The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-24
IN THE LAST DlTCH--AYER EXPOSES THEM

song. They are telling the unlettered
white men that if the Democrats carry
the election this year they will disfran-
chise everybody who cannot read and
write, and are filling the State with false
statements to that effect purporting to be
interviews with prominent Democrats
Ten days ago we exposed the General
Cox fake, but Holton and Thompson are
still circulating it..
Last week at Asheboro o Republican
gravely informed the people that he had
learned of the Democratic programme.
that they would carry out il they carried
the Legislature, and it was to take
away the right to vote from men who
cannot read and write and who do not
list $500 worth of property for taxation.
OF course this was a lie out of the
whole cloth, but this Republican orator
told it with a straight face and sought
to work up prejudice against the Demo
Gratis on the part of the men who are
poor and who lack education. Fortu-
nately for truths cause the white men
present had heard the same false argu-
ment addressed to negroes for twenty
years. They knew it was a lie even
when addressed to negroes. and they felt
insulted that public speakers were trying
to deceive them by the same WORKOUT
lie they have used to keep the negroes
solid since the war.
And now comes the Winston Republl-
can and contains this false statement:
chairman Simmons in his speech at
Wilkesboro, on the 18th of August last
outlining the Democratic policy, is in full
accord with General CoX's interview"
This falsehood carries with it its own
refutation. Mr. Simmons spoke in
Wilkesboro more than a month ago. The
fake interview with General Cox was
not published two weeks ago. How
could Mr.. Simmons endorse fake which
at the time he spoke had not then been
faxed? But, aside from that we know
that Mr. Simmons did not advocate any
informant has misrepresented his speech.
On that occasion more than five hun
dred men heard Mr. Simmons, and they
will testify that he did not even discuss
the election law, or say anything that
could be perverted into the Republicans
paragraph.
Mr.. Simmons strongly antagonizes any
proposition like the one the Republican
charges him with favoring, and in that
position he is endorsed by the entire
Democratic party. In a recent article
Mr.. Simmons gave the law, showing that
no party can disfranchise voters except
by amending the constitution, and there
is no voter so ignorant who does not
know that any proposed change in the
constitution must be submitted to the
people. The people cannot be disfran-
chised in North Carolina unless they
disfranchise themselves, and who be-
lieves they will do this?
This scare-crow, which was long eff
fective with the negroes in the East, has
now been transplanted to Western North
Carolina, and is being used to scare
white men. The Democrats will every
where meet the canard by quoting the
law and the constitution, and showing
that though III undisputed power for 20
years there was never any suggestion of
DISTINGUISHING the people because they
lack property or education. The public
speakers will do we'll to quote the CON
stitution on every stump and make plain
that this last falsehood is without foun-
dation.
Unfortunately for the Republicans
| their scare-crow has been uncovered and
exposed in the Hand Book, prepared by
Hal Aver. State Auditor, which the Re
publican Executive helped to write and
which they are circulating throughout the
State On page four i'm this Handbook
we read:
"DURING A PERIOD OF TWEEN
TY YEARS IN WHICH THAT PAR
Try (the Democratic party SWAYED
| OVERWHELMING POWER IN
i NORTH CAROLINA, IT NEVER
4 PASSED A LAW NOR MADE AN
EFFORT TO DISFRANCHISE OR
TAKE FROM THE NEGRO THE
| POWER OF THE BALLOT" 1t goes
on to say that on the other hand the
| Democrats have been in favor of the
"RETENTION OF THE BALLOT TO
! THE NEGRO"
The Re-pop-li-can Handbook is false
or Holton's gang Of orators are lying.
Take the case, gentlemen of the jury
The State fair, at Raleigh, October
24-29, 1898. Make your arrangements