The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-18
WHY HE 1URs DEnoCR& 81
A Leading Republican Of MeekIenburE
County Comes & Wilmington 10 in-
y~estiyzIe He Becomes Dfs.esfed
with Republication and Returns an
Avoxed Democrat

Avoxed Democrat
Charlotte Evening News.)
Mr.. Charles F. Eudie, OF this city,
who has been a lifelong republican
and has never voted anything but the
republican ticket, has just returned
from a trip to Wilmington Mr.. Eudie
is not only a republican, but two years
ago was the republican candidate for
constable Of Charlotte township
against Mr.. Irwin (democrat-) He has
beer a prominent fusion worker,
and was a sincere advocate Of the prin-
ciples of fusion.
Last Wednesday Mr.. w. P. HOWE
and several other democrats were dis
cussing the situation in eastern North
Carolina, and Mr.. Eudie remarked that
he was a republican and a consistent
one, but that he believed in white rule
as much as any man did; that he had
read the reports in the democratic
newspapers about the situation in New
Bern and Wilmington, but thought
that they were greatly exaggerated.
Mr.. HOWE then told Mr.. Eudie that
if he would go to Wilmington, and in
vestigate the situation there, and did
not find it as stated, he would pay his
there and back, and the fol-
lowing agreement was entered into:
1T is agreed hat if upon going TO
Wilmington there are II negro police
men including health officers, 40 negro
magistrates and n negro register Of
deeds, l will vote and work for the
democratic party in the coming cleo
ton. The expenses to be paid by w.
Z. HOWE. This October 9Th.
CHAS. EUDIE.
Witness: w. C. Dowd."
Mr.. Eudie then offered to go tt Will
mington to see the exact state of at
fairs there. and said that he would
report the situation exactly as it was.
Mr.. Eudie left Charlotte for Will
mington on Thursday morning.
Mr.. Eudie gives the following ac-
count of what he saw in Wilmington:
"In the first place l took a quiet look
around town, before met or talked to
anybody, to see what I could see re-
garding the negro Office holders. At
ter looking around the city for some
time | met MIR. w. H. Chadbourn, (re-
p~ublican,) the postmaster. [ asked
him for information about the number
of negro magistrates. policemen, etc.
MI. Chadbourn said they had nine ne
gro policemen, one sergeant n four
sanitary policemen, fourteen in all. He
said there were forty negro magls-
trates in New Hanover county. He
did not state the number of negroes
in the ~postoffice, but stated that all the
clerks who came in contact with the
public were white. He is a prominent
republican.
He then gave me an introduction
to Mr.. French, who is acting as sheriff.
A. M. Hewlett was elected sheriff, but
Mr.. French is acting sheriff and has
charge of all the affairs Of the office.
I went to see him, and he approved
what Mr.. Chadbourn had said. He
stated also that there were four magis-
trates in the city who did the principal
work of the justices of the peace in
the county and that each one of these
had a negro deputy. Mr.. French stat
ed that he had a deputy who was a
white man. He did not state anything
regarding negro deputy sherifs. He is
a prominent republican.
POSTMASTER Chadbourn said the city
was divided into two school districts
| with three committeeman for each dis
trict. The board sits together when
they meet. There are two negroes and
four whites on the board. They have
control of all the public schools, both
| white and colored.
"While in the sheriff's Office l me-
the chief of police. He said he had
when the negro policemen were first
appointed, given them certain beats in
| sections of the city, but found this
didn't work we'll and now they range
around where they please. He says
they do not interfere with the arrest
| of a white man unless it is necessary
He said the people of Wilmington lik
ed the negro better for sanitary po'
licemen than they did the whites. HI
is a strong republican.
"Mr. Barney Strickland, who is a cal
inspector, has three little daughter
who go to the Catholic convent. A
few days ago they were returning hOm'
from school when they met two Negro
boys who offered them insult and in
dignities in a way that cannot be pu
in print. The children ran home ant
the father has since been hunting tn
boys, and they will be dealt with i
caught. He will make an affidavit t.
this.
After that I took in the city Oh
my own hook, and looked it over thor
oughly. 1 talked with a number o
prominent citizens, democrats, republi
cans and populists and none Of then
deny the statements that have beel
made regarding the conditions there
"I found conditions there niue,
worse than I had ever expected to find
Il am SO disguised with the condi
lions of affairs down there that m,
mind is fully made up. I do not thin
that there is a white republican O
populist in Mecklenburg county who
if he went to Wilmington and saw tn
condition of affairs there as l sa,
them, could vote the ticket thi
year, and thus help to perpetuate ne
gro rule in eastern North Carolina.