The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-01
NORTH CAROLINA SITUATION
Mr. Prftchard's Talk About the Possf-
bic Need Of Troops
washington Post.)

7" dSiiAl5 " IoSIJ
Editors Post: The sensation attempt
ed in North Sarolina by Senator
Pritchard and Governor Russell, by
notifying the president that troops may
be required in that state to put down
conflicts between h races, will al
together fail Of its purpose, and will
only END to intensity the purpose of
the democratic party to carry the
tate. There has been no question as
to which party would prevail in this
election from ire opening Of the cam
paign, provided that the managers Of
the campaign for the democratic par
ty should be able TO prevent the cast
ing of frauduIen votes by negroes
brought into the state for that purpose
by the managers Of the republican par
ty in the state. II is not the
Of the democrats of the state to inter-
fere with the casting Of a single vote
by any man, white or black, who Is a
citizen Of the state, but serious oppo-
sition is raised, and Will be raised, to
the casting Of votes by negroes who are
citizens of other states, who are now
being brought into the state to decide
by their ballots who shall nave charge
Of the state and county governments
for the next two years. The reglStra-
ton laws of the state were arranged
by the last fusion legislature for the
express purpose CT inducing fraud, and
all the excitement now existing in
North Carolina has been brought about
by the passage of these laws, which
put it in the power of the republican
with the registration books
in their hands, to add any number Of
illegal votes to the republican column.
The only speeches that have been
made in congress by Representative
Linney from the district in which l live
(the Eighth, nave been upon cleo
tons as conducted in the southern
states, yet he is perfectly willing not
to open his mouth in this ~anvas
against the methods adopted by his
party nag by which, at least,
1000 fraudulent votes will be cast for
him in this coming election. The dem
OCrats in the state are loyal to this
government. They are as ready to
fight for this government as they are
in any section of our country, but lay
atty to the government does not re-
quire of them that they should stand
by and see their party robbed of VIC
tory by illegal imported negro voters.
If there is to be a raid it will grow out
of this fact. and the very men who are
appealing to the president for help are
among the chief beneficiarieS of the at
tempted crime. Senator Pritchard and
Governor Russell realize that the dem
Ocrats are onto their game; truly be-
lieve they are whipped in the contest,
and they are only laying the fOunda-
tiOns for contests by which they will
| expect to throw out a sufficient num-
Der of democratic precincts to give
them the state and also the democratic
congressman, whom we fully expect to
elect. If the republicans will only vote
such men as are entitled to vote, our
election will pass off quietly, as it al
ways has. the president car keep the
troops to fight Spaniards with, and not
! send them down to l~aw-loving old
North Carolina to attempt to intimi-
date our people. Tt will only intensity
the belief already existing that the re-
publican party is determined to win
in this election, even if they have tC
place armed men at the polls.
J. G.. BUXTON.
National Hotel, Washington, Oct. 26