The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-10-06
POLITICAL PERSECUTION.

For four weeks now Holton, Butler,
g. Co., have been trying to find some
excuse to have some Democratic reg
istrars arrested in order to make good
their loud talk before the August
election and to try to scare registrars
in the Eighth district before the No
vember election. The work was pre-
faced by high-sounding charge about
''honest elections by Jim Boyd when
he delivered the charge to the grand
jury on Monday. He ought to be law
yer enough to know that the Federal
courts have no jurisdiction over cleo
tons, State or national, and that all
his talk was either for buncombe or
to help Holton and Butler out of the
deep hole into which they had fallen.
AS the grand jury has found true
bill against six registrars, it is clear
that Floyd made it in order to help out
his political associates. The persecu-
ton of the six registrars marked for
prosecution is based upon the charges
of certain negroes who allege that
they were denied the privilege of regis
tering. If these affidavits had not
been secured by radical heelers, and
if they were true, there is no warrant
of law to try the accused in Federal
court for they were State officers,
acting under State laws and in no way
amenable to judge Boyd or his court
Their arrest and the Indictment is
piece of malicious NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ing more and nothing less. The in.
dictment is based upon the evidence OF
negroes. some of whom were denied
registration unless they could estab-
lish their right to vote, and other ne
groes who are relied upon to help
along the persecution of as good men
as live i'm North Carolina.
1t may be we'll enough for partisans
to~get excited during campaigns and
talk blatantly about political wrongs,
but when these political managers,
"clothed with little brief authority
attempt to use the machinery of the
courts to vent their spleen upon their
successful opponents, upon the evl-
dence of lot of negroes-when this
it attempted, it is enough to create in
dignation among the white people OF
North Carolina We believe that vlo-
lators of the law should be punished,
but we do not believe that men who
have been guilty of no crime should
be hauled up before the courts, pend
ing heated political campaign, for
trial upon negro-made charges for al
legged political offences.
The six men selected for persecution
do not fear a fair trial in time when
there is no political excitement. But
they and their friends-(which means
2OO. 600 white voters in North CErolina)
object to an attempt to punish them
in order to help elect the Assistant
District Attorney to Congress. OF the
six men indicted, four live in the
Eighth Congressional district. 1t is in
that district the Republican assistant
district attorney is candidate Tor
Congress, and Judge Boyd ought TO
see the improperly of permitting Hol-
ton and Blackburn to prosecute gooo
men for the benefit of Blackburn
candidacy. If he thinks he has Juris-
diction, it would be a great wrong 1of
him to be a party to Blackburn's use
of the machinery of the Federal court
in the interest of his election to Con-
gress. Fair-minded Republicans and
Populists, as well as Democrats, will
see that the attempt of Holton and
Blackburn is one that will bring the
court and its officers loss of public
confidence.