The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-08

Over the Utter Breakdown OF Their
Political Prosecution scheme Re-
publican secret Circulars Full OF
Lfes-Seuator Butlcrss Trade with the
Negro Congressman White Desper.
ate Effort. of Republicans to secure
the State senate
Messenger Bureau
Raleigh, n. c., November 4.

Messenger Bureau
Raleigh, n. c., November 4.
The confusion of the republicans, or
rather Of the fusionists, At the COM
plete collapse of their political prose-
cution of ex-Congressman Kitchin and
other democrats Of Halifax county. Is
pitiful. Even the ~populists who frank
ly discuss the matter say the republic
cans certainly put their foot in IL. Ii
Is a hos ang. Claude kitchin's
direct evidence that he was trying to
keep the peace and prevent a race con-
fiict and the details of the range
| ments made by the democrats at Scot
land Neck to have quiet and order at
the election were in sharp contrast to
republican methods and the secret
meetings of negroes at night in Rose
meath township. to plan damage to
white people and their property and
also the negro request for troops when
not a negro had been molested. The
negro registrar. Steptoe, was at once
plaintiff and defendant He was his
own accuser
DR.. Person, OF Wilson. and his party
of fusionists who came yesterday to-
Ntif Nht koNtA hoi III htFubliNhh
Chairman Holton Of a dynamite out
rage" there, will probably get cold com
fort. The Halifax case has sufficiently
amused Holton and in fact both the
| fusion committees. Person comes
discredited. so to speak. The fusion
lists themselves. on republican evil
dence. had TO dismiss him from his
| position as surgeon at one OF the PEN
itentiary farms.
The republicans issued a secret cir
cular making the assertion that dem
ocratic State Chairman Simmons said
in a speech at Wilkesboro that IL the
democrats controlled the legislature
they would enact the South Carolina
or Mississippi law and ~disfranchise the
| poor and illiterate. Simmons was
| given a copy of this circular by your
correspondent. He made a complete
denial OF the statement. Now the re-
publicans have issued nothe circular
in which they publish affidavits by two
| Wilkes county men. Call and Davis.
that they heard Simmons say If the
democrats controlled the legislature
they would enact an election law which
would disfranchise all the negroes.
Chairman Simmons today received Il
statement signed by ]. c. Buxton.
Clement Manly, A. II. Eller. j. G..
Hackett, j. p. Rosseau, f. II. Wilson.
and r. II. Macarthur, that they all
heard the speech, and that the state
ment of Call and Davis is a lie out of
the whole cloth; that Simmons said
nothing from which such an inference
could be drawn. There is also another
affidavit signed by r. n. Hackett and
DR.. Turner, that they heard the speech
| and that the only reference TO an cleo
| ton law was that If the democrats won
they would have a law which would
stop the importation of negroes into
| North Carolina from bordering states,
for election purposes.
This case, like the one against Buck
Kitchin and the other men from Hall
fax, aptly illustrates both republican
methods and desperation.
The republicans see that the dem
| ocrats will have the lower house. GER
tainly. They are trying to saw the
senate Every Office holder they can put
at work they are making bear burdens.
They are using negro preachers and
negro women to try to mold the negro
vote together. They are making their
campaign money fairly fly.
James b. Lloyd, populist nominee
for congress in the Second district. is
now here at populist headquarters. and
has been for ten days or more. He has
done but little campaigning. In fact
his campaign was all make-believe. the
democrats say. 1t was limited three
weeks ago that he would drop out and
that w. +. Fountain would declare for
white supremacy and get the support
of the democrats, which Lloyd, who
was and Is mute on the white su-
premacy" question could not get.
Lloyd spoke only on national issues,
which do not cut the least figure in
North Carolina in this most memoir
able campaign. 1t is said that Sena-
tor Butler kept Lloyd in the field.
Fountain has now come out as the
white mans" candidate in the Second
district. Mention was made the other
day that Hal Aver ~populist state sec
rotary, had said he considered the Sec
ond doubtful. His reason for so say
ing he did not give. He knew Of the
inside features of the matter. II has
never been denied that Senator But
Ter was keeping Lloyd in the field be-
cause of an agreement by which Geo.
II. White, the negro congressman i'm
the Second, was to see that the negro
vote in the Third was thrown as solid
ly as possible for Fowler.
-Four convicts, all moonshiners,
have arrived at the penitentiary here
from the district of Middle Tennessee.
The federal prisoners are troublesome.
They demand many privileges. A lot
OF them tried to tunnel from the base
ment under the criminal insane wing,
q distance of some so feet under the
west wall. They had dug about 4 feet
when detected.