The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-10-11

forge his way TO the front as a master
spirit in everything which he under
takes.
A few years ago, owing to a split in
the negro party in his district over
the unsolved problem of who am de
reg'ler nominee?" Mr.. Simmons was
elected to Congress. In his brief term
OF two years be made record of
which any man might well be proud,
and in addition to the active part he
took in all matters of general Iegisla-
ton, he secured appropriations for
the district amounting to nearly
5000, 900, embracing a $40, 900 .macad-
amized road, a $4,000 public build
ing, and a revenue cutter costing
about the same amount, for service in
North Carolina waters. Besides these
he had other appropriations pending,
which he would doubtless have Sc
cured could he have been returned,
but which by his not returning were
lost to the towns which would have
been benefited. Where can you find
another who, against such odds and
in SO short a time, accomplish so
much? In his old home his merit is
So well appreciated that at its last
regular meeting held Tuesday, Sep
tember 25th, the Bryan and Stevenson
club OF New Bern was enthusiastically
and unanimously changed into a
Bryan, Stevenson and Simmons club
Mr.. Simmons admirable chairman
ship in three remarkably successful
campaigns needs no mention. Two
of them were of such recent occur
renee that his Incompatible leader
ship is familiar to all. But to give
these splendid achievements their due
weight of Importance it must be re-
membered that in at least two of them
he accepted the responsibility and
entered upon the work when success
seemed we'll nigh hopeless. But by
his remarkable foresight, he not only
conducted all three campaigns to a
successful issue, but he won each one
gloriously, won so overwhelmingly as
to make the defeat crushing one to
the opposition, so crushing as to
throw CONSERVATION and dismay into
their ranks, and to put the prospect
for permanent good government in
this State on surer foundation than
it has been before in this generation.
But, though Mr.. Simmons efforts
have resulted in so much good, there
I is still need, and urgent need, for his
services, in a higher, more important
position.
For, with all that we have done, we
have only '.scotched' the snake, not
killed it. With al that we could do
as a State, we could only disfranchise
a portion Of the negroes, and could
disfranchise that portion only tenn
| porarily, that is, until they can learn
| to read and write, which under pres
ent conditions only staves off the evil
for a time, and how short that time
may be the future alone will reveal.
And be not deceived into getting off
your guard. The conflict is not over.
Even this incomplete, temporary re-
spite is begrudged us by the vindic-
tive leaders of Republicanism Dc
you say there is no danger of the
amendment being attacked 1t has
already been attacked. One has only
to read their National platform upon
which Mckinley and Roosevelt are
| running and see how it denounces as
Revolutionary the suffrage amend
ment of this and other States to see
that this is so. Having noted the
language of their platform, to say
nothing of their newspaper and other
utterances, can any one doubt their
a Ci 10 ,on,anI hn ha
rors from which we are escaping if
they can get it into their power to do
| SO, even though it should take more
tiukering with the Federal Constitu-
ton to accomplish their purpose?
And though we feel quite confident
Of maintaining our advantage. and
quite hopeful in the present cam
paign OF electing Bryan and obtaining
ma loritv in the House. if not i'm
! mediately in the Senate. it behooves
us to be on our guard and to put for
ward as our champion in the Senate
the man best qualified to there CON
tinue the fight for our cause, one
who will not simply try to hold what
we have got. but who will. if pos
sibe, carry the victory to still grander
heights.
And when YOU look for that man.
who looms up before the public mind
as nobIv as Hon. +. NJ. simmons
Who has studied these problems as
/ he has? y no, by the familiarity v
/ with them he has obtained through,
conducting the white supremacy cam
| pai-ns, is 50 capable of doing valua-
| bic and effective service along these
+ 1.-Two. az he iS9