The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-19
THEY HAVE WHITE SUPREMACY


under the new legislation disfranchis-
ing the negro, and the battle at tie
polls was fought almost exclusively
by the Whites reads a paragraph
from New Orleans telling of the re-
suit of the election For thirty years
the people of Louisiana have looked
forward to an election with fear ami
trembling. Senator McEnery SAYS
that before the Democrats carried the
State in 1876, government in Louisiana
was IA hell on EARTH Since then, in
order to prevent continuance of this
hell on EARTH the white people have
been compelled to resort to severe
measures to repress the big negro vote
which threatened at every election a
return to the conditions that prevail
ed before 1876. In some districts
the white men conducted their cam
paigns under arms, and III others they
kept off negro government by various
methods of suppressing the negro
vote. Getting tired of the alternative
of such suppression or negro rule, the
white men of Louisiana resolved to
put an end to it at once FOR all time. \
Constitutional Convention was called
with the avowed purpose of fixing Il
legal and constitutional method Of
eliminating the great mass of the nc
gro vote. Every plan that the IL
genuity or wisdom of the first men OF
the State could devise was considered,
and after long consideration the con-
vention adopted the grandfather
clause" as the most honest and the
only self-eXecuting plan that had been
suggested. The most eminent lawyers
of Louisiana, among them the distin-
guished Judge Semmes, who had been
studyino the matter more than TWEEN
ty years, pronounced the plan consul
tutional. SO far no attempt has been
made in that State by anybody to test
its constitutionality and the best class
of the Republicans, Disguised with
the orgies of the negroes and sorry
white men who controlled the Repcb-
lican party rejoice in its adoption.
They realize that for some years 1T
will prevent party success, but rs
they have not carried an election N
Louisiana in twenty years, they say
they have actually lost nothing, but
have gained an opportunity to buill
up "a respectable and strong Republic.
can party. There is strong protec-
ton sentiment in that State, and they
think it is only question OF time
before the proteetionists will all join
the Republican party.
Whatever the result may be as IT
affects parties, the actual experience
is that in the first election, the bat
tie at the polls was fought almost ex-
clusively by the whites" The negro
was not a factor. He had been almost
wholly eliminated and there was IA
spirited fight between the Democrats
on one side against fusion of Pou-
ulists. Gold Democrats and RepubIi
cans. OF course the Democrats won.
both because the number of Demo-
Gratis is larger than members of all
the other parties and because the fus-
ion of antagonistic parties was dish
that repealed honest voters. Think
about it. The Populists fought under
the leadership of Donaldson Caffery,
the Senator who bolted the Demo-
cratic party in 1896 because he said
he was too good a Democrat TO sup
port Bryant" Result: Though the
Popuist leaders made such dishon
est fusion, the Populists refused to
support the ticket, and Caffery is
Overwhelmingly defeated for the Sen
ate by Coy. Foster who supported
Bryan.
What has happened in Louisiana
will happen in North Carolina when
the amendment goes into effect. It
will be a fight between white men.
and the Democratic party will win us
long as it deserves to win, by remain
ing true to its principles and keep
ing free from machine rule.