The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-06-22
CHAIRMAN SIMMONS ADDRESS
ISSUED AsouT SEPTEMBER 25In.-'ss
TO TINE VOTERS Of TINE STATE.

TO TINE VOTERS Of TINE STATE.
Il was to u eefse-Nos Gois e To D.sfsan-
Chise the Negro. Democratic Removed
the Property and Ed sestIo..si Qualities.
sies In the State
Below We give = few extracts Of
what Chairman Simmons sent out
through the Democratic papers dur
ing the last campaign. What We do
not copy is on the same line of what
We do copy. Read it and decide
whether he lied or not. He said:
"For the past twenty years or more,
Just before every election, the Re-
publican speakers, at their midnight
meetings, have been in the habit Of
telling the negro il the Democrats
came into power their right to vote
would be taken away from them. At
ter the Democrats came into power
in this State. they always had some
reason to give these credulous beings
why the Democrats had not disfran-
chssed them as they had before pre-
dicted.
First, they told them if the Dem
ocrats got the State government they
would disfranchise them. The Dem
ocrats got the State government and
did not disfranchise them. Then they
told them If the Democrats elected Z
President they would disfranchise
them. The Democrats elected . Presi-
dent and did not disfranchise them.
Then they told them if the Democrats
got control of Congress they would
disfranchise them. The Democrats
got control Of Congress and did not
disfranchise them. All along the
honest white men Of the State laughed
at these lies, and marveled that the
negro did not have sense enough to
see that he was being duped.
"Finally the negro himself began
to see through the trick. He had
seen the Democrats in full power in
the State for twenty-five years, and
had learned through experience that
that party did not propose to dlsfran-
chise him, and he, too began to laugh
at these liars, and finally refused to
be frightened by their rot any longer.
So the old Republican scare-erow had
to be hauled down and put away.
"Now these same old demagogues,
aided by a few pie-eating and pie.
hunting Populists who used to laugh
at this fraud upon the negro, have
again brought out the old Republi.
can scare-crow of Acknowledgement :;
but. strange to say, they are now
using it in an attempt to try and
brighten, not the ignorant negro, but
the poor and uneducated white men
of the State. But these willy schem.
ers will be disappointed. They will
and that the uneducated white men
OF this State are not so easily fooled.
They viii find that while they may
not have any book learning, they
have the quick intelligence and hard
sense of the white race, and they
will fad that they are not to be fool
ed, by q bugaboo. There is not q
white man in North Carolina who
will be frightened by this old Repub-
ican negro bugaboo, snd they will
by their votes teach these fellows
who are presuming upon their igno-
rance that their intelligence is not to
be thus trifleo with and insulted with
impunity They know the Democratic
party was the party that removed
the property and educational dis
qualifications to suffrage in North
Carolina. They know that the Dem.
ocratic party has always stood TO,
manhood suffrage, and they know
that the Democratic party will never,
under any circumstances under the
sun, consent to the passage of any
law which will take from them, how.
ever poor and ignorant they may be,
| the right to vote. or which will in
any way diminish or lessen that great
privilege. They know that the Dem.
ocratic party is composed largely OF
poor and uneducated men, and tina,
it looks to this honorable class of on,
citizenship for its support, and that
It will in turn protect them in al
their rights Of citizenship; and guard
them, their wives and their children
in their homes, their reputation and
their virtue.
| ':It must be remembered it is the
Republicans who are circulating this
silly story about the Democrats
Even the Populist wing Of that party
denounced the story 9s absurd. Al
barren Of truth about some things
as the Hand Book recently issued by
DR.. Thompson and Hal Aver. 1t i
frank enough to admit that there il
no truth in the Republican clamo,
about the Democrats disfranchisina
the negro, much less any white man
and that the history Of the past
twenty odd years Of Democratic rule
in North Carolina proves the utter
falsity and absurdity Of the Repub.
lican rot this subject. Nor do re.
sponsible Republicans openly and
publicly make this charge. As reck-
less IS they are, they have too much
respect for and fear Of decent public
opinionlto visit upon themselves the
scorn and contempt which an open
avowal Of such absurd and ridicu.
lous charge would merit. But while
these Republican traitors are silent
themselves upon this subject, they
send out secret circulars, and send
out sneak speakers and bushwhack-
ers to try to frlghten and deceive the
manila hu ala tim lv n;~o.l. a.