The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-04-10
GOOD ENOUGH PLATFORM.

! the State. 1t IS Il good enough pidtlol III III
not only for Pitt county, but for the
State. After the customary call, the
address reads:
I'm extending this cordial invitation
we beg the attention Of the people to tn
following brief statement OF facts, 10
wit.
"The Democratic party of North Car.
DINA. which the people are invited t1
ioin and elevate to power. stands IL
National affairs for all the reforms pro
muIgated at Chicago in 1896. but il
would especially emphasize its belief il
the beneficial effects upon the labor
and industries of our people to flow
from the free and unlimited coimage
Of silver In State affairs it stands foa
honest. clean and decent government
in State. county and town, and we
point with pride to the fact that our
party has a record in these things that
challenges the admiration and approval
Of all fair minded men. No scandal OF
charge of malfeasance of amy kind was
ever heard during the years our party
was in power, and it is the only party
of which these things can be said III the
last thirty years.
The Republican party in State and
Nation, stands for the very opposite
Of these things. In National affairs il
stands for the gold standard. for dear
money and cheap labor, for low prices
for what the farmers sell and hign
taxes on what ne buys. In State af-
fairs it stands for bad government, fol
crimes and scandals of high and low de-
gree In 1868 it took absolute control
of our State. county and municipal gov
ernments. The record it made is the one
dark chapter in our States history
never to be read except with feeling OF
disgust and disgrace. In 1S9S-th:rty
years thereafter-that same party Is
found in power, and again scandals and
bad Government and disgraceful CON
duct mark its administration and pro
claims its utter Inability to give the PEG
pie good government In no county o,
community in the State have the people
had a more striking example of the
trend and purposes of this party or OF
the evils of fusion legislation than tiie
county of Pitt. Greenville stands
nearly in the centre of your county and
pays nearly one-fifth of the taxes OF
the whole county. Every citizen, at
some time or other, has business ut his
county seat. and he is interested III the
good order and good government of his
capital town. Tt has been so divided
into wards by the Republican-Fusion
Legislature, that the colored people now
have absolute control of the town and
can retain it. if they choose, so long
las that Infamous act of the Fusion Leg
Iislature stands unrepealed. At the cleo.
ton in May, 1897. the negroes using the
power given them 10y this Fusion Leg
islature. elected four negro Counclimen
while the white people could only elecl
two. SO we have a town government
opposed of four negro councilmen and
two white councilmen. a Republican
mayor and clEef-of-police and n negro
assistant policeman, negro night police
and negro clerk. The duty of these of
ficerS is 10 preserve the law. yet some
of them have been indicted and convicted
of violating the very laws which them
official duties required them to suppress
Other persons openly and nOtoriousls
iolated the laws of the town and State
and no complaint or arrests have been
made by these s0-called officers of the
law. The white people of the town are
patiently enduring these wrongs and
hopefully looking to their brethren III
the country to come to their rescue in
sending men to the Legislature who VII
undo this infamous wrong.
when the Republican party was in
power before it so plundered the Stat,
and outraged decency that the white men
of the State rose up in their might an6
drove It from power. In these memor
able contests the white men OF Pit
stood almost soIidly together and fought
uuder the Democratic banner for white
supremacy and good government. IL
later years many good men who helped
us TO win many victory, seeing no hope
of financial reform, separated themselves
from the Democratic party. In the las
two elections many of these men, for
getting the bad record Of the Republican
party, or it may be supposing that i
would do better, helped materially Il
restore this party to power in Norti
Carolina. 1t seems to us that few
moments of serious reflection must con
vince these men of the absolute verify
of the following propositions.
"1st. That whatever may have beer
/ the attitude Of Mr.. Cleveland and a few
other Democratic leaders on the none.
question in 1928 and "a, when the!
separated themselves from the Demo
cratic party, that this party now stand
for the free and unlimited coinage o
silver and against monopoly of all kind
and that it is the only political organiZa
ton with the leadership and number
able to work out these reforms in the in
terest Of the people.
End. That the Democratic party !
the only party that has given to the pee
pie of the State since the war a clean
honest and progressive administration
and that it is the only party in the Stat
whose environments justify the hope tina
it will do it.
''3rd. That the Republican party
which these men helped to power,
the only party that stands for the col
standard, for monopoly, for trusts an
/ for high taxes
18th. That this Republican party
which they helped to power is but littl
better than the Republican party of 1856