The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-12-01
SonE ELECTION METHODS
Employed BY the Democrats to Garry
Cumberland CouDty--lntimidation
Threats, etc.. Used Where Honey
Failed to Buy vots---Cary the
County and Bring Bill were Sim
mons Instructions.
For The Caucasian

since the election mas passed on IL
is perhaps we'll, for some one in each
precinct, at least in each county. who
has been in the fight for the people
against trusts and monopolies, and
who intends To continue in the
struggle. on the peoples side, to
write up the methods used b. the
money power to win against the
people in his immediate community.
liz Cumberland county the first
move was to raise the cry of white
supremacy, and call for primaries to
send delegates to a county conven-
ton: every man who attended pri-
mary could have his name put down |
as delegate, and each township, re-
gardless of its numerical strength |
was allowed ten votes in the county |
convention. Their convention in
this county was largely attended,
and certain kind of enthusiasm
seemed to prevail, yet it had the APP
pearance of fellow whistling to
keep his courage up, because no fair
minded man could conceive of any
possible way to defeat the Peoples
party candidates at that stage of the
game. A very striking feature of
their convention was, that the only
corporation lawyer of this county of
any note, and who is very prominent
among railroad attorneys in this
State, presided as chairman of the
conventions. Another man who has
risen in the last dozen years from
perjury to affluence through railroad
favoritism, in business undertakings,
who though not at the time a citizen
of this county, yet he appeared to be
general floor walker and manager of
the convention. The last party re-
ferred to, told this writer in the year
1891, that he would ride mule bare
back thirty (3O) miles the hottest
day he ever saw, to attend a hanging
if l.. l.. Polk, who was living then,
was to be the victim. This same
party told this writer since the cleo
ton that the fight was won in this
county during the last three days
preceding the election, that just
prior to that time, that he, (although
a citizen of another State ordered a
meeting of the party workers in
, every precinct to meet him in Fay
t etteville, and that upon examining
) them personally, he found, that we,
the Populists had him (the Demo
crats) beaten-whereupon he then
and there struck us blow
that knocked us out. 1t may
seem little strange to the casual
reader that a plutocrat should be SC
careless with his methods in the
presence Of Populist, but in days
o gone by this writer and the party in
), question had been quite intimate
, And | was very anxious to discover
D how such an unlocked for event, a:
the defeat Of the Populist ticket il
6 this county had been brought about
e In connection with the above, when
> considered together, ray of light il
: turned on, by the fact that one OF
e the plutocratic nominees for tn,
a House (and who is elected) said upol
0 receiving the nomination, by way o.
T. acceptance, that he intended to b,
elected and would be, if money ant
zeal could do it. The nominee here
referred to, is lawyer, of fair rep
utation for honesty, and has the rep
S utation of having something above
r the homestead limitations, while b,
: may object to being charged will
!? being penurious, yet his reputation
K has grown some in that direction
and it is only fair to say, that O
those who heard him make the decla
ration, when accepting his nomina
ton, that he intended to be elected
: if money would do it, there were few
: if any, had any idea that he was re
II ferring to his own money. In fact
E : this writer, who heard it, felt at tn
u time that though it might not hav
!. been expressed, yet there was som
. implied connection, between tn
" money boast and the railroad favor
u tie heretofore mentioned as bein!
= present.
From the day the Plutocrats 60
. out their county ticket, and even b.
= fore, until the election. to recount al
. the devilish and ridiculous device
- resorted to, even in this count,
> alone, to carry the election, woul'
+ require an army of reporters, and
cart load of books.
A few incidents in my own expert
ence may be worth relating. On
. citizen who would doubtless objec
= to being referred to otherwise thai
= as gentleman, and who l suppos
- makes some pretentions of being
= Christian, very often during tn
- compaign would come to this writer
- and assure me that | was runnin
- great risk in openly supporting tn
=, ~ Populist party; that if persisted il
:, it, l would doubtless be waylaid an
- shot; he was not the only one,
- prominent machine Democrat hinte
; as much several times. This las
! one told me that ne was making
= his business, and others with hin
10 to see all the most religiously in
! clined negroes, and request them t
- =. get their spiritual affairs in the bes
a Of shape, by the morning of the elee
~ ton, because as it was the Demo
- cratic programme to kill a few nj
~ groes, at every precinct, for tn
y moral effect, it was most desirabl
- that it should be those who wei
10 prepared to enter the pearly gates {