Evening star., 1898-11-05
SPREADS LIKE FIRE
The Movement to Suppress Negro
Vote in North Carolina.
MASS MEETING IN CRAVEN COUNTY
The White Men Advised to Win
at All Hazards.
A NEGRO PAPERS ADVICE
Special From Staff Correspondent.

movement designed for the overturning of
negro domination in politics, sweeping
through North Carolina
The southern end of the state has been
ablaze for a week, and now the fires are
springfng up along the northeast coast
Following the spreading OF the red shirt"
movement in the southern counties comes
the action of other communities looking to
the regaining of white supremacy.
Last night l was present at the kindling
of the flames of racial struggle in Craven
county, where uD to this time the people
have been dormant. This county contains
about 32OO republican voters, of whom
sixty-seven are said to be white men, and
200 democratic voters, all white. mass
meeting of the white citizens was held in
the county court house. which was attend
ed and presided over by some of the most
influential men of the city, bank presi-
dents, lawyers, prominent business men
and professional men.
Intense enthusiasm was mingled with the
greatest earnestness and there was no mis-
taking the spirit of the meeting. Impas-
stoned speeches were delivered, all having
Tor their declared purpose the delverance
OF the county from republican and negro
rule. The meeting took a serious turn by
the adoption of resolutions urging the os-
tracking of the white men VINO lead the
negroes and declaring that hereafter en-
ployers of labor shall give preference to
white men in all cases where practicable
The speakers of the evening began by pic
turing the complete domination of the county
by negro office holders and declaring their
situation to be longer unendurable.
To Ostracixe White Leaders,
Mr.. H. c. Whitehurse, prominent law
yer, said the conditions in Newbern City
were made possible by the leadership of
about twenty white men who organized the
given social equality with the other resi-
dents. living. as he declared upon ill-gotten
gains of office. Too much forbearance had
been yielded them and they should no long
er be tolerated.
Another speaker, Mr.. James A Bryan
president of a national bank, said that il
the worst comes to the worst and there
is a clash between the races. wrath should
not be wreaked upon the ignorant negro
alone, but also upon the white skinned
scoundrels who lead them. In that cate
CORY he mentioned United States Senator
Butler of this state.
win this election Deaceably if you car,'
said Mr. Bryan, and then added but you
have got to win it; you have got to
win it..
Other speakers urged upon the audience
the necessity of the county doing its share
in the general movement going on through
out the state and accomplish effective re-
suits. Captain r. d. Shaw, well known in
the state, who was in the city on a cam
paigning tour for the democratic ticket
spoke in that strain.
Win this fight he said, by the peace
full means of the ballotbox if you can, but
win it..
Such significant utterances as these were
loudly cheered by the audience. All the
speakers entreated the white men to for
sake all conflicting party affiliations and
join the movement which Mr.. a. d. Ward,
the chairman, declared was issue above
party, an issue of civilization.
Committee Reports Resolutions.
A committee on resolutions, composed of
seven of the most substantial men of the
city, brought in the resolutions. which were
read amid frequent Interruptions and ex-
pressions Of approval. The resolutions de-
clared that the republican party in North
Carolina Is founded on negroism and COM
prises in its ranks all the negroes, and the
democratic party is composed wholly of
white men, and no negroes. The demo-
cratic party is the white mans parry"
The resolutions declared it to be The d"ty
of every white man to 90 everything in
his power to win an honorable deliver
ance from negro domination and its ac-
ruin and disgrace. The ost.a-
cizing clause of the resolutions was as fol-
lows: THAT it is the sense of this meet
ing that henceforth all white men who
vote with and ally themselves with the
negro in politics shall be regarded and de-
nounced traitors to their race and coun-
try and as public enemies and not TO be
associated with. We denounce such traitors
to the white race as make business of or
ganZing the negro, and warn them to de-
sist upon penalty of being regarded as
beasts of prey, to be driven away"
The resolutions pledged the community
to use every means that brave and honor
able men may for the deliverance and sal
vation of our state from the horrible fate
which threatens. The resolutions were
adopted by a rising vote. When that por-
tion of the resolutions declaring ostracism
Of the white republican leaders was read
the audience cheered loudly, and from the
body of the hall came demands that the
leaders should be mentioned by name.
Leaders Names Mentioned.
The chairman of the committee then
called the names of the sheriff of the
county, ]. l.. Hahn, Robert Hancock, Sey-
mour Hancock and others, and they were
incorporated in the resolutions. The decla-
ration that preferment should be given to
white labor was also received with vocifer-
Gus applause.
This county, Craven, Is described as pre-
senting one of the most conspicuous cases
of complete negro domination in the state.
There are sixty-eight negroes holding Off
ces In the county. There Is ma
jority of negro voters over whites of
nearly 1000. 1t is this majority which
has elected some of them to office,
while others hold position by virtue of ap-
pontment from a republican governor. The
list of negro office holders includes one
register of deeds, two deputy register of
deeds, four deputy sheriffs one coroner,
four constables, twenty-seven magistrates
one county commissioner, one member of
the board of education, thirteen school COM
missioners, three road overseers, one city
attorney, three city aldermen, four police
men, one engineer at the United States
government building and two janitors at
the United States government building,
Negroes on the Ticket
The candidates on the republican ticket
include negroes for the offices of assem-
blyman, register of deeds, county treas
urer, coroner and one magistrate As far
as can be ascertained, it is not the pur
pose of the whites of Newbern to forciby
prevent the negroes from voting as pro-
posed in Wilmington. No steps have been
taken TO that end. and it is too late 10
do THE advice of the speakers at To-
nights meeting was to win the election nv
the ballot if possible. but at any rate To
win it.
A campaign weekly published here by a
negro, called the Republican, offers the fol-
lowing advice to negro voters:
Every lover of political liberty, every ne