The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-04

u AA0A4 VIZ "AA A@ - z
counted here as among the conserva-
tives, talks with emphatic earnestness.
Every cent / have in the world" he
said today, lis invested in and around
Wilmington, but / would sacrifice all
ard leave the locality rather than en-
dure another two years Of what We
have patiently suffered here since 1896.
The situation has been simply terrible.
We have organized now for the pro-
lection of the property-holding, tax
paying class. There is no politics in
the movement. We have long since
gone beyond the question Of republi-
canism or democracy. 1t is the whites
against the negroes, n we do not dis
guise the fact. Our city government is
beyond description. Dur magistrates,
who are police court judges, and have
power to fine and imprison, are nearly
all negroes. When my family n my
self were at the beach THE summer
the negroes broke int my house, TOOK
possession n gathered there every
night, wantonly destroying my per-
sOnal effects. No one was ever cap
tured or punished. This is not an iso-
lated case. Do you wonder that we
are determined TO put an end to negro
rule? The Posts splendid editorial on
the North Carolina situation was a
mastery review of the situation, n
shows that our position is appreciated
outside Of the state. For myself, l can
only say that we propose to put an end
to the present condition, cost what it
may. We are all armed and ready"
concluded Mr.. Emerson. Il an armed
and I make nc concealment OF the
fact"
Columns might be filled with inter-
views, of this same tenor, for mer-
chants. bank presidents. clergymen,
lawyers, and reputable citizens gener-
H.. Il I ~ 49, ~ ctrn10 va
the republican postmaster Of Whining
ton. w. II. C~hadbourn, has declined to
stand with mis- party. He is a northern
man who never voted the democratic
ticket in his life.
Wilmington, N. c., October 30.-To-
day passed quietly in Wilmington, but
all possibility of trouble has not yet
been averted. In the churches and
among crowds on the street corners the
situation here has been the one topic.
There is a hitch yer the truce which 1t
was thought yesterday had been ar
ranged, whereby the democratic nomi-
| nees for the legislature were to with
draw in favor of candidates named by
the business men while the republ1-
| cans were to refrain from nominating
q county ticket. his arrangement is
! not satisfactory to the mass Of white
| voters.
The democratic candidates and the
democratic campaign committee ac-
! cepted the compromise in excellent
[ spirit, but their followers are inclined
to rebel against any scheme which
looks like yielding to a suggestion of
Governor Russell. 1t is probable that
| State Chairman Simmons will have to
be summoned here to finally decide
| the matter. Every one recognizes, Of
| course, that if the compromise is not
| arranged, the republicans will enter
| the field with a full ticket. The ne
| groes will attempt to vote, and in the
| resistance which will be offered to
them at the polls a conflict will surely
come. Tonight, therefore, the feeling
of relief, which was so marked last
night. has been succeeded by nervous
apprehension.
The campaign of North Carolina, of
which this Wilmington situation is but
a part, recalls the stormy lays when
the state passed through the throes of
reconstruction. There has not been as
much excitement in thirty years. Bust
ness is practically at a standstill, and
merchants, lawyers, and bankers gath
err in public meetings and in their Of
fees to discuss the extreme measures
necessary to keep the negroes from the
polls. The color line is sharply drawn
1t is the whites against the blacks
the former determined to rule at all
hazards. The negroes, On their part,
are stirred to the exercise of their
rights by imprisoned leaders, and
should they follow this advice, a con-
fict is inevitable.
PRIVATE HOUSES WE'LL ARMED.
Fortunately, it does not seem likely
at his time that the negroes will at
tempt to vote in Wilmington, and so all
trOuble here may be avoided. Public
feeling, however, still runs very high.
Many of the leading citizens lave sent
their families out of the state, and
Postmaster Chadbourn and his family
are among the absentees. The office of
the Wilmington Messenger is a verita-
BILE arsenal, a large closet being stored
with revOlvers and rifles. Private
houses are fortified against possible at
tack, and the local papers solemnlV
warn housewives not to give up any
rifles on orders purporting to be signed
! by their husbands. as this is said to be
I one of the schemes of the negroes to
J secure arms.
PiSturesuue incidents are not lacking.
One of these occurred a few days ago.
The business mems committee, as my
dispatch yesterday stated. recently
purchased a Colt rapid-firing with
which to protect the cotton wharves
and other property from incendiary
mobs. 1t was at first determined to ex-
hibit the gun in the public square, in
order to give the negroes an idea of its
destructive powers, but this plan was
abandoned. The gun, instead of being
fred in the city, was taken down the
river. and a few negroes selected to &C
company the party. 1t was loaded with
500 cartridges. and these were fired so
quickly and with such destruction to
I the trees and ~shrubbery on shore that
the negroes were frightened almost to
death. When they were brought back
to the city. they advertised the good
craftsmanship of the gunners and the
death-dea1ng quality Of the weapon
among their colOred brethren. The eff
feet is said to have been Every satisfac-
tory" This incident is a counterpart
of John Aliens story. W fire a cam
non at Tupelo on the morning Of cleo
ton day" that willy congressman once
| explained, "tO let the negroes know
there is going TO be a fair election"