The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-10-26
A RACE ISSUE.
North Carolina Under the Control
OF the Negro.
AN EFFORT TO REDEEM HER.
The Democracy Has Sounded the
Alarm and the White People
are Flocking to its
Standard.
Standard.

tanned national Importance.
The alliance between the Populist:
and Republicans, effected several years
ago, gave complete success to the fl.
sionists and they divided the Offices be-
tween them and possessed the land II
confidence Of its long occupation. The
fusion, indeed, was effected in mast
erly way by real artist in such mat.
ters-Senator Marion Butler-and pro,
missed to endure indeinitely--certainly
until there should be rupture between
the contracting parties.
But the fusionists. as other folks
drunken with power have done since
the world began, overreached them,
selves. They went too far; they were
too radical, too greedy, too reckless.
They elected a Republican governor
and he set himself to Strengthening
the party" by appointing host Of ne,
groes to Office. The successes of fusion
in many counties led also to the eleva-
tion Of a lot Of negro politicians to To-
cal Offices. In an alliance based not on
principles but on spoils the local work
ers have to be recognized or the
combination collapses. No doubt from
the beginning great many Popullsts
took no pleasure in the exaltation Of
Republican negroes to Office, but it was
the price which had to be paid for the
Republican vote and their leaders were
willing to see it paid.
The result has been that from the
counties where negro officials were put
over white men protests began to come
at first slowly, then in swelling cho-
rus as abuses and indignities by the
black officers were reported. The De
mocrats saw their opportunity and
pitched their campaign on the basic
principle Of white supremacy. They
brought together mass of testimony
showing the shame of this negro domi-
nation and its injury, moral and mate
rial, to the State. They appealed to
the white men of both the Populists
and Republican parties to join them in
redeeming the State and giving it a
white mems government.
Considered tacticsily, the movement
has amply justified the Judgment Of
those who made it; and, all partisan
exaggeration apart, there has develop
ed evidence to show that the approach
to Negro domination has been sufficient
to create curse for the present and a
dark menace for the future. Hundreds
of Populists and Republicans OF more
or less prominence have openly united
with the Democracy on the supreme
issue of white supremacy, and there Is
reason to believe that many thousands
will follow them. The State is more
than red hot-we may say that it is at
white heat. The campaign recalls
that Of South Carolina in 1876; red
shirts are riding the roads, conversions
are filing the papers and every stump
is peopled with orators.
The enemy is alarmed even to demor-
alization by the spirit and vigor Of the
attack. One of the most significant
evidences of this is a letter which the
Republican postmaster Of Wilmington
has felt constraiped>to write to Senator
Pritchard and to give to the papers Of
his city. In September he had made
light of the charge that his section was
Negro-rid6ea, but the unanimous reso-
lutions of the chamber Of commerce Of
Wilmington that white supremacy was
a business necessity and must be
achieved, together with other evidences
of the determination Of the white peo-
pie in this struggle have caused him
to make radical alteration in his
views and his advice to the Republi-
can leader. His second letter follows:
Wilmington, n. c., Oct. l6, 1898.
Senator j. c. Pritchard:
Dear Sir: Since writing you on Sep
tember 26th, events have taken place
in this community which necessitates
some further explanation on my part
in order to put myself right before the
community here and also to correct
any mistaken impression | may have
made in youl mind.
For the sake Of any fancied political
advantage I cannot afford to make q
sided presentation of the situation
in this city and county. and by nam
ing only the white officials and leaving
out the colored, doubtless some advan-
tage has been taken and false color
given to the actual situation, to which
the business people and taxpayers, re,
gardless Of party, have made serious
objections. As matter of fact, there
are in this unity Sc magistrates and a
colored register of deeds and various
other minor officials, besides some pres
idential appointees, and the property
owners, taxpayers and business men
seriously object to this state Of affairs,
as there now exists here the most in
tense feeling against any Negro domi,
nation. There is a greater feeling Of
unrest and uncertainty about the main
tainance Of order than | have ever
seen, and many, even the most consel,
vative, feel thata race conflict is !mmi-
nent, than which nothing could be
more disastrous, not on y TO this city
and county but to our party in the
State; and rather than to have riot, ar
son and bloodshed prevail here, l, Re,
publican though am, advise giving
up the local Offices in this county. IS
there are no national political princ;-
pies involved in this contest.
had thought at first it was merely
the usual political cry and the fight 70,
Offices, but ! am now convinced the
feeling is much deeper than this, as il
pervadcs the whole community anc
there seems to be settled determine
zion on the part Of the property owners
business men and taxpayers that the.
will administer city and county govern
meat. Your friend,
". II. Chadbourn.
Here is ample confession. But i
comes too late to check the rush of tht
torrent Of public censure. North Caro-