The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-01

our women, our affairs and our fire
sides.( Tremendous cheering.) So far
as we ave zone there has been no vio-
lence. no riot. There has been no
speaker but who has counselled cool
ness. patience, conservatism. and has
urged the people TO be human and
conservative, but the white men OF
North Carolina nave submitted to in
dignities, insolence, insults and out
RACES as long as they intend TO. (Ap-
plause.) 4 number OF white women
have been slapped in the face and one
in New Bern has been punched with
an umbrella and showed off a bridge,
but it was passed over with forbear-
ance. White men have been chained
to negroes on the way to the peniten-
tiary. These indignities must be stop
ped. Voice, we have stopped them
here.") Before we separate We will
| adopt resolutions setting forth our con-
dition. and we will see whether the
; white people will come together and
| carry the state. Senator Pritchard has
| gone to Washington, told the president
that we are in a state of riot n in
| surrection and rebellion in North Car
! DINA. Voice, That's a lie.") Yes, that
is a lie if a United States senator did
| say it, Applause.) I have called this
| convention together to pass resolutions
| about these matters, and l will now
introduce to you the temporary chair
man Of this convention, the Hon. W.
A. Guthrie, the nominee of the populist
| party, who two years g bore the
populist standard for governor, a true,
honest man, and above all, a white
man. Great cheers.) He is a brilliant
orator, a true patriot, stalwart, and
incOrruptible. (Applause and cries Of
"Guthrie!' "Guthrie,"
Major Guthrie arose and assumed the
chair to preside over the
He said it was meet and proper for
the white people TO stand together in
this great crisis in the history of our
state, and it would be appropriate to
ask Almighty Gods favor. He then
called uDon the Rev. n. NJ. Jurney,
pastor of the NJ. E. Church, South, at
Mt. Olive, to lead in prayer. The null
titude bowed its head reverently and
Mr.. Jurney prayed eloquently and
earnestly as follows:
"Oh, God. we desire to commit our
selves to Thee and Thy keeping this
day and through life. Guide us by
Thy Spirit. Sustain US by grace that
we may think and act in obedience to
Thy will. Look down upon this vast
assemblage of people who are here in
the interest of peace and good will to-
ward all men, who wish and pray for
the righl to prevail among men. Oh,
let rage of passion and hatred among
our people cease. Open the eye that
we may see. Give courage to the heart
that we may do our duty to our cOun-
try, our fellow men and our God. Let
US feel his day the vibration of our
coming redemption from all wicked
rule, and the supremacy of that race,
destined not only to rule this country,
but to carry the Gospel to all nations
and maintain civil and religious liberty
throughout the world. Oh, Lord God,
~,~ Iyo+lo~ fnroira on cinc on6
the love come from the sad ark of
hope and bring the olive branch Of
peace to the whole state, that there be
no riot or blOodshed among US. We
commit ourselves to Thee. Guide us
and save us for Christ's sake. Amen!"
MAJOR GUTHRIE SPEAKS.
After Mr.. Jurney had offered up
prayer, Major Guthrie came forward
amid a, storm Of applause and address
ed the convention. He expressed his
appreciation of the great honor paid
him in selecting him to preside over
his convention of white men from al
sections of the state, who had met to
exercise the high constitutional priv
ilege of meeting together to consult
about the public gOOd-a right as
sacred as the right to petition the gen
eral assembly for redress of grieV-
ances. He aid it should never cease
] ~ NC 1iAA 49, 'oAN1
We're provided by a constitution made
by Anglo-SaXOns. He spoke Of the
object of the convention and said for
| white men to meet in the interest of
white rule, it was proper to meet in
| Goldsboro and Wayne county which
was in the edge Of the black district.
He deplored the condition of negro
domination in eastern North Carolina
brought about by fusion" and stated
that the duty of the convention was
to lay the situation before the white
men Of the west and suggest a rem
edy. 1t was a grave issue, but the
men of North Carolina never fail to
meet any issue (Applause.) Ee stat
ed that the convention had met to lay
aside party and forget past party 'lif-
ferences, to dismiss D~rejudiceS and
come together breast to breast to set
tie this question of negro rule. He de-
clared that it had been the proud boast
of the pOpuliSt party from 1892 to
1896, that it was the only party that
did not have one solitary negro voter
in it. 1t was the White mans party
then. but trading politicians and trait
Ors had sold their principles to the re-
publican party. l tan where l stood
then, he declared, advocating the prin-
ciples of the populist party, but in this
crisis in our state white men must
come together irrespective of party
and settle it. Is there a good white
man in North Carolina who loves his
state and race who wants to perpetu-
ate the intolerable state of affairs that
exist now? "A chorus of No's."D Let
us rise and say it shall not be perpe-
trated. Owe will," came from the au-
dience.) The condition of negro domi-
nation exists. We see it, we feel it.
we know it. What is the remedy?
What brought it about? What produc-
ed it? In the concrete, partisan prepu-
dice caused it. In the last election the
white men cast 211 900 votes and the
negroes 120, 900, yet we have negro rule.
Is it not manifest, therefore, to any
mar OF plain, common sense, that if
the white men want to remove
1t, they can come together and
do it. The 120, 900 negroes always vote
as a unit, as one man, in a solid black
phalanx, just as their white republic
can leaders tell them TO do. If the dry
skin of a miserable jackass was put
up and the negroes were told TO vote
for it they would do it. applause and
~laughter.) There are four parties in
the state and the democratic party
1a06c with tho arra ,,Doho 4e 1T.