The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-20
Especial to The Messenger.)

NSPCOA0A ~ II ~LCSoOL6CA"I
Raleigh, n. c., July 17.-Chairman
Simmons today sent the following let
Ter 10 President Mckinley:
The people of his state will hold a
general state election on August End
his year for the urpos of electing
county and state officers and to take
the sense of the people upon the prop
osition to amend the constitution of
the state. No federal Officer will be
elected or voted for 1t this election;
and before the national election in No
yember, under the state election law,
the registration books will be open
five days to give to every eiector not
already registered an opportunity to
have his name placed upon the regis
tration books.
In the consideration and determine
ton of these purely local questions, L
respectfully submit that our people are
entitled to exemption from meddle-
some interference on the part of fed
eral ~officeholders whether acting Off
cially under color of their office, or
individually by using opportunities
given them to unduly influence those
with whom they may have official re-
l%atiOns, or by ~parading the authority
with which they are invested in a man
ner intended and calculated to over
awe and intimidate the electors of the
state in the exercise of their free will
at the ballot 10 or the election Off
GERS of the state in the discharge of
their official duties.
Both as a citizen, of this state and
the chosen representative of a political
party numbering 17S, 900 voters. / feel
warranted by the conditions now ex-
isting in this state in making the
charge that you appOintees located in
this state are now daily, and since the
inception of the nOIitical campaign now
in progress, have been tiagrantly and
openly, without the slightest attempt
at disguise or cOncealment. using their
official positions, the individual in
fuence which they give, the Opportuni-
ties which they afford and the power
with which they invest them not only
to control conventions n the voters
of the political party to which they be-
long, but TO unduly influence the voters
of the opposition party; to coerce and
sutimidate the Individual citizen in
the exercise of his political rights
election officers of the state in
the discharge of their duties to
the great scandal of our admins
tratiOn and in defiance of the letter as
well as the spirit and principles of the
constitution and the so-called civil
service laws of congress-, to the main
nance of which your administration
is pledged in a most solemn manner.
In making these charges, l but give
expression to the righteous protest of
the people of this state against this
open infraction of the highest political
rTrbF ono o rfnlI RI thAnn ~ ar
between them and the federal govern
ment, namely: The right of self-gov-
eminent. unhampered by federal inter
ference
so far has this thing of interference
by federal officeholders gone in this
state this year that if we were not en-
gagged in discussion and attempted set
Element of a question: which vitality
affects u civilization, the paramount
issue in this state today would be
whether we are to have a government
by the people or a government by fed
eral O~fficehOlderS.
a BASIS FOR THE CHARGES.
Il beg most respectfully TO give you
a brief outline and of some
of the facts upon which l base these
charges and statements.
The republican campaign in NORTH
Carolina opened with the meeting III
Raleigh, May 18th last, of the republi.
can state COnN SIIlOD- 1nlS was Largely
a convention of federal o~fficeholderS
II was composed of 240 delegates. 4
leading republican of this city openly
stated a few days subsequent to it:
adjournment that more than half OF
these delegates held federal offices anC
that they completely dominated it:
deliberations. a leading newspaper o.
this city published during the session
of this convention the names of nearly
100 of these delegates, giving the fed.
eral offices held by each. l send yol
herewith the names of some of thest
who were either delegates or presen'
participating and directing it's delibera.
tons. Among them are numerous post
masters, deputy collectors, deput,
marshals, storekeeperS and gaugers
collection and customs deputies, cen
.sus enumerators, departmental off
Gals, collectors of internal revenue 70
the Eastern and Western districts
district attorneys for these two dis
-tricts, etc.
This convention appointed delegate
to the national republican convention
at Philadelphia. 1 hav no list OF thes
delegates, but the delegation was com
posed largely of those holding chic
federal positions in the state, anon
them Collectors of Internal ReVenu
duncan and Harkins, and Postmaste
Bailey of this city. The chairman 9
the state executive committee OF tn
republican party is Hon. A. Z. Holtoi
United States district attorney for Tn
Western district of this state, and o
this committee are many of the leadin
federal o~fhceholders of the state.
1T is notorious in this state tia
federal o~ficeholders not only controlle
the state convention of the republica
marty this wear. but thew bava bee