The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1898-11-22
Peace in North Carolina.

Peace in North Carolina.
The Democrats of North Carolina
have been outvoted for several years BY
4 fusion of Republicans and Populists.
the combination dividing the officers
between them. This was a good ar
ranRement for the Office seekers In the
Republican and Populist parties, but 1t
was hard on the Democrats, DO the
latter, at the late election, decided as .
last resort, on raising the race issue.
For this purpose their papers raised the
alarm, and an article was quoted from .
paper printed by q colored man st
Wilmington, to excite the whites. The
editor of the paper, W. L. Manley, says
his article was not quoted entire, bu'
was garbled and misrepresented, in order
to influence the poor whites against the
blacks. After this was accomplished
the 'regulators" would march into the
sections where the negroes were most
numerous, guns would be fired, and
the blacks would be terrori1sd.
The result was, that the Democrats
carried the State.
But the Democrats were not satisfied
with this easy victory. They had
carried the State; but they wanted to
wipe out the last vestige of the Fusion
Office holding in Wilmington, and de-
termined to further terrorizs the blacks.
90 that the Democratic victory would be
far-reaching and permanent. So the
day of election they decided that the
paper edited by the colored man At
Wilmington should be removed from
the State, and that every Fusion men,
Der Of the City Government should be
made to resign.
Manley was notified, and informed
that he must send his reply (express-
ing his purpose to move his ofice) by
certain hour, the day follow ing the
election. He had already fed. and
could make no reply. His frien de sent
reply, saying they would remove thu
Office. But they sent the reply through
the mail instead of delivering it to th'
Chairman of the committee of "regu.
lars" and as he had not received 1t. .
the hour named, "the committee" wen
to the Office, destroyed it, and set 1t OF
fire. This occurred the day after election
1t was followed by . demand of tn
regulators that oil the city coun cilmel
should resign. These they made resigl
one 1t time, and made the counci
} elect az each ones successor Q man tn
regulators named. In this way the
constituted q new City Council and thi
Council deposed the mayor and othe
officers and elected new ones. Thus fa
they had done NO killing. But whe
violence and wrong doing got tho uppe
hand they rarely stop when they hav
accomplished their original objec
Their action created intense excitement
rioting resulted. and the outcome wa
that eight colored men were killed. an
three whites were wounded-the latte
p -obably by accident.
The leading negroes, and whites VIII
were their friends, fed the countr,
An investigation of the affair woul
} prove q farce. Nobody would dare t
! testify against the "regulstors." Th
, Democrats hold North Oarolina an
Wilmington, and peace reigns through
out the State!
Manley and others are ct Washingto
. trying to secure Government interfe
ence; but the Government is powerles
| We would say to the negroes of Mort
Carolina, let politics alone. If the part
that gets your votes, cannot protect yo
D don't risk your lives for men who CO
. do nothing for you. You are in Il
J, power of savage beast; the less you {
r irritate him, the better for you. Th
i is not what you have right to; but Il
9 thing for you to do, is to do the be
you can for yourselves. II you cam
thus tamely submit, thme leave Nor
Carolina; seke their laborers away, and
q will not be long before they will repe
Q their folly and brutality.
Il Mr.. Manley says that article mi
y quoted from his paper was reply
o a speech by Mrs. Fentou of Georg
that it was published in August. and
criticism was made of 1t, till the we
70 before the election.