The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-10-06
(WilmingtOn Messenger, September 27.)

ohC VI tHc SItdIcSb@-Cd Ill I)dlSu
speeches ever heard in Wilmington,
was made in the opera house last
night by the Hon. K. b. Glenn, of
Winston, who is a tower of strength
on the stump throughout the State
for the redemption of North Carolina
from the disgraceful and dishonoring
thraldOm of 'fusionism.' At 8
O'Clock 500 people had assembled a
the opera house so that there was
not standing room. There were some
ladies in the audience.
Capt. Glenn received great ova-
tion when he arose to address the
audience. He began to speak at S:2O
O'Clock and continued till 10 o'clock,
holding the great audience spell
bound. He said he was trying to
break the shacklcs from North Caro-
lima and was glad to be here. He
was not here as candidate for any
office, but to aid in securing white
supremacy for North Carolina. He
was here, he declared, to appeal, not
to censure; TO beg, not to abuse.
There are honest men in all parties,
and to these he wanted to appeal.
He was here to speak to those who
have brains, who have hearts, who
have reason, who have patriotism.
There is no president to elect this
year. and no governor to elect, but
he wished there was, for he declared
if a governor was to be elected we'd
knock Dan Russell out. (Applause.)
Capt. Glenn declared that this is
the most important election ever
held in the State. 1t was for the
veal or woe of the grand old COM
monwealth. The issue was white
supremacy or black supremacy. (Ap-
plause.) The question to be decided
now by the people was whether to
vote for the most corrupt, the most
dishonest rule, or to vote for the
most honest rule and free the State
from the vampires that are fastened
upon her.
The issue was white supremacy.
They say we are drawing the color
line. This he declared was not true,
for One higher and grander had
drawn the color line long before.
The Almighty God Himself had drawn
the color line. The speaker then
went on to say how the negro himself
drew the color line. We had pro-
vided schools for them, built asy-
lums for them, yet ever since the
war they have repaid us by voting
solidly against us, and to-day the
100000 negro voters in the State are
with our enemies. In calling atten-
tion to the race issue, Capt. Glenn
said he had no animosity against the
negro, but it was time for the white
man now to draw the color line.
Shame upon the white
men who dishonor themselves by
themselves the equal and in
ferior of the negro by voting with'him.
He said he was not here
to ask the negro to vote with us.
He could do so if he liked, but he
was here to ask and expect white men
to vote together. (Applause.)
Capt. Glenn then went into a con-
trast of the periods when the Repub-
lican, Democratic and fusion parties
the affairs of the State.
His first comparison was of the re-
rule of the Republican
party in 1867, 1868 and 1869. The
soldiers returned from
having lost all but
honor. They were ragged and bare
footed. Their farms were in ruins,
many of their homes in ashes, their
mothers, wives and daughters in
rags and poverty. Who can tell the
misery and anguish and sorrow of
those days9 They looked for pity.
They asked for bread, but were given
a stone. They asked for fish, but
were given a serpent. Their taxes
were increased to 80 cents on the
300, and for State purposes their
corrupt Republican rulers collected
over $1,O0O,0 900 to be wasted. The
State debt was increased from $15,-
900, 900 to 42.OOO,O 900. In 1867 they
collected in taxes for schools $35.-
S66.O1, in 1868. $167, 56s. l8, and in
1869, $2O3. .411.01, making a total Of
s4O6, 4O5,O and only used $SS, ,9s1.ss
for schools. Bonds were fraudu-
lently issued for railroads, not an
asylum of any kind was built, and
taxes were oppressively high. There
was riot and ruin everywhere. The
men of the State were in despair.
many were driven to insanity, many
were dragged to Jail by the Kirk
Holden gang, and the judiciary was
exhausted. SO the Supreme Court de-
clared. The great campaign with
Vance as the leader. redeemed the
State in 1870, many Republicans join
ing the Democrats. When the name
of Vance was called by Capt. Glenn
the great throng gave tremendous
applause.
Capt. Glenn then contraSted the
rule of the Democrats when they got
control of the legislature in 1871 and
the State in 1877. The taxes were
decreased to 81 cents. then to 20
cents. then to - cents. with the
average taxes for their term being
only 23l cents on the 800. The
State debt was decreased from $42.-
100000 to $3.615,000. The schools
were built up, $l74,755,2o being
spent for schools the first year. and
50 Oh unIil F'oo'poo h'o oeen W
lected and spent for common schools.
In 1898. $3.50, 923.S1 were collected
for schools and of this amount $65O,-
600 was paid by the whites. The
asvlums for the insane were built at
Goldsboro and Morganton, and the
asylum at Raleigh was rebuilt. In
stitutions for the deaf, dumb and
blind were built. The agricultural
department was established. the agri-
cultural and mechanical colleges for