Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1898-09-29
FRANCIS D. WINSTON.
AND THE LETTER TO THE
NEGRO, GEO. I'll. WHITE.
What Mr.. Winston Said on the
Subject in his Recent Speech
at AhOSkio.

NnaC Mr. WINSTON Salu OH IIIt
Subject in his Recent Speech
at Ah0skie.
"There may be white men here
to-day honest men, who believe
they can remain with the POpu-
list 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. l speak from
a sad and bitter experience. In
1884 [ voted with the Liberals in
this State. I did not count on
the certainty of drifting into the
Republican party. Such an idea
was repulsive to ne. [ would
have resented such an imputas
ton and denounced it. But in
June, 1890, I found my self seek
ing the nomination for Judge at
the hands of hat party in the
Second district-a party coma
posed Of 80 per cent of negroes.
1t was to them I was to look for
the nomination. Every delegate
IN the convention was a black
man. I was seeking their sup
port. I understand that a letter
written by me then is in use by
some parties in this campaign. I
have not seen it. I do not deny
writing such a letter. 1t may, and
must be true, that 1 wrote such a
letter, because I was seeking a
nomination at the hands of the
Republican party. No man, then
or now. Gao gam any negro sup
port without yielding to them.
Geo. II. White, a negro, was then,
is he is now, the leader of the
Republican party in the district.
He was solicitor. I wrote to him,
and. l suppose, used language Of
flattery. In July, 1890. I was
nominated for Judge, In August,
1890. feeling the humiliation of
my position, as every white man
in Eastern North Carolina must
do who belongs to that party,
and recognizing the loss in self re-
spect to myself, as the price of my
republicanism, and seeing every
avenue to promotion in that party
closed to every white man who
did not bend to the negro, l dec
lined the nomination aud quit the
party, as I 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 I did myself and my
family and my race by that
political connection. It was brief,
but it was bitter. I beg you, my
fellow citizens. not to go to the
Republican party, because l Was
once in it."
Here Mr.. Winston. addressing
Prof Philip E. Shaw, Populist
Republican candidate for Senator
in the First district said;
"My friend. if you will hand
me the copy Of that letter which
you have I will read it to the
audience and then admit it's
genuineness or denounce it as a
forgery"
Prof. Shaw hesitatingly asked
Mr.. Winston what letter he
was referring to-" The answer
came like a fash:
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, us
this Populist candidate for the
State Senate doing with a letter
written by me years ago which
is the property of a negro poll,
tician? Where did he get it?
Through what channel does it
come to the public? Is the negro
running the Populist party as
we'll as the Republican party?
By what means does such a let
ter, written under such cir
cumstances, become the stock
IN trade of a man who says he is
for white supremacy? What
other instructions did the owner
of the letter give to the men who
make it public2 [ charge you,
sir, with being the emissary of the