The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-10-19
POUS CAMPAIGN AFFIDAVIT.
ONE or MS METHODS or Fo0lihG
VOTERS IN the LAST cAnPst6N.

fH AaAs~ Ar ipAsI IL ihA L - ttttt-
osITIoS TO DIsFRAScHTsE W
cRoE- AND IILrTERATE WHITES
WOULD NOT RECEIVE 4 SINGLE
DEMOCRATIC yoTEIS The Lg6I--
LATURE. AND DgNoUSCEs THOSE
WHO MAXI THE CHARGE AS
SPEAKING FALSELY AND TRYING
TO FOOL THE PEOPLE.
The following affidavit made by
James III Pou, ex-Chairman Of the
state Democratic Executive Com
mlttee, during the last campai ign.
will be interesting reading. Our
readers will remember that when
ever and wherever it was charged
in the last campaign that If the
Democratic machine under Sim
mons got control OF the State, that
they would offer a scheme to dis
franchise illiterSte voters. that the
charge was Indignantly denied and
denounced by every Democratic pa
per and Democratic speaker as be-
ing UNANIMOUSLY false. Even Mr.
Simmons, the Democratic Stat
Chairman, issued an official state
nent TO the voters Of the State.
branding every such charge as
false in toto; saying that that cam
paign lie had been charged against
the Democratic party before, and
that the charge W noH so old and
so false that no one would believe
it.
Mr.. James II. Pou, the ex-Chair-
man OF the State Democratic Com
mittee, in his speeches made the
same declaration. But it seems
that in one of his speeches in Moore
county, some embers of his audi
ence expressed doubt of the
truth of his Indignant denial, and
called upon him while upon the
stand to know if he would make an
affidavit to that effect. He publicly
agreed to do SO, we are informed.
The result is the affidavit below,
made at Raleigh, dated Oct. 18th,
1898. 1t VIII be noticed that Mr..
Pou, shrewd, slick, and cunning as
he is, attempted to word his affida-
Wit so as not to say explicitly what
he had said publicly on the STUMP,
and yet, at the same time, to say
enough to make it appear that his
affidavit had made good his cam
paign declaration, and fool the vo-
tiers into accepting his statement
and voting for the machine.
The following is a true copy of
the affidavit.
STATE OF NORTH CARDINAL
COUNTY OF WAKE.
James II. Pou, being duly sworn, de
poses and says: ~ have never said
that, II the Democrats regained con-
troll of the state. they intended to dis
franchise the negroes and iiiiterate
white voters. | never have said am
thing like this, and know that such
IS not the intention of the Dem gcraiic
party. | have never heard single
Democrat give utterance to such q
sentiment, and / do rot believe, if such
proposition comes before the Gener-
al Assembly, that 1t would receive
single Democratic vote. | believe that
majority of the uuecucated white
voters of North Carolina are Demo-
Gratis. The Democratic party is ap-
peailng to them for aid in preserving
white supremacy in the center and
west and in restoring it in the eastern
part of this State. They are respond
ing to our appeal, and to repay them
for their aid with a disfranchisemen
of their votes would be folly and in.
gratitude indeed. The men who make
these charges know they speak falsely,
but their campaign this year is run
upon the idea that the people of North
Carolina would rather believe false
hood than the truth, and they would
rather hear libels upon the boDored
dead than to hear arguments based
upon truth"
[Signed] JAMES Fl. PoU.
sworn to and subscribed before me
this Oct. 18th, 1898.
[Signedl GEO. w. THOMPSON,
Notary Public.
|