Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-12-19
RACE WAR HISTORY
STORY Or THE TROUBLE FROM A
SOUTHERN STANDPOINT.
NO NEGRO DOMINATION
That Seems to be the Slogan of the
Whites in the Carolinas ack
Rule Declared to be Ignorant and
Oppressive Editors Offensive
Article 1t a

The recent serious race conflict in
Wilmington, North Carolina which
has assumed a national phase by
reason of the fact that it's incidents
are likely to figure in the public de-
iberations of the next session of the
national house of representatives,
may not be thoroughly understood by
people of the north The narrator lis
in receipt of a very interesting state
ment regarding the matter from a
man of marked intelligence, recog-
nized position, native of the Quaker
city, and born and bred in the polit-
ical faith of republicanism. Listen to
what he has to say:
II am a Philadelphia, as we're my
father and grandfather. Until l left
Philadelphia, few years ago, I was
an ardent republican / have lived
for several years in and near Will
mington, North Carolina, and know
ing as do from actual experience
to the recent race trouble | want to
give you the facts of the case. The
populist party in this state was a
split from the democratic party. 1t
was powerless by itself but by form
ing an alliance with the negroes has
controlled several elections. The
negroes soon realized their value in
this combination, and demanded
their share of the offices. What
said they, do we care if Paul plants
Apollos waters if we get none of the
increase. So they crept from minor
Offices to more important ones accord
ing to the votes they polled, and
many Of the Federal appointments
being also filled by negroes, the ma
jority of the office-holders in eastern
Carolina were negroes, and the beg
CARS being set on horseback, so to
speak, proceeded to ride to the devil
across lots. Thinking they had the
world by the tail with a down-hill
pull, they made themselves more Of
fensive in manner and actions, both
in private and official life, than any
white man ever dared TO do.
white women of high station
were arrested by negro policemen and
brought before negro magistrates on
some trumped up complaint of a
negro servant. White children were
abused in the streets going to and
from school by negroes. Burglaries
were of nightly occurrence and the
guilty could rarely be arrested, or if
arrested convicted, because the ma
chinery of the law was in the hands
of those who were not only compelled
to shield them, but were glad of the
chance to do so. Negro women col
lected on the street corners and called
passing white women foul names and
crowded them off the sidewalks. In
a word, life was made a burden to all
white people, their property and lives
were in constant danger from these
ignorant negroes, who are but little
removed from sayages and of whom
Notwithstanding that there are ample
public school facilities for them, not
one can read or write his name.
Northern people argue from wrong
premises altogether, and must there
fore, draw false conclusion. They
think the negro of the south lis the
same as, for instance, the negro of
Philadelphia, but the latter lis miles
above the southern brother in the So
cial scale, intelligent principles and
education, and I am thoroughly sat
isfied that if northern negroes had
been here ON the ground and lived
under the conditions which have
existed in eastern Carolina the past
two years they would have been far
swifter to put down such a4state of
affairs than our white people The
average negro of the south is igno-
rant, will not learn, brutal, lazy and
in the towns vicious, unless he is in
the fear of the law of the white man.
Take away his fear of the law by
putting his brothers lin authority and
he becomes a menace to life, virtue
and property. This condition of
chaos under negro rule has existed
for several years, not only in VIII
mington but in Newburn, Greenville
d1Iu OLuCI C1uI6o VI GcUSC SIu OdIO1IlId,
and was not to be borne any longer.
''The negroes before the election
openly boosted that they were going
to win this election by fair means or
foul and that then they would drive
the white people out, and they pro-
vided themselves with arms and am
munition The surest way to avoid a
conflict is to show yourself thorough
ly prepared to meet it. This the
whites did. They were armed and
organized, and as result the whole
trouble focused and was over in
forty-eight hours with very small loss
of life, and the city of Wilmington
is today in the hands of a legally
elected government of white men un-
der which the life and property of
white and black alike are perfectly
safe. The WRITES showed the great
est self-control and moderation
through the entire affair and deserve
the highest commentator. I will
venture to say that there was not one