The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-10-06

Simmons Denounces the Ridiculous
Bugaboo.
1t having been called to the at
tentlon Of Chairman Simmons that
some OF the Republicans are SAVING
that If the Democrats carry the
Legislature they will disfranchise the
poor and uneducated voters of the
State,
Chairman Simmons said: II have
heard the Republicans were again
circulating this threadbare and
ridiculous old story. Seeing that
they are beaten on the issues which
they have raised by negroizing the
East, and by their corrupt and incom-
petent Government of the last two
years, they have become desperate.
1t is just like the Republican
farty to try to run from the issues
their misdeeds have raised, and it is
natural they should attempt to
divert attention from their rascalities
by hallooing thief at honest men,
But it is astonishing that even in
their desperation and panic Republi-
can leaders should have no better
sense than to suppose they can fright
en- the white men of North Carolina
with an old bugaboo that has long
since ceased to scare even the ignor-
ant and credulOus negro.
''For the past twenty years or
more, ust before every election the
Republican speakers, at their mid
night III ctings, have been in the
habit of telling the negroes if the
Democrats came into power their
right to vote would be taken away
from them. After the Democrats
came into power in this State they
always had some reason to give these
credulous beings why the Democrats
had not disfranchiscd them as they
had before predicted.
''First they told them if the Demo-
Gratis got the State Government, they
would disfranchise them. The Demo-
crats got the State Government and
did not disfranchse them Then
they told them if the Democrats
elected Il President, they would dis
franchise them. The Democrats
elected Il President and did not dis
franchise them. Then they told them
If the Democrats got control of Con-
@resS, they would disfranchse them.
The Democrats got control of Con-
gress and did not disfranchise them.
All along the honest white men of
the State laughed at these lies, and
marveled that the negro did not have
sense enough to see that he was
being duped.
..Finally the negro himself began
to see through the trick. He had
seen the Democrats in full power in
the State for twenty-odd years, and
had learned through experience that
that party did not propose to dis
franchise him, and he, too, began to
laugh at these liars, and finally re-
fused to be frightened by their rot
any longer. SO the old Republican
scarecrow had to be pulled down and
put away.
Now these same old demagOgues,
aided by few pie-eating and pie
hunting Populists who used to laugh
at this fraud upon the negro, have
Scarecrow of isfranchisement; but,
strange to say, they are now using it
in an attempt to try and frighten,
not the ignorant negro, but the poor
and uneducated white men of the
State. But these willy schemers will
be disappointed. They will find that
the uneducated white men of this
State are not so easily fooled. They
will find that while they may not
have any book learning, they have
the quick intelligence and hard sense
of the white race, and they will find
that they are not to be fooled, as
the negro was so long fooled, by a
bugaboo. There is not white man
in North Carolina who will be
frightened by this old Republican
negro hugaboo, and they will by
their votes teach these fellows who
are presuming upon their ignorance
thus tritled with and insulted with
impunity. They know the Demo-
cratic Party was the party that re-
moved the property and educational
disqualification to suffrage in North
Carolina. They know that the Dem
ocratic Party has always stood for
manhood suffrage and they know the
Democratic Party will never, under
any circumstances under the sun,
concent to the passage Of any law
which will take from them. however
| poor and ignorant they may be. the
right TO vote. or which will in any
way diminish or lessen that great
privilege. They know that the Demo-
cratic Party is composed largely of
poor and uneducated men. and that
it looks to this honorable class Of our
citizenship for its support, and that
it will in turn protect them in all
their rights of citizenship. and guard
them. their wives and children in
their homes, their reputation and
their virtue.
1t must be remembered it is the
Republicans who are circulating this
silly story about the Democrts.
Even the Populist wing Of that party
denounced the story as absurd. As
barren of truth about most things as is
the Hand Book recently issued by Dr..
Thompson and Hal Aver. it is frank
enough to admit that there is no
truth in the Republican clamor about
the Democrat diSfranchiSing the
negro. much less any white man.
and that the history of the past
twentv-odd years of Democratic rule
in North Carolina proves the utter
falsitv and absurdity of the Republi-
can rant on this subject. Nor do
responsible Republicans openly and
publicly make this charge. As reck-
less as they are. they have too much
respect for the fear of decent public