The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-02
NOT TO HELP cUFFY|
But to Retain His Vote to
Keep Them in Office.
Dick Williams Tells Why the Republicans Are
Opposing the Amendment. Hancock
The Negro Leader"

iIit NcSIO LeaueT.
The News and Observer takes pleas
IRE this morning in presenting to the
Republican convention the following
from one of the most influential he
publicans in Eastern North Carolina
a man who has long been leader in
that party and who has represented
Craven county in the Legislature.
He declares himself in favor of the.
Amendment and tells why his white
fellow partymen are opposing it. lie
writes:
To the Editor: presume that as the
organ of White Supremacy cam
paign, it is not your desire 10 do any
white man in North Carolina an in
territorial wrong, and | therefore de-
sire to ask correction in your late
issue of special communication
from New Bern as to the Republican
convention of Craven county.
Why your special correspondent for
New Bern has seen fit to report the
fight in this connection as fac
tional fight by Robert Hancock,
against Williams and Hahn, | am at
loss to understand. The only fight
by Robert Hancock against Ire in this
convention was to exclude inc as a
delegate from participating in a Re
publican convention for the reason
that l am a White Supreme y Repub-
lican and from my strong personal
White Supremacy views, this Repub-
lican Federal office holder opposed
me as a delegate in his Republican
convention in the Credentials Commit
tee: He there opposed me and at
tempted TO have me excluded from the
convention for the reasons stated. he
was this committee defeated IN ms
fight against me upon the GROUNDS
stated, for the reason that the COM
mittee ascertaining that | was duly
accredited delegate, decided that they
had no right TO go back of my creden-
tails to exclude me as a delegate, be-
cause | was in favor of White Suprem-
acy.
1t is true that for this reason | was
defeated as delegate to their State
convention, to which | had no desire
to be sent and so stated to my friends,
though my name was offered as del
egate and | was defeated through the
efforts of this Robert Hancock. who
has been so long a leader of Negro
Rule in Craven county, but | was not
fought as faction or part of fac
ton, but only as a believer in the
supremacy Of the white man in my
county.
l have been Republican politician
in my county for MURDER of years,
Mr.. Editor, and am still an advocate
of those Republican principles, which
/ believe to be for the best interest
of my people and my State, and look
ing upon the Constitutional Amend
ment, though Democratic measure,
as the only means of raising my par
ty and my people out of the mire into
which that party is being rapidly
dragged by leaders who love office
better than party, / am strong and
ardent supporter of that provision,
which truly Mr.. Editor, | believe is the
only measure yet offered, which col.
sistent Republican, if White man,
could support under the plank of a
Democratic platform and an honest
white man.
The better class of negroes; in this
county see the wisdom of having their
party controlled by intelligence rather
than ignorance. and feel that an ed
ncational qualification will beth ele-
ya.e their race and raise tneir party )
standard, but the white leaders of
the party fearing that if they lose
the ignorant vote their chances for
office is lessened accordingly, are
making this fight not to help the Ne
GRO. but to retain his vote for
office And while have held and still
hold a political office in this county
vet / consider the good of my party
above the claims of the office holder
and shall certainly not assist the
white office seekers in the Republican
party to defeat measure which they
themselves know, if they had the
manhood to admit it, is the salvation
of the Republican party, from ignor-
ant and corrupt rule, and is for the
best interest of the State. commercial
ly. industrially and politically.
The advocacy of this principle de-
feated me as delegate to the Repub-
lican State convention, but failed
to exclude me from participating in
our county convention, and no Han
cock Williams factional fight had any
thing to do with it. and [ hope Mr..
Editor you will do me the justice to
so state.
Very truly,
RICHARD P. WILLIAMS.
New Bern, n. G., April 20.