The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-25
CHIN SIMMONS REPLIES
TO FALsEHooDs OF REPUBLI-
CAN HEELERS WHO CHARGE
THAT DEMOCRATS WILL DlSFRANCHISE
The Poor and llterate. Shows that RepubIi-
cans are Getting Desperate and Have
no Real Issue on Which TO
Make tie Camla.gn.


the Republicans are saying that if the
Democrats carry the Legislature, they
will disfranchise the poor and uneducated
voters of the State.
Yes" said Chairman Simmons,
Il have heard the Republi-
cans were again circulating this
thread-bare and ridiculous old story.
Seeing that they are beaten on the
issues which they have raised by negro
ism i'll the East, and by their corrupt and
incompetent government of the last two
years, they have become desperate.
ut is just like the Republican party to
try to run from the issues their mis-
deeds have raised, and it is natural they
should attempt to divert attention from
their rascalities by following thief at
honest men. But it is astonishing that
even in their desperation and panic, Re
publican leaders should have no better
sense than to suppose they can brighten
the white men of North Carolina with
an old bugaboo that has long since
ceased to scare even the ignorant and
credulous negro.
'.For the past twenty years or more.
just DelOIc every ClcCtiols TIC INcpubil-
can speakers. at their midnight meetings,
have been in the habit of telling the negro
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 dis
franchised them as they had before pre-
dicted.
First they told them if the Democrats
got the State government, they would
disfranchise them. The Democrats got
the State government and did not dis
franchise them. Then they told them if
the Democrats elected a President, they
would disfranchise them. ThesDemocrats
elected a President and did not disfran-
chise them. Then they told them if the
Democrats got control of Congress- they
would disfranchise them. The Demo
Gratis got control of Congress 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 10 see
through the trick He had seen the Dem
ocrats in full power in the State for
twenty-odd years, and had learned
through experience that that party did
not propose to disfranchise him, and he,
too, began to laugh at these liars and
finally refused to he frightened by their
rot any longer. So the old Republican,
scare-crow had to be pulled down and
put away.
"Now these same old demagogues
aided by few pie-eating and pie-huntins
Populists who used to laugh at their
frauds upon the negro, have again
brought out the old Republican scare
crow of acknowledgements; but, strange to
say. they are now using it in an attempt
to try and brighten, not the ignorant ne
gro, but the poor and uneducated white
men of the State But these willy schem-
ers 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 bugabou. There is not
a white man in North Carolina who will
be frightened by this old Republican ne
gro bugaboo, and they will by their votes
teach these fellows who are presuming
upon their ignorance thar their intelli-
gence is not to be thus trified with and
insulted with impunity. They know the
Democratic party was the party
that removed the property and
educational Disqualification to suf-
fragc in North Carolina. They know
that the Democratic party has always
stood FOR manhood suffrage, and they
know the Democratic party will never,
under any circumstances under the sun,
consent to the passage Of any law which
will take from them, however poor and
ignorant they may be, the right 10 vote,
or which will in any way diminish or les
sen that great privilege. They know that
the Democratic party is composed largely
of poor and uneducated men, and that
ii looks to this honorable class Of our
citizenship for its support, and that II
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"
at must be remembered it is the Re
publicans who are circulating this silly
story about the Democrats. Even the
Populist wing of that party denounced
the story as absurd. As barren o. truth
about most things as is the Handbook
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 disfranchls-
ing the negro, much less any white man.
and that the history of the past twenty
odd years of Democratic rule in North
Carolina proves the utter falsity and alb
surdity of the Republican rant on this
subject. Nor do responsible Republicans
openly and publicly make this charge.
AS reckless as they are, they have too
much respect for and fear Of decent pub
lie opinion TO visit upon themselves the
scorn and contempt which an open
avowal Of such an absurd and ridiculous
charge would invite. BuT while these
Republican leaders are silent themselves
upon this subject, they send out secret
circulars, and put out sneak speakers