The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-01

vide separate governments in Halifax.
Northampton, Craven. New Hanover
and other counties. This could be lone
by the appointment by the governor
or legislature of the board of magis-
trates and empowering them 10 elect
all other officers in the county. This
is the remedy. Shall we do 1T? lCriss
of Yes / for one will do it As I
represented the peoples party in the
last campaign. / stood on the platform
OF and represented the principles OF my
party and received only 81, 600 votes.
i did not 60 away and ulk because |
was defeated. I furled my flag and
put IL away. to be unfurled again in its
purity But in the general assembly
eighteen trading populists betray-
ed their party. traded with the repub-
licans for the officers and deserted the
flag. What did they get for 1t? "a
voice, Niger magistrates. laugh
teri Yes, they got niger magistrates.
postmasters. customs officers. mar
shals. legislators, etc. Major Guthrie
bitterly denounced the leaders OF the
peoples party for selling il out 10
the republicans. 1t was sold for a few
federal offices. and il was turned over
to 120. 600 negroes, and there's where the
plague Of the peoples party is. Cap
plause) He then appealed TO populists
to set themselves right by enrolling
themselves under the white man's ban
ner, until the negro question is settled.
In this crisis he said. the white man
banner is good enough for me. ZAP
plause.)
After speaking at length along this
line and making a strong argument,
which time and space will not permit
us to follow. tOok UP the Bible and Gre
ated great laughter by holding it up
and remarking that it was a book few
"fusionists' ever read. and that if there
were any ~fusionists present. he idn't
want them to go away and say that
Guthrie read a lot of democratic lies. He
then read the book of Nehemiah. about
the division between the tribes Of the
IsraeliteS. and their consequent cap
tivity and slavery, all because they
divided. Blu finally they reunited. re-
builded the walls of Jerusalem and de-
fled their enemies. The parallel fitted
the division of the whites in North
Carolina and Major Guthrie made an
eloquent. earnest. strong appeal for the
pOpulistS to vote with the democrats
and rebuild their walls for white SUI
premacy. He was loudly cheered when
he concluded.
The question of the election of a
permanent chairman was the next
business and or motion of Hon. c. B.
Aycock, Major Guthrie was unani-
mously elected. Captain J. w. Granger
of Kinston, and the representations of
the democratic press We're were made
secretaries.
The next business was called for.
whereupon Ex-senator Jarvis offered
the following resolutions, and made a
strong speech touching the purpose of
the convention and the resolutions:
THE RESOLUTIONS.
I'VE. a portion of the citizens of
Eastern North Carolina, in mass-meet-
ing assembled, being mindful of the
obligations we are assuming and being
DESTROYS of informing our fellow citi-
Zens of the conditions of affairs in our
section of the state. do publish to the
world the following plain statement Of
facts:
First-The population of this section
of our state is divided into two distinct
races-the A~nglO-SaXOn and the Afri-
can.
~Second-That in some counties the
whites exceed the blacks n in others
the blacks largely exceed the whites,
but in all of them the negro is found
in large numbers.
Third-It is not claimed even by his
white leaders that the negro is capable
of administering a government. On the
contrary, the man who is the present
IepuDllCdH gov e lloI u lie has
declared in the most emphatic language
that he is wholly untitled for it.
FOurth-That in many of the
ties, cities and towns of the East. the
local governments have been turned
owe wholly, or in part. 20 the negroes.
Among these we mention BERTHE, Cra-
ven, Edgecombe, Halifax, New Han
over, Warren, Greenville, New Bern
and Wilmington. In these counties,
cities and towns noornoC NAV he fO11n6
holding the offices of register Of deeds.
deputy sheriffs, constables, justices Of
the peace, schOOl committeeman, town
commissioners. policemen, and the like.
In several other counties many of
these offices are filled by negroes and
that many Of the pOstOfficeS are filled
by them.
Fifth-That counting the offices Of
register of deeds. deputy registers, dep
uty sheriffs. c~onstables. justices of the
peace. school committeeman. town
commissioners, policemen, postmasters.
collectors, stOrekeepers, gaugers and
the like, there are now in office in
counties and towns of Eastern North
Carolina nearly 1000 negroes. there be-
ing nearly 800 negro magistrates alone.
SiXth-That as a consequence of
turning these local offices over to the
negroes bad government has followed,
homes have been invaded and the
sanctity of endangered. Bust
ness has been paralyzed, and property
rendered less valuable. The majesty
of the law has been disregarded and
lawlessness encouraged. In many To-
calities men no longer rely upOn the
officers of the law for protection. for
they are known to be incompetent or
corrupt. Conditions have become so
intOlerable in these communities that
they can be no longer tolerated or en-
dured.
Seventh-That this negro domination
was made possible and these d~eplOrable
conditions were brought about through
a division of the white men at the ball
lot box. Had the white men remained
together as they did for many years
these things could not have been.
Eighth-That, knowing these evils
came about through a division of the
white men, the White Mans Party has
been zealously working for months to
re-unite the white men at the ballot
box, where these wrongs can be right
ed and these evils remedied.
In view Of these things it is resolved:
THAT the republican leaders have
a second time clearly demonstrated
their inability and their u~nitness TO
govern North Carolina.