The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-11-24
Anarchy and Revolution.
A CALM AND DISPAssIONATE RE-
VIEW
OF the Situation in Wilmington and
the Recent Revolutionary Action
There-a Thorough Discussion of
the Causes and Results.
North Carolina Presbyterian

North Carolina Presbyterian
As reluctant as we are to discuss
anything in this paper that has
political bearing, the events Of last
week that are upon the hearts and
tongues Of all North Carolinians, are
too important in their causes and re-
suits to be passed over in silence, and
any discussion Of them should be
thorough. Not only DO our own peo-
pie need to be informed Of the ethical
aspect Of the occurrences at VII
mington but they need to be defended
from the PREF JUDGED uttcrances Of
those who are akin to us in race and
feeling but who have thus far seemed
unable to understand rs, though there
are signs that the light is breaking
upon the minds and that sympathy
for their own blood is forcing its way
into the hearts Of our brethren Of the
North.
Wilmington is the largest city in
North Corolna, according to the last
census returns It is q city Of
churches and schools and Christian
birth and breeding, in refinement
and cultivation, Of any in this broad
land, and we challenge any city Of
the same size in America to show as
large a proportion Of people Of that
class. There is also a large negro
population in the city, slightly out
numbering the whites, yet paying but
five per cent Of the taxes as they own
only but five per cent. of the property.
The town is divided into white and
negro wards and, until recently, the
city was governed by a board of alder
men, elected by the people. On this
board there was a majority of those
who represented ninetv-iive per cent.
of the property Of the city, the ward
lines being run SO as to take account
of that fact
After the Inauguration Of the pres
ent governor and the assembling Of
the last legislature, the charter Of
Wilmington, under which the city
had earned an enviable reputation
for good order, under which the laws
were fairly administered to all con-
ditions and classes of the people, was
changed-it is an open secret, by the
influence of the governor. Here Is
the law that is at thesbOttom Of all
the trouble: "Private Laws of North
Carolina, 1897. Be it enacted that
there shall be elected by the qualified
voters of each ward, one alderman
| only, and there shall be appointed by
the governor one alderman for each
| ward, and the board of aldermen thus
constituted, shall elect mayor ac-
| cording to laws declared to be in
| force by this act"
1t is easy to see that this put the
government of the city into the hands
of those elected from the negro ward $
in combination with those appointed
| by the governor. who owed his nom
ination and election to the negro
voters.
Result, number one. Anarchy.
The law was held to be unconstitu-
| tional and was tested in the courts.
| Before the question was decided in
| favor of its cOnStitutiOnalitv there
were three mayors in the city, each
claiming authority. There were two
| boards of aldermen. each striving to
| administer the laws. But the board
elected under the law which we have
quoted, and the mayor elected by this
board, took possession.
The white people of North Carolina
are law-abiding. There are none
"who can Weld to Just rule a more
loval submssion.' But in any city
in the world, the half of the popula-
ton that owned five per cent. of the
property would be styled the idle and
criminal class. In the city of Car
Isle, PENNSYLVANIA. under the most
favorable conditions for the improve
ment of the negro population, Dr..
GUY Carleton Lee, of Johns Hopkins
University, found siNty-two per cent.
of the male population to be oilers
! and siXty-seven per cent. Of the idlers
| to be criminals. He SAYS: Eight V
per tent. of negroes born since 1865
are worthless. insolent lOafers, i'm
moral, criminals, a sorrow to their
| parents and a curse to the commit
nity.n This class took the reins of
government in Wilmington, and not
through having won the power them
selves. 1t was bestowed upon them
| by the State government. The APP
pointive places in the gift of the
board of aldermen were chosen from
this class. The new government soon
found itself incapable of governing
| 1t could not control its own. Law
| leSSneSs reigned. because the intel
| ligence. the courage. the property and
the virtue of the city had been deted
in the appointment of that govern
ment. The property of the city was
at the mercy of thieves and burglars
and incendiaries. White women
could not walk the streets in dav-
light without the risk OF Insult and
assault by negroes. men and women.
a negro editor laid the fault upon
our white women of the South of that
| unSpeakable crime. which has re-
suited in the death of the hapless
victim often, and in disgrace which
is worse than death always And the
white people of Wilmington began to
arm themselves for the protection of
their lives and their property and
their wives and daughters. And the
patience with which they possessed
their souls. and the self-r.Straint
which was practiced has no parallel
in the history Of popular govern
| ment.
If through the votes of the Chinese
of California a State government
should be erected. in sympathy with
the ambition of the Chinese to rule
their Anglo-SaNon neighbors. and
passing law which should rob San
Francisco Of eif-government. and
turn the city over to the Chinese half
of the population, made drunk by 4
modlcum Of power-how long would
that government be endured by the
white citizens of San Francisco?
| Answer any man who knows any
thing and dales to tell the truth.