The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-04
THE FIFTH wA.D IN LINE
A Mass Needing OF the Rough Riders
and White Government Union Enc
dorSes the Nomination Of Rountree
and Misunderstanding Letter From
Pesrhau

-.
Pesehau
At a rousing mass meeting OF tn
democrats of the Fifth ward last nigh
II Eighth and Castle streets. the nomi
nation Of Messrs. Rountree and vii
lard for the house Of representatives
was unanimously endorsed. Among
the speakers on the occasion was Mr
James Sprunt who. by request. fully
explained the movement which result
ed In the nomination OF MeSsrs. Roun-
! tree and Willard. and urged their en-.
dorsemenL, Iredell Meares, John q
Marshall, c.. w. Borneman and NJ. F.
Bowling made speeches urging the en-
dorsement OF the nominees. All the
speakers were enthusiastically APP
plauded.
Mr.. Geo. L Peschau was to have
been present as n OF the speakers
but he was unable to attend on &C
count of indisposition. The following
open letter from him was read amid
the widest applause.
To Messrs. Marshall Bowling. Biggs.
Rhodes and others:
GentIemen:-Permit me this oppor-
tunity to address you and my other
democratic friends OF this ounty in a
friendly spirit. for / am your friend
and every man who knows me well
knows that when / make the state
ment, / speak nothing but the truth.
That o or many OF you feel friendly
towardS me there can be no question.
You conduct in the past, your fidelity
To me in VIA you believe to be u pres
ent crisis has proved beyond a II
that you are men whose friendship
any man might well be proud 10 claim,
and. my friends, / am proud to claim
it. Yes, when the weight of years shall
have left its impress on me as it has on
so many of you already / hope, old and
infirm though l then may be. that the
opportunity and the privilege shall still
be mine to extend to and receive from
your sons, your sons sons, and our
selves if you still be here, the same
feeling of friendship / now extend to
you. l shall always feel for you a deep
admiration.
1 believe there beats in the breasts of
the most humble OF your number, a
heart as true as steel Itself.
l know you possess a courage as un-
questioned, a sense of duty as keen, an
appreciation of fairness as pronounced
as yer entered the makeup OF any
man. And my friends to that heart, to
that courage, to that sense Of duty. to
that feeling of fairness, | address this
appeal.
For the past few days many of you
have been laboring under high and
continued excitement. i have no doubt
you sincerely believe you have been in
some way run over rough shod. Many
of you believe / have been unfairly
treated. Now let me tell you that
monstrous as the statement may first
sound to you. hone of these beliefs are
in fact We'll founded. There has been
no disposition on the part of anyone
so far as my knowledge goes. to tram
pie in any way on one of your sacred
rights. Circumstances, rather than in
dividuaIs, have regulated and shaped
events in this community. our cOndi-
ton here has been we'll nigh u~nbeara-
BILE. For months past we have been en-
gagged in the bitterest struggle on rec
ord to rid his community of negro
domination. We ave more thar once
been on the brink itself of a race on
fiict. Should the same conditions exist
on the Sth day of November that on
fronted us but a few days ago. the
probabilities are that a struggle.
in it's nature and fearful in its
results would soon engulf his town.
Strenuous efforts were made in conse-
quence to prevent such a calamity.
with but little hope. however, until re-
Gently, Of any success. The republi-
'dI Hdi 4 III anu q
race conflict seemed imminent. Such.
friends, was the condition OF af-
fairs tina confronted us Saturday
morning. On Saturday afternoon I was
waited upon by a committee OF bust
ness men who asked me to attend a
meeting of citizens at the Y. NJ. G. A.
did SO. and there I was informed that
the republican party had decided to put
county or Legislative ticket in the
field. provided Mr.. Kerr and ] be taken
the Legislative ticket. In the in
terest Of peace the meeting then asked
me to resign. Nc attempt was made
to cOerce me as many of YOU have I'M
drest0od. and no influence. however
formidable. other than that which
placed ne there. could have caused me
10 withdraw. Ordinarily / would OPP
any concession. and had the inten- |
ton Of the republican parity been to
substitute a republican in mN I
under no circumstances have
my resignation. as T suhse- |
did. to o executive commit
The only condition the republican !
imposed. however, was that Mr.. |
Kerr and ] should be taken down. If
were done they said no opposition
be made either TO our legislative ;
,r to our county ticket. In the place |
n Mr.. Kerr and myself il was under |
stood the democratic party were at lib |
-1Ty to substitute any two democrats. !
Whatever my friends may have been |
rhe reasons for epublica opposition |
70 myself and to Mr. Kerr T will not |
here discuss. You may decide that for !
yourselves; but the fact remains they
Hid oppos. me. and unless r withdrew.
full republican ticker. they SAID
would be placed i'm the field and a con-,
test be made at the polls: and the re-
sult-any man who knows the condition
IF this community to day-could easily
-%oretell. They may have beeen sincere
N whaC they said. they may not have
been. tas you suggested1. but I am too
much II a mar to jeopardfze either my
or my friends. by one single act
that might injure it or them. rhe
question that confronted me was.
should | withdraw and allow another
to succeed me whose devotion to, good
government n whire were
unduestioned. rr should I still mold or
ana by so dong not only ~jeopar,iiZe tire
democratic ticket but in addition
thereto threw this county into an a,r-
al race G~tTTtC-gIp F-,~eibIv !, " - v.pavlas