Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-11-10
THE NORTH. CAROLINA FIGHT
What Brought 1t on and What 1t
Mesns--.sfArmed Camp

gerous political storm. The CAM
paign in North Carolina may be
viewed here in all its agressivencss
and determination The old "Tar
Heel" State is now going through
the ordeal that South Carolina went
through in 1876, only that this ap-
pears TO be the second political bap-
tism this State has had within the
last generation. Iii 1870 the white
mon wrested the legislative govern
ment from the negro and carpet
bagger, and in '76 finished the
change in the executive. Every
thing worked along until Marion
Butler and his office-seeking friends
came along with tho Alliance and
the anti Cleveland hurrah and
wrecked the Democratic party. The
tension grew worse and worse, and
finally Butler and his followers went
in hand and hand with the Republi-
can party, and indirectly they elected
Russell Governor by keeping $4,000
votes from the Democrats elected
Pritchard to the United States Sem
ate, and joined hands with the Re-
publicans to pass laws such as were
mover dreamed of in any liberty-lov-
ing country. The surprise is that
the revolt and fight has not come
before this year. The people here
seem to be forbearing, patient and
anxious to suffer rather than occa-
sion bloodshed. They are different
from some of their neighbors, who
believe the best time to use such
corrective measures is before too
many get their heads turned politi-
cally and socially. But they have
had rude and complete awaken
ing here and all over the State.
To speak of Wilmington is to give
the situation to large extent
throughout Eastern Carolina.
The intensity of feeling, the fixed
determination to overthrow negro
domination, may be shown by the
preparations of these people. If
stranger were to como to town and
not know that politics was in the
very atmosphere he would think that
there was a statute law requiring
every man and boy to carry a
weapon.
The city is veritablc arsenal.
They say there arc from $500 TO
5000 Winchester rifles, 500 or more
shotguns and Colts rapid-fire gun
in the community. No count seems
to be taken of revolvers carried
about the person, averaging one or
two to the man. When I got in at
the hotel the clerk was examining
his pistol when the telegraph office
was visited the messenger boy pulled
out his heavy pistol to show that he
was in the procession. Then q party
of young men took me in tow and
after n while there was an inspection
of arms, and every one of the natives
had his "gun" along. During the
afternoon the Office of the leading
newspaper was visited, and I was
shown the safety box, and informed
that "the Office only kept II Win
chester rifles and shotguns on hand,
and kept no account of rovolvers." :"
last night they say at the opera one
of the singers drew a razor, where
upon some one in the audience cried
that he had better get gun.
This is tho way matters stand and
these people arc not stocking their
homes with firearms for the mere
fun of the thing. Not a bit of it ;
they mean business and that is un-
derstood. They all say it may be
intimidation, but they propose to
carry the coming election. They do
not care how the election is carried,
but it is to be carried. If the plain,
unmistakable and announced p.rpose
of the whites to carry the election
bere is interfcred with there will be
trouble and that is all there is about
it. The watcbword here is "Carry
the election il peace if possible, by
revolution if necessary"
The people of South Carolina can,
not quite appreciate the provooation
for the intense feeling here and the
completeness of the negro and Re,
publican domination. BY way Of
illustration I will say that there have
been eighty-four negro oflic holders
in this county, State and Federal
At one time there wore fourteen col.
ored policemen hero in Wilmington
but the feeling was 30 intense against
thia action that tho number has
been reduced to four for the present
In nearby county there are sixty.
nine negro oflice-holders, and so il
goes all over the State, especially ir