The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-24
OPINION.

The present secretary OF state, DR..
Cy. Thompson. formerly ar alleged
democrat but now of the fusion gang
of office-seekers, the hungry "Olivers"
who are eternally asking for more
as late as last February favored the
amendment, praised it as wise, and
wanted h populists to go for it. Ma
rion Butler, the enemy AND slanderer
of the white people of North Carolina,
whose interests he would sacrifice that
his custom may be filed" was once
very eager and in his ad-
vocacy of a policy unfriendly to the
negroes Butler had a prophetic eye
nine years ago. He then foresaw and
foretold what unfortunate results
would follow a fusion with the black
radical party. What he wrote of Pure
Democracy and White Supremacy, in
1891, has been realized, and the prophet
now sees hat he was writing in an
ticipation history. He strongly advocat-
ed the election of Elias Carr, the DEM
ocratic nominee for governor.
But this is not all of Marion's fore
sight and foretelling. AS late as the
18th of February, 1897, his same Ma
rion Butler in his sheet he has the i'm
pudence to still call by it's origin al
name, wrote this of his brother poLu-
lists:
These fellows have helped the re-
publicans elect a republican senator,
a man who stands for everything that
the ~populists have fought from the
birth of their party. What more could
a republican do than this? If these fell
lows will not open their eyes to their
position now, they will have their eyes
knocked open about the time of the
meeting of the next peoples party
state convention. So help us
God, we would not sit with a single one
of them as a ~opulist. We would un-
hesitatingly make a motion that he be
not allowed to sit as a delegate. If the
motion were carried, all we'll and good.
If not, then we would cave the hall,
but in leaving we would not carry the
name of pOpulist with US. We should
try to find some other party to join
Was Butler sincere and honest then?
Hear him once more as he takes the
disguise from Pritchard, one of the
greatest enemies of the people of North
Carolina who ever found their way
within the borders of the state But
Ter printed this:
No suggestion can come, from any
source that will persuade the Cauca-
sian to keep silent, to hush n let
matters smooth over under such con.
ditions as these. When Pritchard was
elected United States senator the
wishes and trusts of the people were
betrayed. The people had r~epudiateC
McKinleyism in toto and PritcharC
stands for nothing but McKinleyism.'
The assailer and the assailed are now
q pair of Siamese Twins. both repre-.
senting a common antagonism to An.
glo-Saxon civilization, and are advo.
eating negro supremacy for NORTH
Carolina. They are precisely alike ir
another particular-they are each fol
self, and so they win and get office
they care not for the destruction OF
North Carolina and the enslavement
and ruin of the true white folks.
Once more we quote. In 1878, the
Butler-Thompson gang ssued a Pop
people this, urging the complete elm.
ination of the negro as a voter il
North Carolina:
During a period of twenty ear il
which that party swayed overwhelm,
ing power in North Carolina, it never
passed a law nor made an effort t.
disfranchise or take from h negro
the power of the ballot which they
now declare they so mortally dread.
I'm nearly every southern state ex
cept North Carolina, the negro is dis
franchised, with the result that racia
antagonism cannot be aroused, because
of the absence of a basis on which tC
proceed. The same power that disfran.
chised the negro in these southern
states has been welded by the demo.
cratic party in North Carolina fol
twenty years, and yet no advantage
whatever has ever been taken of that
power"
Read that and then behold the caper.
ings of Butler and Thompson now in
their foolish, vain efforts to hold on tt
office by trying to fasten negro boss
ing upon the whites forever. Butler
said on the oath of November, 1878, il
his sheet:
THE %populists and white republi
cans who voted the democratic tickle
did so no doubt with the distinct un,
Outstanding that a democratic legisla.
ture would call a constitutional con.
vention. We will now see whether OF
not the democratic machine will keel
faith with these voters"