The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-17
RACE RIOTS, THE FORCE BILL
AND BRYAN ON THE ISSUES.

4
lima and kept well posted about the cam.
| paign in our State, and when he saw
| me he said: 81 was never happier about
| the result of an election in all my life.
| / am pretectionist and gold stand
| ard man, but rejoiccd more when my
| party was defeated in North Carolina
| than | did when we elected Mckinley.
know what continued Fusion rule in your
| State meant and had made up my mind
| to withdraw my investments even at a
| loss if the old conditions prevailed. 1t
was not q question of politics with me
but a question of protection of my in
terests. | never felt safe until the rule
of intelligence was restored. Now
know that what | have is safe and that
taxation will be just and that turmoil
and apprehension will close. There is
every reason why large investments
should be made in North Carolina now
and / believe that with the proper ef-
fort, your State will now go forward
more rapidly than any State in the
South.
what are you going to do about elm
mating the negro vote?" he asked.
l told him that the Legislature did not
meet until January 9th, and that it
would take up the question of suffrage
with a view to making it impossible ever
again for the demagogues and the 3D.
900 negroes to destroy the peace of the
State and to drive away investments. He
is a fire-tried National Republican, and
here is what h. said:
Tell your people TO follow the example
of South Carolina Louisiana and Miss
issippi and make it impossible for igno-
rance to govern. We made Il great mis-
take in giving the negro the ballot. 1t
has proved great blunder and we Re
publicans are III sympathy now with
every effort made to take away the
ballot from all except the well educated
negroes. That is, we will rejoice If you
correct our error. The Republican par
tvs supporters in the North have come
to understand the negro and to realize
that as long as he makes up the bulk of
our vote in any State, the party in that
State is doomed. Those of us who see
fine opportunities for making money by
helping to develop the resources of your
State are more anxious for good and sta
BILE government in North Carolina, if pos
sible than you who live in the State. And
we have nothing in common with your
free trade and free silver notions either,
he added.
'trhen you do not think that advocates
of free silver are dishonest?" / said.
yes | do in the sense of wanting
TO pay the national debt in fifty cent
dollars. That's a theory you all have
that ! think dishonest, but practically
the free silver men are as honest as
anybody. | would as soon trust men like
Bryan and Jones and Daniel as any gold
standard men. And would dn right
rather trust the North Carolina silver
Democrats to do justice in State govern
ment in North Carolina than the fellows
down there who holler for sound
money" and make deals that jeopardiZe
all investments and make peaceful gov
eminent impossible"
This is a view. this Republican as
sured me, that obtains largely amo
those Republican business men VINO nave
visited North Carolina or who have
made Investments in the State. Such
Republicans take, no stock in the threat
of Force bill or the investigation of the
so-called North Carolina riots. They
know that white men will rule and are
glad of it, and they regard the talk of
Congressional investigation" rs playing
the baby act.
But while this Republican has this
view find that as rule the Northern
Democrats feel that the Republican poll
icy is summed up in two things:
/. A Force bill by the next Congress
.. A standing army by this Congress
to enforce it.
| talked to-day with a Democratic
Senator who says that the general feel
ing in the South is that the Republican
party as now organized is intent upon
adopting means that will perpetuate
itself in power, no matter what
the cost. They take no stock III
the notion that the big standing army is
asked for merely TO care for our foreign
possessions. They see in it the means
for coercing and over-awlng our people
here at home, and making them carry
out the Republican policy. THE big
standing army" said one Northern man
of prominence lis to be an agent of
monopoly TO compel the acquiescence of
the people in whatever is for the en-
richment of the classes"
The Northeastern Democrats fear the
effect of the Force bill. The Southern
Democrats welcome it as an isue. They
say that there cannot be standing army
big enough to coerce the South, and that
if the Force bill is attempted it will
arouse the people just as the color me
united the white men in North Carolina.
Nothing would please me better" said
one of the ablest Southern Senator's from
a negro-ridden State, than the intro
duction of a Force BILL 1t would fly
back aud kick the owner over Long
ago we determined not to permit the
negro TO rule the South. We will never
permit it,
The wisest Republicans see that it is
useless to attempt to carry the South,
but there are those who know how tired
the people are of rule by money barons
who want to fortify themselves in power
by force il necessary. They fear the
wrath of the people. They know that
they bought the election of 1896 and that
it was harder to buy in 1898, and that
it will be still harder to buy in 1900.
They are foolish enough to think that
they can coeerce the Southern States.
The return of North Carolina, West Vir-
ginia and Kentucky to the Democratic
fold ought to teach them that they can
not win by sectional means. Some wise
men here think President McKinley's
speech at Atlanta indicates that he sees
no hope for his party by restrictive meas
ures against the Southern people. The