The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-19
CONVENTION JULY 18TH
CALLED TO NAME DELEGATES
BUT NOT CANDIDATES.
THE NEGROES IN ABSOLUTE CONTROL
But are Completely BoSsed by the White Of
flee Holders Who Feed on Public Pap
and DeIude Their Negro
Constituency.

The Wake County Republican Execu-
tive Committee met in the court house
here yesterday and CALLED a Republican
county convention to meet in Raleigh
Saturday, July 10th.
The convention is called for the puf-
pose of clecting delegates to the State
Congressional and Judicial conventions
and for this purpose alone.
The committee that met yesterday was
queer conglomeration. There are thirty
eight members of the county executive
committee, and tWcnty-four of them were
present OF these twenty-four, eighteen
were negroes, five white office holders
and two white men that are not office
holders.
The negroes present were Peter Har-
ris and Henry Pettiford, of Barton s
Creek township; Andrew Shaw, of Cedar
Fork: Joe Brown and Ebert Hunter
of Houses Greek; Il. ID. Pair, of Marks
Creek: X. s. Morgan, of Ncuse river; A.
J. Simmons, of st. Mary's; Jerry Smith
and !. q. Dunn, of st. Matthews; 3D.
mund Matthews, of Swift Creek; +. L..
Freeman. of Wake Forest; Tom Lyon,
Joe Braan, Peter Cobb, Ceaser Johnson,
Ed. Smith and j. b. Hutchins, of Raj
eigh.
OF these eighteen there are two that
hold offices, if indeed the positions they
occupy can he called Offices. They are
Peter Cobb, who keeps the jail door for
Ham Jones. the Sheriff, and Joe Braan.
who picks up bits of paper and sweeps
out the fragments Of cuss words in the
executive office The total emolument at
tached to these positions is in the neigh
borhood Of 5000.
Sixteen Of these poor deluded ne
groes wasted a whole day coming to
Raleigh to be duped into some kind of
political traffic by the means of which
these white office holders, together with
n dozen office holding POpulists may be
kept in office. The white men present
at the meeting were Chas. Mcnamara.
county cotton weigher of Panther
Branch township; Ham Jones, Sheriff
of Wake Forest; ID. ii. Young, clerk Of
the court: g. T.. Bailey, postmaster. and
j. Rowan Rogers. steward of the Blind
Institute Of Raleigh. II. M. Sorrel and
Pat NJ Stewart represented the Fourth
ward of Raleigh, and were the only
whites present, who do not hold office
The combined emolument of these five
white office holders is over ten thousand
dollars per annum. n difference in favor
of the white office holders against the
two negro office holders of $1,000. not
withstanding the negroes Outnumber the
white Republicans in the county by 10
to l.
This very fact demonstrates as clearly
as anything could do so. the negroes UNI
fitness to govern public affairs. 1t clearly
shows that as a politician or partisan
the negro is totally devoid Of self respect.
His political affiliation is based on pre-
judice. ignorance and blind party adher-
ence. factors in the control Of parties as
public affairs that are in themselves dam
ger0us. There was not one among the
entire eighteen in that committee
meeting yesterday that had courage
enough, or interest enough, or even sense
enough to have entered protest to any
scheme or plan however unhOly or diabol-
ical it might have been, looking to the
retention of their white political bosses
in the offices they hold
These poor, deluded, ignorant preju-
diced negroes are not capable of control
ing the affairs of Wake county. They are
too ignorant, too docile, too superstitious,
too plable in the hands of designing
white men.
1t is the bounden duty Of the liberty
loving home-Ioving, honest. patriotic
white men Of Wake county to link them
selves together in a Irresistible force
of Anglo-Saxon intelligence. determined
to take charge of the affairs of this coun-
ty and conduct them in their own inter
est as well as to the hest interest of
these poor deluded and deceived negroes.
There was nothing done in the meet
ing yesterday except to call the conven-
ton. No resolutions were passed he
cause none were offered. Any kind of a
resolution that any one of the white
bosses had cared to offer would have
passed of course.
They could have passed a resolution
endorsing Weyler'S war i'm Cuba or the
blowing up of the Maine; just as easily
MS they could have passed one endorsing
RusselFs administration or McKinley's
declaration of war.
The only question that arose was
whether or not Wake county should
have one or two Republican conventions
The white office holders wanted two one
to name delegates and another later one
to nominate county candidates and ar
range for fusion. Ham Jones in n speecb
made known what the pie eaters want
cd. and that settled it. II was decided
delegates and another to he called later
to nominate candidates and make trades
with the Populists.
And "Cuffey, eighteen strong. sat
like Il charcoaled mummy. his thick
lips sealed, his eyes wandering, his little |
brain as dormant as piece of lead. and |
his mind dazzled with the diffusion that |
he was big Ike. taking counsel Of great |
problems solved and unsoIved
If the scene had not been serious. II |
would have heen lndcrous. II WIS reaIIr |