The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-03-21

in large part from cut-thrOats and as
| sassins. The ancient writ of habea,
| corpus, the very bulwark of liberty, tha
writ whose persuasive voice was hear:
above the roar of cannon and the rattle
of musketry in the darkest days of the
war, appealed in vain to the governing
powers for the release of innocent men
Desperadoes burned houses, robbed men
upon the highways and outraged and mur-
dered women and children, At last North
Carolina awoke Her men were aroused
They shook off their conservatism. Con-
ditions compelled a change. White men
banded themselves together. Every man
went armed. Death walked the land
by night and day, not in wasting illness,
but by the quick sharp report of the pistol
and the lynchers deadly moose.
THE election in August, 1870, came on
amid this carnival of crime and law
lessness. The white men were united
they carried the election-they swept
from power the carpet Dagger, the scala
wag and the negro. They impeached a
Governor--other officeholders took fright
and resigned Hardly had the Demo
cratic people assumed the reins of govern
ment when peace settled over the State
like a gentle benedction. Men laid aside
their weapons. Secret political societies
became a thing Of the past. Courts ad-
minstered justice and the lyncher went
out of the business. The law stood SEN
tinel at every mans door and virtue was
safe from assault. The fraudulent debt
of the State was repudiated-the honest
debt compromised and North Carolina
State bonds became standard securities.
Public schools were opened-great chari-
full execution.
For "A years the people of North
Carolina enjoyed the best, the safest. the
most economical State Government any
where in the world. Democratic political
speakers kept constantly before the people
the horrors of 1868 to 1870. The story be-
came old. | must have certainly told it
more than that number of times. Re-
publican speakers admitted the charges,
they confessed the sins of 1868 and pro-
fessed amendment. They declared that
we were living in different times and
ought to let the dead past bury its
dead. But the people were still afraid of
Repubiicanism. At this juncture our at
tenticn was directed from State to Ma
tiOnal matters. Prices of agricultural
products steadily declined until life on
the farm became a struggle with adver-
sity. Legislation in Congress and eX-
ecutive action emphasized and aided this
depression. A new party grew up out of
these conditions. Organized in this State
in May 1892, by the November election
that party polled Al geo votes. IL that
Independent party. attacking both the old
parties. Its political speakers went up
and down the State preaching the doc
trine of more money and better prices,
and declaring that the people could trust
neither of the old parties The Demo
cratic press and speakers in vain warned
the people that division among the white
people meant the restoration of Republi-
can government in North Carolina, and
consequently disorder, extravaganza and
intolerable negro rule. In 1894 the Pop
ulist and Republican party fused" These
allied forces were hurled against the
Democracy. Eighteen hundred and sixty
eight was long way off. Forty yseven
thousand white men had joined with the
Republicans, and even life long and faith
Lui DtIIOCldlo Nih hpb NNiLO bCiN'N biAttN
the Fusionists in North Carolina would
restore negro rule in the State. Popu-
list and Republican speakers went over
the State declaring that the Democrats
had no arguments-that all that they
could say was to cry ''nigger, niger
that the State was in no danger of being
negroized-that it was the same old eff
fort to deceive the people and give US
another chance" Democrats timidly
shrank from any reference ato the negro
question-when we spoke of it at all we
referred to the negro as a colored man
We lost. The FusTonists came into power
They violated every pledge made by them.
They promised to reduce taxation-they
increased xpenditures-they promised to
cut salaries to d basis of cent cotton
they multiplied Offices and in some in
stances increased salaries They prom
ised to restore TO the people local self
gOvernment-they so altered town char
ters as 10 put a minority of negroes in
control of a majority of white people
they declared that we were in no danger
from negro domination, and put white
schools under charge Of negro committee
men. They promised TO restore amity be-
tween the races and so nflamed the ne
gro in certain sections of the State that
the hands OF those whose feet are said
to be beautiful upon the mountains be-
cause they proclaim good tidings-those
who are the messengers of peace-becamc
acquainted with the feel of a ritle-they
promised peace to the State and applied
to the President for military. They i'll
short promised good government every
where and established in our chief city q
government so incompetent that burglary
became a nightly occurrence, robbery in
broad daylight no surprise-insults TO
white ladies by negro brutes matter of
common knowledge and lawlessness so
unchecked that the white people were
compelled for their necessary self -protec-
tion to organize upon regular military
basis and walk guard nightly with rifles
in hand--preacher AMI laymen, millionaire
and day laborer side by side preserving
the integrity of their homes and the
safety of their wives and daughters. Con-
ditions in Wilmington ran so dangerous
that Governor Russell and both of our
Senators cancelled their appointments to
speak there OF course you will at once
acuuit these gallant gentlemen OF any per-
sonal fear: but what must you think of
that government established by fusion
appointed by Governor Russell himself,
II n ~ 6t