Evening star., 1898-11-05
THE REAL SITUATION
Conditions;at Wilmington, N. G., De-
soribsd blythe Postmaster.
LETTER 20 SENATOR PRlTCHARD
Private COMMUNICATION From a
North !earoMa CoIored Man.
:
THINGS AS HE SEES THEM

W. H. ChadbpIrn, postmaster at Will
minston' N. c., lately wrote to Senator
Pritchard, making various statements con-
cernlng political conditions at Wilmington
and throughout North Carolina This let
Ter was published in The Star. but il was
followed by another communica ton from
Mr. Chadbourn, under date of October Is
Whlch further explains the position he has
taken on the questions treated by him.
This letter saws:
For the sake any fancied political ad-
vantage L cannot afford to make one
siueu presentation of. the situation in this
CITY ana county, and by naming only the
"hite of1lclals and leaving out the colored
doubtless some advantage has been taken.
ana 1alse color given to the actual situa-
'ioii' 10 winch the business people and tax
payers regardless of party may have made
serious objections
AS matter of fact, there are in this
county tnlrty-six eolored magistrates and
colored register of deeds and various
otne" minor officials, besides some presiden-
.ial aPpolntees, and the property owners
..aNplyers and business men seriously OBJ
Ject 10 this state of affairs, and there now
eHlsts mere the most intense feeling against
any Sort or negro domination.
mere Is a greater feeling of unrest and
80 'tHty ABOUT Inc maintenance of order
,iiail nave ever seen, and many. even the
most conservative, feel that a race conflict
Is imminent, than which nothing could be
ihoie ulSaStrous, not only to this city and
roulhty' nut to our party in the state, and
Iather tnan have riot, arson and bloodshed
prevail mere, l, republican though I am,
~eu'lse ~ giving up the local offices in this
Souilts as there are no national political
principles involvedin this conflict
mad thought at first that it was mere
~ Uie usual political cry and the fight for
ehe ofnces. but l am now convinced the
leenhg Is much deeper than this, as it per-
sans t cue "hoie community, and there
>. ems TO be a settled determination on
me part of the property owners, business
men men ana taxpayers that they will admin
is'er city and county government
fhe Real Situation Described.
Ihe following letter was written bv a
coiored man living in North Carolina to
another colored man living in this city.
For obvious reasons names are omitted:
1here has been a slight let I'D in the
tension here since Saturday. You guess cor
rectly: it is South Carolina in '7G over again
Win the difference that both sides are
IrlShtened-one from death, the other from
iife. lnere is an arrangement between Rus
sell and the. business committee that there
will be no let&tl re btlblican ticket in constd-
erdtlon LOT Bhlch the republicans will be
permltted to vote for state judges repre-
sentatives, state senator and solicitor. The
ucuDle Is that the republicans are very
sore and swear Chey will not vote anv
ticket if they can't, vote for local officers
The arrangement eliminates the brother
in black $40
You ask me my opinion. To begin with,
my own eyes 'haVeYbeen opened to the fact
that the opposition is solely due to the
presence of fhe negro in the body polite
l have been closely connected with af-
fairs here aH know that.
Taxes are lower
Insurance W lowefIon account of efficiency
in fire department.
Obligations have been promptly met, and
there has been a considerable decrease in
fund - = 'itth' - -
That a greater peresntage of taxes is
collected, Therefore less tax lodging.
That Gas Chadbourn said there has been
more building than ever before.
Everything is on the credit side of the
sheet so far as finances are concerned.
But the administrative and legislative
branches of the country and the munich
pality are the result of the participation in
elections by the negro.
Crhe claim that the whites own 90 per
cent of the property can be carried further,
and it will be found that less than % per
cent of the whites own this % per cent;
therefore, the 400 or 800 property holders
should do all the voting)
Some negroes are policemen, ten or twelve:
the register of deeds is a negro-a few
more scattered here and there in subaltern
places.
1hlS parlclpduoii IS point Oh onJectioh'
There is armiStice which Will keep
down trouble-the republicans abandoning
local ticket and to vote state ticket as be-
fore said-but what a sacrifice.
If we carry branch of the Legislature,
then everything will be all right. 1t looks
as if we will. Il,
For Political Purposes.
Senator Pritchard has written a long let
ter to F. NJ Simmons of Raleigh, n. c., to
show that under democratic rule negroes in
North Carolina were given the same promi-
nence in the holding of office that is given
them under the republicans. He concludes
that the cry of negro domination" is mere
ly for political purposes, and is not raised
because of fear of such domination.