The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-10-27
THE RACEISSUE IN NORTH
CAROLINA.
Washington Post Oct. "a.


Every thoughtful and humane citi-
zen, from one end of the country to the
other, will be appalled, by the prospect
now d,scernible III North Carolina. 1t
is no longer possible to believe that the
clamor of the whites Is merely revival
of the old Democratic trick to hitch
votes and ride into official place end
perquisites. On the contrary, we are
confronted with the admissions OF prom
inent Republicans to the effect that
the question is far deeper and more
yltal-that it is, in TACT, a question of
simple civilization. We are carried
back thi ty years to the dark and bloody
episode OF reconstruction, and see once
more the menace OF the struggle be-
tween anarchy and organized society.
That menace is obliteratlng mere party
lines and bringing together the whites,
without reference to political affiiia
lions, in a solid phalanx of self-defense.
The issue involves the preservation of
enlightened institutions, of honest gov
eminent, of law and order, of the integ-
rity of the Caucasian race. It Is an
issue that can have but one termina-
ton.
Apparently, the white Republicans
have gone too far in their efforts to
keep control of the North Carolina pat
ronage. They have simply repeated
the mallgn and sinister performances
of the carpet baggers OF 'GS-'76, and In
vited a similar catastrophe. The
Southern people have shown already
that they cannot and will not submit
to negro domination, with all that that
implies. The negro has proved to the
satisfaction of the entire country that
he Is incapable of conducting civil
zed and wholesome government. As
far back as 1869, the Northern men
who went South to Invest money anG
make for themselves permanent homes
and legitimate careers, rcconized the
unquest!onable fact that local negro
rule was hopelessly inconsistent with
social order and material prosperity.
They accordingly joined the native
whites in all matters connected with
domestic politics, while voting the
Republican ticket In all national con-
tests. 1t was with their aid and sym
pathy that the South threw off the III
cubus, and, after eight long years Of
tragedy, stood erect at last. It seems.
however, that the North Carolina lead
ers have forgotten the lesson of thirty
years ago, and are about TO revive the
horrors and calamities OF that abomin-
able episode. We draw this conclusion,
not from the outcries and imprecations
of Democratic demagogues and office
seekers, but from the solemn utterances
Of white Republican officials. Let us
quote, for example, from the pub.
lie declaration of Mr.. McKinley's post
master at Wilmington, made in form
OF an open letter to Senator Pritchard F.:
"There is greater feeling of unrest
and uncertainty about the maintenance
of order than l have ever seen, and
many, even the most conservative,
feel that race conflict Is imminent,
than which nothing could be more dis
astrous, not only to this city and coun-
ty, but to our party in the State, and
rather than have riot, arson, aud blood
shed prevail here, /, Republican though
I am, advise giving up the local offices
in this county, as there are no national
political principles involved in this
contest.
II had thought at first that it was
merely the usual political cry and the
fight for the offices, but am now con-
WINGED the feeling is much deeper
than this, as it prevades the whole
community, and there seems to be a
settled determination on the property
owners, business men, aud taxpayers
that they will administer city and
county government"
This is from Hon. w. II. Chadbourn,
Republican of high personal charac-
ter and OF good social standing and re-
sponslbility. He Is friend of Senator
Pritchard, and, as we have already
shown, Mr.. McKlnley's appolntee as
postmaster of Wilmington. He states
that there are thirty-six negro Magis-
trates In that county alone, to say
nothing of a. negro Register of Deeds
and various other officials OF greater or
less importance. This means that the
places through which the people and
the government are brought into the
closest and most Intimate contact are
administered by negroes, while the
business men, the taxpayers, and the
classes most interested in government
are, in the proportion of at least IS per
cent, Writes. Is it conceivable that
the representatl YES of practically all
the property, the education, the en-
lightenment, and the civilization in
North Carolina will assent to an ar
rangement so preposterous-so impos-
sible7 We think not. There is no
reason why we should mince matters.
The experiment has been tried, under
the most favorable auspices, and it has
proved dismal and tragic failure.
Even Gen. Grant, who had conquered
the Confederate armies in the field,
could not, with all the civil and mill
tary power of the country at his back,
force negro rule upon the Southern
whites. The thing is out OF the quest
ion. 1t cannot be. And those who
engage in such desperate enterprise
will reap only the harvest of dismay
and ruin.
TIT A N T E D-SEVERAL TRUST