The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-10-15
John DANCY AND LOGE HARRIS,
Political Twins Made a Few Broken
Remarks Last Night.

Jno. G. Dancy, the negro collector of
customs at Wilmington. spoke last night
to court house full of negroes.
When he began there were only four
white men present, beside the newspaper
men. They were Dan Young anu ms
clerk. Geo Tonnoffsk, and two men
whose names nobody seemed to know
Later Loge Harris came in and seated
himself directly in front of the Judges
stand, fitting centre-piece for such a
layout Then came DR.. Abbott, the
Railroad Commissioner and Kemp Mer-
rift, deputy United States Marshal. They
all took places on the platform.
Later in the evening one or two other
white men came-all Republicans. 1t
was strictly negro speaking, with the
real negro speech made by white man,
Loge Harris.
Dancy's speech was for the most part
well conceived, well delivered and I'M
usually free from abuse and villihcation.
Those things were left to Loge.
Dan Young the clerk or court, intro
duced Dancy in the following words.
Il have the pleasure of introducing to
you the Hon. John G.. Dancy, the dis
tinguished orator, who will now address
YOU"
The first part of the speech was about
how the Democrats were scheming to dis
franchise the negro. To prove this the
South Carolina and Mississippi election
laws were worked for all they were
worth.
Then he went on to say that the Popu-
lists were standing by the colored man
n
vote.
Il heard when / was out at st. Louis
that all the Populists in the State were
falling over each other to get back into
the White Mans Party at once. So when
| got back to North Carolina, | asked
whether or not this were so. | couldn't
find a single man that was with us two
years ago that is not with us now"
He attempted to refute the charge that
the negroes are running things in the
Eastern counties He said:
"Out Of the thirty-two policemen in
Wilmington only ten are negroes. On the
Finance board of the city there is only
one negro.
1.-THE only negro county officer that
counts for anything i'll New Hanover
is the register of deeds.
''There is a negro on the school board
and it's right he should be there"
"Only one-sixth of the magistrates i'll
Edgecombe county are negroes.
''In 1888 | was elected register of
deeds for Edgecombe, N.Y. native coun-
ty.
''In 1881 Tarboro had three negro al
dermen and three white aldermen, and II
negro, Frank d. Dancy was elected
mayor.
Il do not favor mixed marriage. The
colored race is good enough for me. |
can marry in any race in the world
and still marry Il colored woman. There
are women with negro blood in their
veins who do not differ from white wo-
men so far as appearance in concerned
Just before closing his speech Dancy
had this to say and it fitted the Repub-
lican ticket in this county so well that
nobody was able to tell whether he was
really hitting at it or not:
"When man abridges my liberty by
saying that because God has painted me
black I'm not entitled to hold office and
I'm barred out. I'll not support him,
don't care with what deceitful words
he comes. | don't care how much he
says he didn't mean me personally"
Now it will be remembered that when
the county convention met here there
was a big row over the question of
whether or not a negro should be put
on the ticket. None was put ON be-
cause the Populists said they would not
vote the ticket if it was done.
Loge Harris felt that this was danger
Gus ground and so he hardly waited for
Dancy to sit down before he jumped to
his feet and began TRADE that com
pared with Dancy's speech was as water
compared to wine.
HE Dancy) has stood here pleading
for the ticket in this county" Loge be-
gan, when in truth Dancy had not said
a word about the county ticket as above
quoted. 'He has asked you to support
me and the other candidates" CHE
didn't say word about you, Loge," SAID
a negro in the audience, stating the
truth.) Gle has told you that continual
ton of your rights and liberties depends
on your voting the Fusion ticket"
With this by way of Introductory,
Ioge launched off into a rambling, pie
bald, crazy-quilt sort of stump speech, so