The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-11
GREENVILLE NEGR0lZED
HOW THE INFAMOUS JOB WAS DONE
A Statement Of fac's by Ex Governor Jarvis
Showing how GreenvIe was Sliced to
Turn It Over 10 Negro Rule.
Wilmington Starr
Raleigh, August 6, 1893.

INdlelSu, august v, 1000
w. III. Bernard, Esq,
Dear Sir:-ln response to your re-
quest for an account of now the toSn
of Greenville was turned over to the
negroes by the RepublicanPo pulist-
Fusion Legislature | submit the follow
ing statement of facts:
The county of Pitt has Il population
of about thirty thousand people and is
one of the finest agricultural counties
in the State.
Greenville, it's capital town, has a pop
ulation of about three thousand people
and is a growing. prosperous town. a
majority of its voters are white men,
and if the people We're left to select their
officers by any fair or usual method
they would be certain to choose comFs-
tent white men,
The town. however. is the home OF
one of the leading Republicans Of the
State and being under obligations to
the negroes he planned to have the
town turned over to them. And here
is the way it was done: The fusion
Legislature of 1895. adopting his plan,
divided the town into four wards. The
boundaries of these wards were so turn
ed and ZigZagged as to put Il majority
of negro voters in the first and third
wards. and majority of the white vot-
ers in the second and fourth wards. The
first ward is shaped very much like Il
large broad-aXe. with very long handle
and the third ward is like the letter V.
The next step in this devilish plan was
to confer upon each of the wards having
Il majority of negro voters the right to
elect two councilmen each. and to restrict
the white wards to one councilman each.
At the town election in May. 1897,
the negroes availed themselves of the
power given them by tn. Republican
Fusion Legislature and took charge of
the town. They elected four negroes
councilmen while the white people could
elect but two. Thus we had Il Board
composed of four negroes and two Wits
men. This Board elected Il white. Re-
publican mayor. q white chief of police,
4 negro assistant policeman for the day.
a negro night policeman for thee night,
and negro clerk to the. Board.
The taxable property OF the town is
near three quarters of a million of dol
lars. The Board of Councflmen levy
the taxes and order the expenditures. 1t
may be interesting to know how those
who levied and spent the taxes ranked
as tax payers. One of the negro coun-
cilmen paid 81 cents taxes on property.
another GO cents and the other two moth
ing. SO the four negro councilmen. who
controlled the Board paid SLIT taxes on
property for the support of the town
The white Republican Mayor paid 43
cents on property and the white Repub-
lican Chief Of Police did not do quite
so well. he paid only 80 cents. The
negro clerk paid nothing and the negro
night Waterman nothing. The negro
assistant policeman paid 1915. The nine
men who control the town, levy its taxes
and spend the money paid all togethe,
S7.75 and leaving ont the assistant ne
gro day policeman, the other eight paid
500. The revenues of the town for the
year from May. 1897, to May.
1898, was about 81 800, of which
about $500 went to pay salaries and
fees Of office or place holders. The
white Republican mayor and the white
Republican chief of police were both
indicted ut September term, 1891 of
Pitt Superior Court for gambling. They
confessed their guilt in open court at
January term. 1898, and were reelected
to the same offices by the negro Board
of Councilmen in May, 1898. The mayor
has since resigned to enter the Inter
nal Revenue Service and IL better man.
a Populist. has been elected in his place.
but the town is still in the control of
the negroes, as they again elected four
negro cOuncilmen ut the town election
this year and these negro councilmen
have in turn elected the same number
of negro officials with one exception.
There are numerous instances in which
towns have been divided up into wards
to keep the towns out or the hands of
the negroes, but this is the first in
stance, of which / have any knowledge,
where white men deliberately divided up
a town into wards for the purpose of
turning it over to the negroes.
For one to properly appreciate the
real condition of things in Greenville it
is necessary for him to go there and see
for himself. But for the forbearance of
the white people. trouble might have
come long ago. They have fully deter
mined to be patient and forbearing and
TO appeal. as they are now doing, 20
their white brethren throughout the
State to send men to the next Legisla
ture who will undo this great wrong and
wipe out that infamous acI of 1890.
THOS. ]. JARVIS.