The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-05-17

can party since the day he received
his law license and promise of q
Judgeship by Governor Holden in
1868. No man has been before him in
pointing out the degradation Of his
party and its evil and dangerous
tendencies, while at the same time
no one has given it a more submissive
support. As an evidence of his con-
demnation of the degradation to
which his party is subjected, his in
teryiew, published in 1892; we'll illus
trates. He then said:
''Why, just look at it! The actual
leader of the (Republican) party in this
State is negro Congressman, whose
only qualification for the leadership is
the color of his skin. In that negro
district in past years when the negro
majority was five times what it is to-
day, white men of character and
capacity were elected to Congress by
negro votes. Now no white man ever
thinks of asking for the nomination
in that district. None but a negro is
thought of, and the more incompetent
and treacherous he is the more GER
tain he is to get the prize. If Blaine
and Tom Reed and Chauncey Depew
and Judge Tourgee resided in that
district, neither of them could be
nominated for Congress, unless he
bought it for good round price for
cash.
And again:
"Look at Mecklenburg county: A
few years ago the opposition to the
Democratic party in that county COM
prised several hundred sturdy white
men, led by such gentlemen as Judge
Bynum and Gen. Barringer, and what
is the Republican party there today
but an impotent negro rabble? Look
at Wayne county and you will see that
any mouthy negro grog-shop keeper
is of more Importance in the councils
of the party than such men as Gov.
Brogden, Judge Faircloth, w. S. OBJ.
Robinson and John r. Smith,"
No one has pictured more accurate
ly the coudition of the party, its hui
initiating domination by vicious ne
groes, than Governor Russell does
above. And just what he complains
of as existing in sections where that
element was strong enough to win it's
voice, and it will be seen it was strong
enough from Mecklenburg to the coast,
emphasizing the conditions that have
existed throughout the Safe when the
party, dominated by such elements,
have controlled.
But while the Governor expressed
his condemnation of the blacks, his re-
marks concerning the white leader
ship into which his party has fallen,
given in an interview published else
where in the Post, manifests a new
humiliation, not to say disgust, which
plainly shows that its seeming escape
from an element OF offensive ignorance
by keeping it back from public view
during the party picnic season, is to
turn it over to vicious and more Of
fensive trickery and chicanery. He
paints the truest picture of Mr.. Rich
mond Pearson yet given to the pub
lie, and Mr.. Pearson was evidently
the dominating character-the Me-
phistopholes-of the Republican con-
vention. His smart, but unblushipg
endorsement of his own fraud which
he is attempting to perpetrate upon
the people of the 9th district is unmer-
cifully exposed and justly condem ned
by Governor Russell; and not salts
fed with this piece of work, he forces
the conventino by action plainly and
more offensive than words, to snut
the Governor and to prevent his
friends even to be heard in the con-
vention.
When the good, self-respecting citi.
zens of the State read these two inter.
views by the gentleman who holds
the highest position within his own
party and its dominating influences
and evil tendencies, can one hesitate
to vote for that measure which will
put an end to such domination? W.
believe we have given no stronger
reasons why the amendment should
be adopted than the statements from
the two interviews of Governor Rus
SELL They will bear careful reading.