The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-11-05
THE LATTER SHIRKED
BECAUSE He COULD NOT AN
SWER SIMMONS QUESTIONS.
THE SENATOR'S AWKWARD DILEMMA
He Could not Answer Without Pleading Guilty
Deny Without Exposure, Remain ST.
lent Without Conviction. So he
Attempts to Evade.
Raleigh, n. c., Nov. 5, 1893.

IL.
Marshall. \. c.:
Dear Sir: | have been shown an open
letter from you addressed to me, bearing
date November 2nd, which purports to
answer an open letter written by me to
you, under date of October 23th, 1898,
propounding questions as to the extent
of negro rule and negro office-seeking
and holding in North Carolina.
/ asked you in my letter to answer,
admitting or denying thirty-f0ur ques-
tions, which l propounded to you. In
your reply you make no attempt what
ever to answer a single solitary one of
these thirty-four questions, either sep
arately or collectively, thereby practi-
cally admitting the truth of everyone of
the assertions contained in these ques-
tions.
You refuse to answer specifically or
directly any of my questions with refer
ence to negro domination and office
holding in Eastern North Carolina, be-
cause you could not answer them truth
fully without convicting your party of
the crime of negroizing the East. Send
ing me IL list of the campaign falsehoods
which make up the so-called "PopuliSt
Hand Book of facts" and asking me.
do you deny this and that falsehood
invented by mendacious local politicians,
is not an answer to the pertinent ques-
tons to which you were asked to reply,
and no one knows this better than your
self. You cannot dodge the issue in this
way, and your attempt to dodge will
everywhere be taken as a plea of "nolO
contendere."
You ought to know, and you do know.
if youi have read the newspapers. that
everyone of these statements that Demo-
Gratis have elevated negroes to office over
white men, which you copy in your let
ter, has been investigated and shown to
be false by the affidavits of the best
men in North Carolina. In many in
stances by the testimony of honest Pop
ulsts and white Republicans. So COM
plete and convincing has been the testi-
mony to this effect, that Fusion orators
have been forced TO abandon the stale
calumnies which you seek to resurrect
by your questions.
10 one and all Of your questions that
seek to show that the Democratic party
is Il negro party. the sufficient answer
is, that if it is the negro party. why is
it that every one of the 115,00O negro
voters in the State cast their ballots
against the Democratic party? Why do
you tell the negroes that it is both their
interest and their duty to vote the Re
publican ticket? Why is it that negro
leaders threaten to lynch any negro who
dares to vote the Democratic ticket?
Why is it that negro women pass reso-
lutions of ostracism against negroes
who vote the Democratic ticket?
While this is Il sufficient and complete
answer to your inquiries, | will be glad
and willing to answer, over my own
signature any questions that may be
propounded by you, on the very day
that you answer the questions III my
letter of October 25th.
l fully appreciate the awkard dilemma
you are placed in by my questions.
foresaw. and you no doubt saw, if you
answered "YES" to them, it would be
Il confession of the Democratic bill of
indictment against you and your party.
If you answered them NO" that at
least ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND
voters living in that section of the State
where the facts of negroization by your
party have transpired before their own
eyes, would know your statement to he
untrue, and if you did not answer at all,
it would be as bad as an open confes-
sion. Confronted by this dilemma. you
seek to elude the issue by ignoring my
questions altogether. and asking me
others. Now you have my answer to
your questions. let the people have a di-
rect answer from you TO my questions.
Yours truly,
f. NJ. SIMMONS.