The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-07-14
gain protection from such scenes as those

lie went merclleSSly on in the recital:
The end came, as all knew it must
come. A negro fired that fatal shot and
a white man lay weltering in his blood
Before night the men who were leading
the riot were cold in death.
Il remember the day when the news
came clicking over the wires to Colds
boro: For God sake, send us help; the
negroes are shooting white people down
on the street.. Within half an hour five
hundred men with guns were at the de-
pot waiting for the train. / was one of
them, and there isn't a man in Wake
county, no matter how long he's been a
Populist or Republican, who wouldn t
have been there too if such an appeal
had come to him."
In the applause that greeted these
words fierce passion Numbered and rush
ed and turmoied about the speaker, and
| wondered if he might not loose control
of his audience. But he was master of
| the situation and knew their wants and
feelings better than they knew them
| themselves, for he was aiming to ac-
complish them with better and truer
aim
I'VE want no more force His words
came like balm eve are tired of strife
and bloodshed" The tense faces were
| losing their hard lines. I'VE want to
| end it all with the ballot. That is the
power that shall execute the will of
every white man in the State and shall
| safeguard every woman-even to the lit
| tie girl on her way to school.
But if we can't do that" he was
speaking calmly now but with an earn
estness that could not be mistaken. but
| if we can't do that, there are no cow
ards in our country and we have sworn
| by our dead mothers; by our wives, our
sisters and our sweethearts; by the
| good name of our State, that we will not
endure another day of negro rule"
Tire A,aker now entered upon dis
cussion of the Amendment He spoke
| earnestly, eloquently and in all candol
| and fairness. He showed them argu-
| ments that carried conviction like q
| sweeping wave, and gave them apothegms
| that rang like the crack of rifle.
In conclusion he made powerful ap
| peal to his hearers and said: Il de-
| clare to you that no white man shall
| ever be deprived of his vote in NORTH
| Carolina. | declare to you that no white
| boy shall be deprived of his vote by rea-
son of this amendment. if l am Governor
| l stand here to pledge you that every
| white child in the land shall have an op
| portunity to read and write. l am an
| thorized by the platform to make tina
pledge.
+ 1t was a great speech, a powerful ap
| peal, delivered with telling effect
But scarcely less eloquent and no less
effective was the speech of Mr.. E. w
Pou, who followed Mr.. Aycock.
Mr.. Pou was introduced by Mr.. B.
| Beckwith, of Raleigh.
The speaker entered upon the discus
sion calmly, laying his foundations broat
1 and deep. He reviewed the record o
| the Republican party in the eastern coun
| ties, showing how negroes had been pu
| in office over white men, and how they
had used their power to humiliate The
| whites.
And I'm here to tell you, with your
white Anglo Saxon faces he said il
concluding this part of his speech, 81
YOU are willing to submit to this. theI
there's no help for this country
He denied that the Democrats had VIC
| lated any pledge; they have dsfranchisec
no man, but have simply submitted t.
the people the proposition to disfranchist
| 5000 negroes.
That's all. Shall it be done? No white
| man will be or can be disfranchised under
| this Amendment. And who says he will
| 1t comes from the census taker, the
| revenue doodler and the Radical office
| holder. Now l want to say that they
| tell you wilful and knowing lie. The
| lime has come when we must call {
spade a spade"
Referring to the threats that negroes
| have been making against registrars Mr.
| Pou said:
Il want to be plain with you negroes
| There are lot of scoundrels around this
| county that are giving you mighty bad
| advice. Right here in Wake county
you've got men who tell you to beat
Democrats with sticks or otherwise as
sault them. Now here, the first shot
YOU fire will be answered by two shots
The first will send you into eternity
and the next will send there the miserable
white scoundrel that advised you to dc
such a deed"
This was greeted with loud cheering
and wild enthusiasm that showed it met
the approval of the crowd.
Then turning to a Fusionist who had
come up to the stand and several times
interrupted him, Mr.. Pou said:
And now a word to you, my Radical
friend We mean business with a big b
and if you all don't stop your foolishness
If advising negroes to whip registrars
somebody's going to get hurt, and it
won't be us.
Mr. Pous speech could hardly have
been better. For more than two hours
he was listened to with the greatest in
terest and earnestness by the crowd and
vas often applauded.
Altogether it was great day.
1t is a marvellous campaign that this
man Aycock is making.
terrific campaign for mind and body
md VOICE but he is standing ii like q