The semi-weekly messenger., 1898-08-26
THEIR nrEs WE'RE OPENED
A Revelation TO White Republicans
and Populists From Up Country Who
Didn't Believe Negroes Held Office I'm
WILMINGTON.


WILMINGTON.
In the campaigns to overthrow
Democratic rule and honest govern
ment in North Carolina under "Fus-
ion." the Republican-Populist speak
ers have derided the idea of negro
rule, negro domination, etc., and de-
luded the people into the belief that
it was a democratic cry of wolf and
was made to frighten them into stand
ing by the party. Who is it that has not
heard Republicans and Populists de-
clare that they were as much opposed
to negro rule as anybody else and rid
icule as absurd the possibility Of such
a thing. They impressed their fol-
lowers, the rank and file, with the
idea that the Democrats were talking
nonsense.
After the Fusion legislature few
years ago adjourned out Of respect to
the memory of Fred Douglas, the
negro, how many times have we heard
Populists say that it did no such
thing. The members of that General
Assembly knew that it did, but the
The leaders are afraid to tell the peo-
pie the truth and grossly deceive them.
Why here is Cy Thomson, who had the
effrontery in a speech at Clinton last
week, to tell the people that the Raj
eigh News and Observers statement
that the negro Jim Young was
member of the board Of di-
rectors Of the deaf and Dumb
10 ic, f06 cc
taking up a copy of The News and
Observer containing a cartoon show
fig Jim Young's authority to inspect
the asylum, and exclaimed in sub
stance: "See how these Democrats
lie Jim Young is not even director
of the asylum" He did not tell his
audience, however, that popular indig-
nation at Young's appointment and the
refusal of parents to send their chill
dren to the institution while Young
remained on the board, had led to his
resignation. He did not say, mind
you, that Young had not been a direc-
tor but declared that he is not a di-
rector. Of course not, after he had
resigned. This is the way such dema-
gogues pull the wool over the eyes of
the people.
The fact of the business is that
there are Populists and Republicans
who will not believe or affect not to
believe that the editorial copied from
the negro daily The Wilmington
Record insulting white women of the
South, was genuine. A Democratic
campaign speaks in the central part
of the State had to send here yester-
day to get a copy of the Record so he
could show it to the people in black
and white.
A few days ago several Populists
and Republicans were in Wilmington
on an excursion. They did not believe
that negroes held Office il Whining
ton, and had denounced the statement
that it was Democratic lies. A good
Democrat in Randolph assured them
that it was so and they told him that
if they were convinced of it they would
vote the democratic ticket in the forth
coming election. They just simply
did not believe it. They came down
here on the excursion however, and
saw for themselves. The Democrat
took them to the court house and
showed them a negro register OF
deeds with two negro assistants, they
were shown four negro deputy sheriffs
out of five deputies, they were shown
negro policemen, and they said they
were satisfied. They were then pre-
pared to believe that the coroner,
member of the General Assembly, six
school committeeman, the only con-
stable in Wilmington township, four
teen policemen and subs, three alder
men, four health officers, the collector
of custom and dozen assistants,
forty magistrates, ETC., are negroes.
A gentleman who yesterday pre-
pared a list of negro Office holders that
he could remember, without taking
the postoffice and other positions in
to consideration, showed that ninety
negroes are now holding city and
county offices.