The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-21
It WAS ELECTRICAL
Great and Notable Day for
White Supremacy in
HEREFORD.
Mr.. WINSTON'S ANSWER
TO HAW,S THREAT DUMBFOUND-
ED THAT AGENT OF THE Ne
GRO, WHITE.
CAPT. MTCHIN's ELOQUENT GRAFTON
He Denounced those Populist Leaders who Adj
vocate Silver and Combine with Gold
bugs to Secure Negro
SUPREMACY.

AHOShee, N. u, Sept. ~ NopCSi"it'
The speaking here to-day drew large
crowd from BERTHE, Northampton and
Hartford counties. / took the Willing
ton and Powellville railroad at Windsor
and enjoyed a ride over it between
Windsor and that place. The road has
just been opened for freight and pas
sengers and Windsor is now open to the
world by rail. The occasion of the speak
ing at Ahoskie was a meeting of the
White Government Union, which was
formed here last Saturday with large
membership.
| got here at o'clock and soon learned
that the people were well worked up en-
politics and were expecting spendld
debate. Hon. Francis ID. Winston anu
Hon. w. II. Kitchen were both on the
ground 1t was remarked that Prot.
Philip e. Shaw, Populist- Republican
candidate for the Senate in the First
district was here last Saturday. lie
stated then that he would be here on
Monday and would demand division of
time. and stated. also, that he had
letter written by Hon. Francis ID. VIM
ston and that he would confront Mr..
w 1nSIOH WIFI IL anu hllll. At
IL o'clock the crowd gathered at the
Academy. Many ladies were present,
and the whole scene was sufficient tn
inspire the speakers to the splendid elo-
quence they gave us. Prof. Shaw
came up and it was arranged that Mr..
Winston was to speak first, Mr. Shaw to
reply to him and Captain Kitchen to
close the debate. Mr.. Winston made
magnificent speech. / will not attempt
a synopsis of it. but one part of it refer
ring to himself and to the letter Shaw
had Dragged about having, was so electri-
flying and elected such storms of ap-
plause / took it down in shorthand and
transcribe it. He said
'There may be white men here to-day
honest men. who believe they can remain
with the Populist party and not wind
up with 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. |
speak from sad and bitter experience.
In 1884 | voted with the Liberals in
this State. / did not count on the GER
tainty of drifting into the Republican
party. Such an idea was repulsive to
me. ] would have resented such an
imputation, and denounced it. But in
June, 1890, | found myself seeking
the nomination for Judge at the hands of
that party in the Second fdistrict-a party
composed of ninety per cent of negroes
1t was to them / was to look for the
nomination. Every delegate in the con-
vention was black man. l was seeking
their support. / understand that a letter
written by me then is in use by some
parties in this campaign. have seen it.
| do not deny writing such letter. 1t
may, and must be true, that | wrote such
a letter, because / was seeking a nominal
tion at the hands of the Republican par
ty. No man, then or now, can gain any
negro support without yielding to them.
George III. White, negro was then,
as he is now, the leader of the Republic
can party in the district. He was soil
citor. ] wrote to him, and | suppose.
used language of flattery. In July, 1890,
/ was nominated for Judge. In August
1890, feeling the humiliation of my posi-
ton, as every white man III Eastern
I>Orth Carolina must do who belongs to
the party, and recognizing the loss in
self-respect to myself, as the price of my
Repubncanism, and seeing every avenue
to promotion in that party closed 10
every white man who did not bend to
the negro, / declined the nomination and
quit the party, as | advise every self
respecting white man belonging to it TO
do, as a duty he owes to himself and
his race. From that hour | have labored
to mend the wrong | did myself and my
family and my race by that political con-
nection. 1t was brief, but it was bitter.
l beg you, my fellow citizens, not to 20
to the Republican party, because | was
once in it,
Here Mr.. Winston, addressing Prof
Philip r.. Shaw, Popuist- Republican can
didate for Senator in the First district
said:
MY friend, if 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 it as II forgery"
Prof. Shaw hesitatingly asked Mr.
Winston "what letter he was referring
to- The answer came like a flash:
1.-THE letter you now hold in your 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 Republican party have sent You
here to-day TO confront me with"
1t was electrical. The crowd went
wild. Old men and young cheered to
the echo.
What" said Mr.. Winston, ''is this
Populist candidate for the State Senate
DONG with letter written by me years
ago which is the property of negro
politician? Where did he get it?
Through what channel does it come TO
me public? Is the negro running the
Populist party as well as the Republican
party! BY what means does such LET
ter, written under such circumstances,
become the stock in trade Of q man who
says he is for white supremacy? What
other instructions did the owner of the
letter give to the men who make it