The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-07-28
AS TO COLORED POSTMA STEERS

on the question OF colored people hold
ing office. We said then and we re-
peat now that, viewing it from the col
ored mans standpoint,wed do not blame
him for desiring office and holding 1t
when he gets it either by election or
The post office interest of Scotland
Neck again brings this matter before
our people In the appointment OF Tom
Shields as postmaster here. And we
have to repeat substantially what we
have said before, that it Is the result OF
disruption amongst the white people,
The whole thing lies at the door OF
Populist leaders. They have proved
themselves allies of the Republican
party, and every single word or deed
that has tended to aid and abet the in
terests OF the Populist party in this
State for the past seven or eight years
yea, from its very beginning, has
tended either directly or indirectly to
this wholesale placing OF postmaster
ships in the hands of the colored peo-
pie.
Ten years ago the Democrat party
had such a hold upon the reins OF gov
eminent In this nation and in North
Carolina, that nothing could have
shaken it from its footing if every man
had stood for good government and
white supremacy through the medium
of the dominant party.
But when the Farmers Alliance be-
gan to turn to politics, the first silent
dropping OF the trickling stream began
to give warning of the great breach
that would finally sweep out the entire
breakwater that our people had built
with 50 much cost and labor. At last
that breakwater has been swept
away by the strong tide that has beer
beating against it since Zeb. Vance
did such noble work for North Caro-
lima in 1876, and the tide of disaster il
rising and submerging us with threat
enings of still more direful calamities
It docs seem that we have enough a
every mans door in North Carolina tt
convince him of the shame and ruiz
that stare him in the face, and tina
are already beginning to lay merclIes
claws of destruction on our interest
of every name. The fact that nearl!
every postoffice of any importance il
Halifax county Is filled by negro, an
that the same state of affairs exists il
other eastern counties about It's,
enough to convince us that things ar
woiully wrong.
What is the remedy?
Why, simply for every man who
opposed to such things and to such il
Justice to our white people ard th
best interest Of the State to JOIN hanl
and form one solid phalanx of pow,
that shall sweep 1t all down In OF
: next election.
All these indignities which we su
fer are the logical result OF the wo,
d OF dissatisfied, dlsgruntled political,
g and others who have been willing
d plunge the whole land into disgra,
in order to get some little personal pr
ferment themselves,
T. They have cried out in the name
!, patriotism, but they have not know
y the first impulse of patriot.
y North Carolina must rise in strengl
and might against such things. tt
!. good old State must be redeemed fro
its present disgrace.
rs The great struggle which Van
IS prophetically saw and described in b
- last speech In the United States Sc
ate, after his hand was almost too p;
sled to write and his tongue .almo
Y too feeble to utter his thoughts, seer
near at hand.
He said:
at was said that the string of t
bow of Ulysses warned him Of approac
:. ing danger by singing him song
battle and OF strife Let me say
- those conspirators against the welfs
of the common people that before tn
:. shall finally succeed in their unhallo
ed designs, and drive them throu,