The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-03
NOTICE TO ELECTION REGISTRARS
REPUBLICANS THREATEN To SURROUND
POLLS WITH DEPUTY MARSHALS
Threaten 4 Arrest Democratic Regis
trars Who Refuse to Register Dis
qualified Negroes This Appeal to the
Federal Authorities Is a sure Sign
That They see Defeat Staring Them
iu the F~ace-They Would Initiate
Here the Murderer Governor OF Ken
lucky.
Written for the Messenger.

Hon. F. NJ. Simmons, chairman OF
me democratic state executive COM
mlttee, was interviewed on yesterday
IN regard to the threats recently made
by Lieutenant Governor Reynolds and
SenatorFranks, the two republican
candidates for corporation commission
ers, to have United States deputy mar
snals at the polls. and TO arrest regis
trars who refuse TO register such per
sons as their party may wish 10 have
| registered.
Mr.. Simmons said that these threats
simply showed the desperation OF the
republican leaders. 1t shows they see
defeat staring them in the face. 1t
has been a custom OF that party in
the south whenever they see themselves
about TO be defeated, to turn 10 the
republican national administration for
help. I'm 1896 Pritchard wanted feder-
al soldiers; Mr.. Holton is said TO have
recently interviewed the president with
reference TO sending federal soldiers
here this year, and now they want
to surround the registrars with United
States marShals, and force them TO
register negro boys under q years of
age, negro criminals, imported negroes,
and negroes, who having once regis
tered in their own names, present them
selves to be registered under various
aliases. They would initiate here in
North Carolina the late example of Ken
tuckys usurping governor who, having
conspired TO assassinate the man who
had beaten him before the people,, sur
rounded the democratic Legislature with
soldiers to coerce it into recognizing
his fraudulent claim to the office of
governor.
The mere suggestion of these things
by republican candidates and news
papers is an insult to the people of
North Carolina. 1t is a foolhardy at
tempt to Ibulldose and intimidate the
registrars and judges of election.
There are now upon the old registra-
ton books the names of between fif-
teen and twenty thousand negroes who
have no earthly right to vote, put
there by frau and perjury, and kept
there by the Infamous provisions of
the fusion election laws of 1895 and
1897. The republican have
sent out secret orders to the negroes
to press registration, n they are
seeking, by these threats, to terroriZe
and coerce registrars into allowing
every negro to register, whether quail
fed or not.
Continuing, Mr.. Simmons said that
he lac thoroughly investigated all the
acts of congress bearing upon these
subjects, boil personally, and through
competent attorneys, and that as a
result of these Investigations, he had
found that there was absolutely no
authority of law for what these leaders
of the negroes propose. He said the
act Of congress-, passed in February,
1870, authorizing the appointment of
supervisors of elections and the pres
ence of deputy marShals at the polls,
commonly known as the Force Bill"
had been expressly repealed by the
act of congress-, passed in February,
1894, and that there is absolutely no
warrant in any United States statute
for their appointment, or for the eX-
ercise by them of any such authority.
The deputy marshal undertaking to
exercise any supervisory authority,
either before any register or at the
polls, should be Immediately arrested
under the provisions Of u state laws,
making it a miSdemeanOr to in any
way interfere with or ObStruct an Of
ficer in the discharge of his duties as
registrar or pollh lder. A deputy mar
shall has no more right to interfere
with the registration or the polls than
a private citizen, and would be amean-
able to our state law, just as would
any private citizen, for his acts in that
behalf would be without color of law
In regard to the threat to arrest
registrars, Mr.. Simmons said that no
authority can be found in any United
States statute for such arrests. Sec
lions 5507, 500 and $50, which are
cited by certain republican papers and
leaders as authority for deputy mar
shals interfering with elections, do not
give jurisdiction to any United States
court. A registrar is a judicial officer,
acting under the authority of a valid
state law, and can no more be inter-
fered with or hindered in the discharge
of his duty of passing upon the quail
hcation of persons offering to register,
than a judge of the superior court in
the trial of a person charged with IL
legal registration or Illegal voting, or
any other offence against the laws of
the state. The right to register and
vote is a right arising under the laws
of the state, and outside OF any fed
eral jurisdiction, except in cases where
it appears that the right is denied I'M
de- the law simply because Of race,
coIor or previous condition Of servi-
tude. To say that a registrar, judi
cially passing upon the right OF an ap-
plicant to be registered, in which no
question is raised IN account of race,
but in which the question raised is one
of homage or non-residence or other
disqualification, and deciding against
the applicant, is liable TO arrest if
the decision does not suit the repubii-
can bosses or candidates, is not only
absurd, but evolutionary.
1neSS are not tne udJS u ann VI
of 1868 20. In those days men
went to the polls between files of SOL
diers, and voted at the point Of the
bayonet. Elections were conducted
and supervised by federal oficehold-
ers. All that has passed away, never,
it is hoped, to return again. The peo-
pie of North Carolina DO not propose
to tolerate the unlawful and revolu-
tionary interference of federal office
holders, who are seeking by very
abomniable and desperate effort to
have registered negroes who are not
entitled TO vote, as was done in the
elections OF 1896 and '9S. This is a gov
nme by the people, and not by the
United States commissioners and dep
~ marshals, nor federal oficeholders.
They may run n control, and do
run and control republican and fusion
conventions, but they will not be al
lowed 10 taxi charge OF the elections
of the people.
If any registrar in discharging the