The gold leaf., 1900-04-12
wilmington Messenger.) }

(NlimIngton MeSsenger.)
The vigilant ,and able Democratic
chairman, Hon. +. M. Simmons, is not
too soon in sending out his warning
to the white democrats as to the plots
of reckless, heartless, incendiary lead
ers OF the Republican and Populist
parties. These rabid and senseless
agitators and plotters are playing
with fire as they will find if they ever
start their deviltry. That fellow
Biackburn's threat of assassination in
his silly rawlings at Newton, will re-
act powerfully when considered in
Chairman Holton, and the incendiary
and bravado displays of Butler and
Linney, all following the well known
conduct of Jeter Pritchard in trying
to bring down upon the white people
of North Carolina the blue coats of
the United States army to intimidate
and, if need be, control elections with
bayonets. If there were ever heed
less, soulless conspirators they are
these low fellows of the baser sort
men who to keep their grip upon office
would set in motion a campaign of
blood throughout a state that prob
ably numbers 1,S00,O 900 inhabitants
Chairman Simmons very wisely and
properly forewarns the true men of
the white race to be on their watch.
The truth is they should be on their
guard, armed for conflict if it comes,
and ready for any appeal whether for
peace or violence. He points to the
many evidences of a plot for violence.
II the white men of bad morals and
low natures, consumed by lust for
pelf and an ambition to play the role
of dictatOrs, dare to start a conflict,
then they will find that they will be
met by violence in turn. If the ne
groes do not desire to briug upon
themselves great troubles and disas-
ters they must keep away from the
vile white skins who would allure
them to their ruin. If they allow
themselves to be used as tools to
bring on trouble with the whites it is
not hard to ascertain who will be the
chief sufferers in the end. Do your
voting but shun as you would the
devil himself all treecherous white
traitors who are simply using You to
keep their offices or to obtain fresh
grip on the great swill-tub in Wash
ington. The best friends of the ne
gro race are now and have always
been the white men in the South of
character. But these men will not
tolerate any acts of violence on the
part of negroes without suppressing
them with the strong and mailed
hand of power. The white men who
mean to rule are not the men to re-
sort to any violence unless forced to
do SO in the maintenance of their
rights, the enforcement of law, and
the repression of evil and evil-doers
Mr.. +. V. Cox, of Pitt county, is Il
Republican, and we are quite sure by
much odds the ablest and wisest of
his party in North Carolina. In
very convincing and thoughtful COM
munication on the amendment, he has
some wise words for the negroes. Re
member they are the words of Re
publican and not of a Democrat. We
copy at much length:
Every intelligent negro with Il
single spark of gratitude in his heart
for all the benefits that have been
heaped upon his race by the white
people, the taxpayers, for the past
thirty years, and this too in the face
Of the fact that the negro in politics
has stubbornly opposed all the time
the majority of the whites, must see
in the final settlement of the suffrage
question the beginning of an era Of
| better relations between the two
races. In the heart of every South
ern white man there exists the most
kindly feeling for the negro race
Emerging from the civil war with his
country in ruins, his property de-
stroyed, his home in ashes, his family
in distress, he at once begins to share
! his taxes with the children of his
former slaves, and ever since from
his own hardearned money has been
| building asylums for the afflicted of
the negro race and erecting schools
for their children, giving them all the
advantages Of a free school education.
Have you ever thought, colored men,
that if all the money which has been
applied from the taxes paid by white
men to the schools of both races had
been given to the white children alone
that the white schools would now be
running eight or nine months in the
year instead of four and that there
would be but few white illiterates in
the State, while nearly all Of the ne
gro children would still be in darkest
ignorance? If you have not you had
better do so before you allow ambi-
tious and ffice-hungry politicians to
so arouse your passions and preJu-
dices that your eyes will be closed
not only to the best interests of your
State. but also to your own.
Il write this in friendship for the
negro, for l believe he will prosper
more temporarily disfranchised. Every
one who can not vote under the edu-
cational qualification will see the
great benefit Of an education and will
be stimulated to increase his efforts
in this direction until he is-or at
least his children are-able to take
his place among the most fortunate
of the race. The allowance for his
schools and his asylums is TO be co.,
tinued and every inducement held out
to him to augment it by his own ef.
forts He will be given an opportun-
ity to tit himself for suffrage. intelli.
gent suffrage. He will be encouraged
to save money and acquire property.
He may form whatever political align
ment be pleases. He must in his own
race separate the good from the vic