The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-10-08

accept appointive instead of elective
places.
In Halifax county the Republican
nominees on the fusion ticket for county
| commissioner and both nominees for the
| Legislature, are negroes.
The nominee OF the fusionists from
Edgecombe. Lee Person. is ne
| gro. And so on throughout all the coun-
| ties in the so-called ''blaek belt of the
State. The places for which negroes
have been nominated or which they al
ready fill vary with the counties, but the
proportion remains much the same. Thus
| the following from resident shows the
condition in Lenoir county:
"We have now in Lenoir county four
negro magistrates, who have jurisdiction
throughout the county, and number Of
negro school committeeman, who have a
voice in selecting white teachers and the
right to inspect white schools, which
right has been exercised in at least one
instance in this county in a school taught
b. n white lady.
1--WE have a jury box that seems to be
crowded with negroes, though in pursu-
ance of their new policy the commits
sioners seem to have avoided putting on
the usual number for next court.
eve have the humiliating spectacle of
negroes sitting around the court room
10 he called into the box as talesmen and
of seeing ther expectation gratified."
In Wake county one of the deputy
clerks is a negro before whom two young
white ladies were recently compelled 10
prove their witness tickets, and Il negro
deputy Of sheriff Jones recently scYy, Il
summons on a number of white citizens.
including the Mayor of Raleigh. Two
iliterate negroes have been nominated
for magistrates in Neuse township. A
negro. Pete Harris, member of the school
committee in Bartons creek township,
visited white school with the commit
tee. as he was legally entitled to do, took
q seat, held book and watched the
teacher examine the white pupils. That
negroes had to be bought off from the
Wake county fusion ticket with the
promise of two places in the Agricultural
Department MT salaries Of 5000 each WAS
stated in the Republican convention by
prominent Republicans and not even de-
MED.
At present Henderson, a negro, is fer
tilizer inspector in the Agricultural De-
partment; the assistant clerk is negro;
Jim Young. a negro, was chief inspector
until appointed colonel of the negro re-
giment He was also a director of the
white blind institution and inspected it
in that capacity as shown by his re-
port now on file with the superintendent.
In the Second district the Congressman
is Il negro as is also the nominee for
solicitor.
There are innumerable instances of ne
gro rule from other countiesa, of which
a few must suffice. In Arson county a
respectable white citizen was arrested
and carried before a negro magistrate
on a malicious charge made by another
negro. In Sampson county a worthy
white farmer, Mr.. Stephen Bradshaw,
was arrested on a warrant issued ny q
negro magistrate, June Bennette, on n
trumpet up charge and was saved from
trial only by a compromise. In Chatham
county negro took the school census
for one township. thus obtaining the right
to enter the homes of every white man
and woman in the township On or
about the 21st of September of this year,
Joe Sommeryille. a negro magistrate Of
Warren county. issued a warrant for the
arrest of Peter Walker and Henry
Jenkins and placed it in the hands Of
negro consta BILE. who deputized another
negro to help him make the arrests.
Walker was found in company with one
King. Ehey arrested both, tying Walk
er's hands behind him. though he made
no resistance. When they reached town
they were compelled to release King.
having neither authority nor warrant Of
law for arresting him.
In Lenoir county negro magistrate
named Charles T. Dunn, issued a civil
warrant at the instance of negro
against as respectable white lady us
there is in the county and tried the case.
The same negro had white farmer
brought before him for selling potatoes
ON the street from bushel measure
that was not stamped. He also issued
warrants against five white boys from
the country at the instance Of Il negro
constable.
Instances Of this sort might he multi
piled indefinitely, but these are suffi-
cient to show that negro rule is widely
prevalent and that for a negro to hold
office and abuse office are almost syn
onymous terms. Only il few Of the ac-
tual occurrences like the above ever find
their way into print. These are taken,
for the most part, from the counties that
are generally supposed to be free from
over, where most of the officials are ne
groes, it is needless to speak. How white
ladies have been arrested and tried be-
fore negro magistrates on straw charges
has become a matter Of common knowl-
edge. That such negro officials regard
their offices not as public trust but ms
a means to annoy and eXtort money
from the whites the records of the coun-
ties and the experience of the citizens
have abundantly shown.
HOW NEGRO RULE AFFECTS THE
NEGRO.
One Of the best known traits of the
negro is his tendency to become ''puffed
up with a little brief authority" This
is ludicrous under some circumstances,
but when the authority is of such Il
kind that it gives him power over the
peace, property and even lives OF the
whites, it becomes dangerous. 1t is A
well-estabIished fact that however docile
and truculent the negro may be when
private citizen, when elevated to Of
flee he generally becomes over-bearing
and insoent. chatting inwardly ut his
social inferiority, he only too often takes
advantage of his official position to re-