The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-09-20
SIMMONS STRONGLY ENDORSED


on his character for sobriety and up
rightness in all the relations OF life.
There has never been a charge affecting
his character except that he acted as
Chairman Of the State Executive com
mittee of our party in the last three
campaigns IN which we were successful.
This is very serious offence to negro
organizers and to those who would
have sold their votes to the negroes Of
North Carolina Tor mall offices but for
public sentiment which Simmons
aroused against such treason to the
white race. Every man who voted the
Democratic ticket because he feared the
Indignation Of the people If he voted
otherwise hates Simmons for being
chairman.
We challenge any Democrat to show
any wrong he did du1ingshis three CAM
paigns. We challenge any Democrat
to show where he advised one lawless
act. There Is not cleaner, manller
oeing our Senator.
Wecontend that Mr.. Simmons should
be chosen because OF his great ability.
He is the peer of any North Carofinian
| in intellect and mental powers. In my
hit BILE opinion, he is the peer OF any
man in the state in argumentatlve ora
tory. which is the only kind effective
| in the United States Senate. There are
men In North Carolina who surprass
Mr.. Simmons in the style Of speaking
effectively upon the stump, but In
c'earness Of statement, and power In
debate be is without superior in the
State. He would 50 conduct himself
| in debate in the Senate that all North
Carolinians would be proud Of HIM.
He has legal mind, and his success
at the bar attests his ability. We in
vlte those who, while admitting Mr..
Simmons superior claim to the graft
tude of North Carollnlan, favor the
election of some other candidate who
belongs to the legal profession because
in the their opinion he possesses greater
ability than Mr.. Simmons, to compare
the career at the bar of their favorite
with that of Mr.. Simmons. Mr.. Sim
mons has not only exhibited great
ability in the practice of his noble pro-
iesslon, but in his public service he
has shown himself to possess ability OF
high order. He was member OF
Congress when quite young, and did
not hesitate to discuss the great ques-
lions which cane up before Congress.
He exhibited in the debates before
that great body at that early age abill-
ties that gratiied the whole State.
He was materially useful to the State
and the entire South In his skllful fight
while in Congress-, to place ]ute on the
free list and cheaper bagging to the
tanners. His fight for cheap baggin G
won him the gratitude Of the farmers
of his district and hatred aud fear of
the bagging trust. At the expiration
of his term the farmers unanimously re-
nominated him fer Congress in the
Black District. 1t was charged at the
time, and believed to be true, that the
bagglng trust poured money into the
district with which to organize the
negroes and defeat him. He was de-
feated.
| In 1898, when North Carolina was
the most damnably governed State in
the whole Union; when there were
more negroes in office in our State
than in all the other States In the
Union combined when nearly all the
white men in Office were placed there
by negroes, and Ii spite of overwhe!-
ming white majorities; when the white
people were still torn and divided b,
class feeling and bitter disagreements
until reason had we'll nigh been de-
throned in North Carolina the demo
cratic party selected MIR. Simmons as
its official head by electlng him chair
man of the State Executive Committee
From then until now he has been the
unquestioned leader of the white peo-
pie of our State who are opposed to
negro government AND OF THOSE
WHO BELIEVE IN THE PRINCI-
PIES OF THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY AS ENUNCIATED IN ITS
NATIONAL PLATFORM. It requir.
ed ability to lead the Democratic party
through this crisis In our States his
tory. An unwlse man as our leader
would have intensified class feeling and
put off the day OF our coming together
until our civilization would have
been destroyed. Ar. Simmons led
wisely. His fees have meyer charged
him with mistake. Immediately
upon his assuming the duties of chair
manshlp be commenced to skilfullS
pursue policies which rapidly brought
the white people together without re-
gard to class, or condition In llfe; lie
was wise enough and strong enough to
let every other question be In allegiance
and to focus all the courage, intellect
and character of the white race upon
the paramount question of white su-
premacy.
He not only pointed out the way
and perfected the most perfect pollti-
Cal organization which has ever exist
ed in Southern State, but he direct
ed the great political battle on every
field Of the campaign. He not only
organized our forces, BUT BY COM
MON CONSENT SHAPED AND
GUIDED OUR POLICIES. He gath
cred the facts and figures for the argu-
ments against fusion rule, and every
speaker and editor in the State can
testify to the lawyer-like, logical meth
cd and arrangement with which he and
his assistants at headquarters furnished
the testimony for the plaintiff in the
great action in politics, which the
Democratic party instituted against the
fnsionists for White Supremacy. The
facts and proof furnished by him wert
: never proven incorrect in any instance
: and the press and local speakers every
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