The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-06

~ . ~ ohb ~ ICa4
with h suffrage question ana other
questions that might arise? 1t would
be well for every voter to think about
this and try to find an answer.
THE JIM CROW CAR DODGE
AGAIN"
Editorial in The Caucasian November
cath. 1895.
The populists and white republicans
who voted the democratic ticket did
so no doubt with the distinct under
standing that a democratic Legislature
would call a constitutional convention
We viii now see whether or not the
democratic machine will keep faith
with these voters"
Caucasian December 18th, 1881
1T seems now TIA The Jim Crow
cars was the only kind OF white SUI
premacy that the democratic machine
was clamoring for. The Caucasian
strange fac that as soon as the negro
Scarecrow campaign had closed the
democratic machine at once brought
forward its great remedy TO cure ne
gro domination. This remedy, strange
to say, was the establishment OF the
Jim Crow cars. We also called at
tention to the act that for twenty
years under democratic rule il never
occurred to the democratic machine
that Jim Crow cars were necessary;
but having run a campaign exclusively
on the cry of negr domination, ii was
of course necessary TO do something
to keep the people fooled. So IL was
necessary to raise some new sham
issue of legislation. We also called at
tention to the act that as soon as the
democratic machine began 10 advo-
cate h Jim Crow cars that the same
railroad overseers and bosses who had
backed the democratic party with their
money and influence at once began TO
give interviews opposing the Jim
Crow cars. We stated 1t as u opln-
ion that this was all an understanding
between the democratic machine and
the railroad bosses. The railroad knew
hat it was necessary to do something
to fool the people and so they had an
understanding with the democratic
machine that it was to advocate Jim
Crow cars n the railroads were 10
seem to oppose them in order to make
the people hin that the railroad boss
eS did not own the democratic machine
and also further to make the people
think when the e legislature adopt
ed the Jim Crow cars Gas it Wild that
it was a triumph of the people in spite
of railroad opposition. We believed
then we were stating the exact truth
about the situation, and we believe 1t
now. In fact only a few days g The
Caucasian was informed that the rail-
road officials a no serious objections
to the establishment of the Jim Crow
cars and would rather have that done
than any other legislation that could
possibly be put up hat would satisfy
the people on the railroad question.
Let the people take note of these
things; keep their eyes and ears open
n watch"
Caucasian January 18th, 1899
There is beginning to be some COM
plaint over the sloIynesS of the leglS-
lature in doing some things that 1t
was understood they would do. One
is the passing of a Jim Crow car law.
eff they dom do that" said a good
democrat yesterday-'TWen 1 will
throw up the sponge and the members
of the legislature had about as we'll
do the same News and Observer.
They promised more than the Jim
Crow car law. They promised to elm
mate the negro from politics, reduce
taxes, stop rapes, murders, ~lynchings,
and to give every man the right to vote
as he pleases. So far nothing along
these lines have been done. If they
fail to do these things, they all had
just as we'll throw up the sponge"
When the amendment was introduc-
ed The Caucasian seemed to see much
in it. In it's issue Of February 23rd,
1899 it stated:
when the democrats eliminate the
negroes from politics, then those who
voted the democratic simply be-
cause the negro voted with the repub-
licans, will be free men and can vote
for principle hereafter. 1t will free
the whites. They will no longer be
called upon to vote against the negro
party-will be no such party. Let her
60"
Again after the amendment had been
adopted, defining the attitude OF the
populiStS towards the Amendment n
Enpa KING for the nOnnl1StS The eau
casian said in it's issue of March End,
1899:
when the negro is 10 longer the
issue, then populists can be heard on
the issue that affects the great masses
of the people. Then the minds of the
people will not be darkened and their
prejudices aroused by the cry of negro
domination. Then a sorry white man
cannot stand behind a good white
mans back and call him a negro, be-
cause he does not look at political Ques-
lions Xix he does, or vote the ticket
issued out to him.
They" speaking of the populists,)
think the negro does more harm in
controlling the wages of the white wage
earners than they do the politics and
desires of the office seeker. They can
not understand why it is a greater
crime for the negro to get between the
politician and his pie, the office, than
it is for the negro to get between the
white laborer and the necessary wages
it takes to support his family"
1t was not until the fall of 1899 that
The Caucasian begun to antagonize the
amendment; and it's first antagonist
was upon the ground that the 4th and
9Th sections being s~eparable the Atm
might stand and the 5th might fall;
and it intimated clearly that II the
4th and 5th clauses had been made into
one, connected bv a proviso, the amend
ment would have been all right. On
September 21st it said:
A PERTINENT INQUIRY.
Elsewhere in this issue appears a
very timely and pertinent communica-
ton from a Cabarrus populist making
inquiry why sections 4 and 5 of con-
stitutional amendment were not en-
bodied into one section s. as to re-
move any doubt of danger that may
exist in the minds of the people as TO
the disfranchisement of any white
voters in the event that the state SUI
preme court should declare section 5
unconstitutional and leave the rest