Richmond planet., 1898-12-10


have is for the primary of their party
this done. they give themselves. as
rule, no further concern. as the consti-
tuition will take care of their opponents
at the polls.
HARD TO UNDERSTAND.
In view Of these things it Is hard 70
understand what started the Phoenix
tragedy. 1t certainly was not duA TO
the booming OF guns in distant Wi
mington-300 mites away-for they dsd
not begin their thunder for many
hours later. 1t was 1t due to the
close of an exciting CANVASS, fer there
had been none nor was it due to the
irritating aud overbsaring department.
of Mr.. Tolbere, the r. publican candi-
date, in his almost forlOrn effort, for
he has the rep ltation Of being a man
of affairs and n most peaces BILE citi-
zen.
STRUCK THE NAIL ON TIE HEAD.
The Charleston Naws and Courier.
perhaps, strikes the nail on the heed
In its terrible deuuncist on of the mob
hen it declares that is was simply
the work OF the base< elements OF shs
community killing and destroying
without cause, without provocaticn
and without any shadow OF excuse.
Another circumstance, int ndsd as a
potent extenuation, presume. OF the
revolutionary conduct ofthe Whining
ton NIB, was the Oft repeated claim
that the white people psid 95 per cent
or the taxes IN support Of the city gov
erument of Wilmington and By This
[ suppose it is meant the white Demo-
Gratis, who sc.e with or gave sympa
thy to the volutionists.
A CJMPA RIsoN OF FIGURES.
In this connection let me make some
comparisons in figures as handed to
me by those who ought to be familiar
with the tax record OF hat municipal
ity. The co nparative statement hand
ed to me aud which l und derstand the
tax records will verify, shows the sg-
gregate taxes OF the old (Wri9ht gov
ernment) board TO be $I,835. 20.
while those Of the new (Waddell gov
ernment) board aggregate only $56S. .6S
On this point l deem comment un-
necessary. l only allude to it merely
TO show that the overthrow OF the
Wright government was not provoked
because Irresponsible, -tax-paying
individuals composed it; nor, perhaps.
was the controlling purpose in sup
planting it one TO substitute other men
more identified with the business in
terests OF that community.
Was it, then, because OF Negro DOM
ination2 Let US see. The city govern
nent OF Wilmington. N. O., is com pos
ed, l am told of Mayor and board
OF ten Aldermen-two from each of
i've wards; five chosen by the el-ctoi
OF the city, one from each wand. five
appointed by the Governor, one from
each ward. The recently overthrown
government was elected in March,
1897, and was composed OF three color
ed and seven white Aldermen. Thus
the full government was made up of
the Mayor and ten Aldermen.
The Mayor. DR.. Silas p. Wright. ia a
white man; so were seven of the ten
Aldermen white men. and only three
colored men were memberso of the gov
ernment. 1t was Republican it is true,
but " as it Africanized ? There were
three Negroes in it, but did they domi-
nate? No, Negro domination was but
the Trojan horse and the overthrow of
Republicanism in Wilmington and in
the State OF North Carolina was the
primary object as was the making of
it impossible the object in South Caro-
lima.
From the logic of the situation, Con-
gress, apprehend, will eventually be
forced to institute some rem g iial
measures by which the power Of the
individual ballot will be effective alike
IN each of the several States of the
Union where the election of members
to that body or Presidential electors
are involved. The country will hardly
stand much longer a system of cleo
tions in some States of the republic
where the effect of the individual vote
is equal, in many instances, to ten
elsewhere. 1 believe that the con-
science of the nation will demand,
sooner or later, such safeguards about
the ballot as will guarantee the utmost
security to the person of the voter in
the attempt to exercise the right of
franchise.
JUDSON LYONS.