The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-04-13
CHAIRMAN SIMMONS ADDRESS
ISSUED ABOUT SEPTEMBER 25TH,-'98
1OIHE VOTERS OF THE STATE.

ISSUED ABOUT SEPTEMBER 25TH,- 80
TO the VOTERS OF THE STATE.
II Was /" d. cei.e->"t Going to Di>fran-
Chise the Negro. Democrats Removed
tho Property and Educational puaiifca-
tion in the State.
Below We give a 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 aud 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 if 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 crednlous 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 ana
did not disfranchise them. Then they
told them If the Democrats elected a
President they would disfranchise
them. The Democrats elected a Presi-
dent and did not disfranchlse 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 crow 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 disfranchisement 4;
but. strange to say, they are now
using it in an attempt to try and
brighten, not the ignorant negro, but
the poor aud uueducated white men
of the State. But these willy schem-
ers will be disappointed. They will
find that the uneducated white men
of this State are not so easily fooled.
They will find that while they may
not have any book learning, they
have the quick intelligence and hard
sense Of tho white race, and they
will Fl nd that they are not to be fool
ed, by a bugaboo. There is not q
white man in North Carolina who
will be frightened by this old Repub-
ican negro bugaboo, and they will
by their votes teach these fellows
who are presuming upon their ignc-
rance that their intelligence is not to
be thus trifeo with and insulted with
IMMUNITY 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 for
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
0cratic party is composed largely of
poor and unedueated men, and that
it looks to this honorable class of our
citizenship for it's support, and that
1t will in turn protect them in all
their rights of cit zenship; 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 cireula.ipg this
silly story about tho n mocrats.
Even the Populist wing of that party
denounced the story as absurd. Al
barren of truth about soma thing.
As the Hand Book recently issued by
Dr.. Thompson and Hal Aver. 1t i.
frank enough to admit that there i:
no truth in the Republican clamol
: about the Democrats DISTINGUISHING
, the negro, much less any white man
{ and that the history of the pas
: twenty odd years of Democratic rul,
0 in North Carolina proves the ute
e falsity and absurdity of the Repub
Q lican rot this subject. Nor do re
J. sponsible Republicans openly an,
publicly make this charge. AS reck
: less % they are, they have too mucl
respect for and fear Of decent publ
opinion to visit upon themselves tn