The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-09-29
FRANCIS D WINSTON
Add the Letter to the negro George II
Whiie-What Mr.. Winston Said on he
subject in HIS accent Speech at Aho Xii.

There may be white men here today,
honest men, who believe they can re-
main with the Populist party and not
wind up in the Republican party. My
friends, if you are here, do not delude
yourselves with that idea. Other men
as honest, as sincere, as strong as you.
have tried that course and failed. l
speak from sad and bitter experience
In 1884 l voted with the Liberals in
this State. l did not count on the GER
tainty of drifting into the Republican
party. Such an idea was "epulsive to
me. | would have resented such an i'm
pUtation. and denounced it. But in
June. 1890. l found myself seeking the
nc minatiOn for Judge at the hands of
that party in the Second District-a
party composed of ninety per cent, OF
negroes. 1t was to them 1 was to look
for the nomination. Every delegate
ir the convention was a black man.
was seeking their support. l under
stand that a letter, written by me then
is in use by some parties in this cam
paIgn- ] have not seen it. / do not de-
ny writing such a letter. 1t may, and
must be true. that 1 wrote such a let
ter because l was seeking a nominal
ton at the hands Of the Republican
party No man. then or now, can gain
any negro support without yielding to
them. Geo. Fl. White, a negro. was
then, as he is now, the leader Of the
Republican party in the district He
was solicitor. 1 wrote TO him, and,
suppose. used language of fiattery. In
July, 1890, I was nc minated for Judge
In August, 1890. feeling the humiliation
Of my position. as every white man IN
Eastern North Carolina must do VINO
belongs to that party, and recognizing
the loss in seIf-respect to myself as the
price of my Republicansm. and seeing
every avenue to promotion in that par
~ closed to every white man who did
not bend to the negro. / declined the
nomination and quit the party. as ad-
wise every self-respecting white man
belonging to it to do. as a duty he owes
to himself and his race. From that
hour 7 have labored to mend the
wrong | did myself, my family and my
race by that political connection. It
was brief, but it was bitter. ! beg of
you. my fellow citizens, not to go to the
Republican party, because ] was once
in it.
Here Mr.. Winston addressed Prof
Philip f. Shaw. Popuist- Republican
candidate for Senator in the First dis
triCt. who was present and had been
accorded a Lewiston Of time by Mr..
Winston, and said:
My friend, II you will hand me the
copy of that letter, which you have
will read it to the audience. and then
admit its genuineness or denounce 1t az
a forgery Prof. Shaw hesitatirngly
asked Mr. Winston what letter ne was
referring to- The answer came like a
flash: The letter you now hold In
yG:Ir hand. the letter you boosted on
the streets here last Saturday you
would read and crush me with: the
letter your negro masters in the Repub-
lican party have sent you here today
to confront me with" It was electri-
cal The crowd went wild. Old men
and Young cheered to the echo.
What" said Mr.. Winston "is this
Ponulist candidate for the State Senate
doing with a letter written by me years
aso which If the property Of a negro
no'itician7 Where did he get Il?
Throu.h what channel does ii come TO
the public Il the negro running
tho Populist party. as well as the Re-
publican Marty Pv what mean. does
srch a letter. written under such cir
run7.tance= become I'll. stock in trade
II man VITO SAYS he IL for white su-
n-en1acv' what other instructions ala
The ov-.r Of the letter give to the men
Who max. it public 7 charge YOU sir
With h.inR the .rni.sarv OF the negro
n this rn.t'er and demand that you
-e.d the letter to the pubic"
Prof Shaw smoke for An hour and q
7rs-t.r ana fid not reed tn. letter
sr rake any reference 70 the incident