disgrace, and that they
were loud in condemnation of the pro-
ceedings land openly declared that they
would have no more affiliation with such
men as composed the majority of the
Legislature.
Since the adjournment of the Legisla-
ture there has been no change for the bet
ter, but the same spirit of grabbing ev-
erything without regard to law or de-