The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-07-19
"a RANK LIE !"
The Commonwealth.

OF the Raleigh hotels yesterday 1 fell
into an interesting conversation with
: we'll posted and exceedingly intelll-
gent drummer" Gas most OF his tribe
arel from South Carolina. he had
lust read one of the Rep-Pop. fuslon
campaign circulars that Abe Middle
ton aud Eolton issue periodically from
the Greensboro headquarters OF the
which, by the way. are
now coming thick and fast, the State
being flooded with anti-Amendment
Literature" most OF 1t consisting OF
the most barefaced and lying OF asser-
lions.
81 see," said he, "that these fellows
assert that some white men Rave been
disfranchised IN South Carolina by the
law which has largely eliminated the
negro vote indeed, if circular l saw
today is to be believed and credited, a
largo proportion OF white men Cpoor
white men, they term them) cannot
vote now in my State, and they point
TO the light vote polled occasionally as
proof positive OF the assertion"
cit is a rank lie !" added the drum
mer, feellngly. There is not white
man in Souri,. rarolina, not convict
ed criminal, t. cannot vote, be he
ever so poorer 'gnorant. And what
Is more. rAcy d yote-at the prirn-
aries, especiaI.z where all cur candid
ates are Northumberland poor or ig-
ncrant white man never had as much
voice in the selection of candidates of
the Democratic party as be has had
since the negro was eliminated and
primaries held for the selection of our
Candidates"
THE FLIGHT VOTE" EXPLAINED.
at happens to some Cam pa:gns that
thousands of white voters-of all class
es and conditions in life, rich and poor
the ignorant and unlettered as we'll as
the intelligent ana educated-do not
so to the polls and vote on the legal
election day.
"Bu5 that is from choice and not
from necessity, and is easily explained.
GAS have said, our candidates are
selected and nominated at the primaries
(Which all white men attend we have
no Pops and but few hundred white
Republicans in the Ssate), and as the
negro has been pretty well eliminated
from politics and no longer can kill the
votes OF white men at the polls, the
latter rest satisfied, after making their
nominations Cat the primary and,
knowing that their nominees are GER
tain to be elected, do not, to more or
less extent, take the trouble to go to
the polls on the legal election day-and
10 the vote polled, and published to
the world in ali the tets;rns and tabu-
lated statements Of the almanacs and
newspapers, appears to be and Is really
a light one.
'But If the votes polled at the prim-
aries (our real election day. were used
in making up the figures, instead of
those polled at the legal election, the
returns would be different and much
larger.
"That is the whole thing in nut.
she'll. Every man has voice in the
selection OF the Democratic candidates
and the ballot Of the poor and unletter-
ed white man counts for as much al
that of the bark president and the
wisest man in the State. All are con.
tent, and you never hear any of this
rot anent poor men being DISTINGUISHED
in South Carolina at home.
"It will be the same way here in
your State after the adoption OF the
Amendment to your Constitution, for
| see your State convention declared
TOR the primary plan (already partially
in use in North CaroIina) and provided
for tho enactment of laws legalizing
the same after this year.
"Your enemies must be in dire
straits to attempt to palm off such a
transparent lie on the white people oil
North Carolina, for surely none are 60
ignorant as TO be misIed by it,"
THE WINSTON OUTRAGE.
The outrageous and high handed
proceedings at Winston befora a Re.
publican U. S. CT! =. ssioner named
Beckerdite, whereby Ii. has been ct
tempted to punish Cor moro truly, to
intimidate ard browbeat) registrars Of
election for declining to register non
resident and imported negroes, has
greatly stirred up the white people
OF the State where the facts are known.
] know something about this i'm
portation OF negro voters in Winston.
The same complaint was made when
the writer edited a paper there in the
Fowle-Dockery campaign in 1888, and
1t was found to be almost impossible to
purge the registration books of Dan
vile and Lynchburg and other Virgin.