The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-25
STATED

sAAA[
Because OF the drawing of the color
line by the democrats In that state n
campaign in North Carolina has en-
listed very widespread interest and has
attained national Importance.
The alliance between th populists
and republican,. effected several years
ago, gave complete success to the flu
sionists n they divided the offices be-
tween them and possessed the lard lrl
confidence OF it's long occupation. The
fusion. indeed. was affected tn a mas
terly way by a real artist in such mat
ters-Senator Marion Butler-and
promised to endure indefinitely-cer-
tainiy until there should be a rupture
between the contracting parties.
But the fusionists. as other folks
drunken with power lave done since
the world began. overreached them
selves. They went too far; they were
too radical. too greedy, too reckless
They elected a republican governor
and he set himself to Strengthening
the party" by appointing a host OF ne
groes to Office. The successes OF fusion
in many counties led also To the ele-
walton OF n lot OF negro politicians 10
local offices. In an alliance based. not
on principles but on spells the local
workers have To be recognized or the
combination collapses. No doubt from
the beginning a great many populists
took no pleasure in the eNaltation or
republican negroes 10 office. but IL was
the price which had to be paid for the
republican vote and their leaders were
willing to see IL paid.
The result has been that from the
counties wher negro officials were put
over white men protests began tn come
at first slowly, then in swelling
chorus as abuses and indignities by the
black officers were reported. The
democrats saw their opportunity AMI
An hA heel
principle of white supremacy. They
brought together n mass of testimony
howin the shame of this negro dom
ination and it's injury, moral anu ma
teriaf. TO the state. They appealed TO
the white men of both the populist and
republican parties TO join them IN re-
deeming the state and giving II q
white mans government"
Considered tactically, the movement
has amply justified the Judgment OF
those who made IL; and, all partisan
exaggeration apart. there has &C
veloped evidence to show that THE ap-
proach to negro domination has been
sufficient to create n curse for The
present and a dark menace for the flu
ture. Hundreds of populists ana re-
publicans of more or less prominence
have openly united with the demo-
racy on the supreme issue OF white
supremacy, and there Is reason TO be-
leNe tnat many HuiluIeus VIII A'il'N
them. The state is more than red hot
We may say that IL Is at n white
heat. The campaign recalls that OF
South Carolina in 1876; red shirts are
riding the roads, conversions are hilinG
the papers and every stump is peopled
with orators.
The enemy is alarmed even to de-
m~oralization by the spirit and viaor OF
the attack. One OF the most signin-
cant evidences of this is = letter which
the republican postmaster OF Whining
ton has felt constrained to write to
Senator Pritchard and to give to h
papers of his city. In September he
had made light OF the charge that his
section was negro-ridden, but the
unanimous resolutions of the chamber
of OF Wilmington that white
supremacy was n business necessity
and must be achieved. together with
other evidences of the determinations
of the white people in this struggle
have caused him TO make a radical al
iteration in his views and his advice
to the republican leader in n second
letter follows.
In this letter is ample confession. But
It comes too late to check the rush
of the torrent of public censure. North
Carolina has a large white majority.
and when the white men come togeth-
er. as they seem to be doing. successful
resistance is impossible.
We believe that on the issue now
made the democrats OF North Carolina
will redeem their state from the
enemy. South Carolina hopes earnestly
that they may.