The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-06-17
LYING ABOUT AYCOCK
Republican Campaign Mana
gers Regulating fx-
posed Lie.
Mr.. Aycock Writes a Letter That EfftcluaY
Answers Their Most Persistent
Misrepresentation

Early in the campaign, Hon. Chas. =.
AVcock, Democratic candidate for
Governor, made a speech at Snow Hill
i'm which he urged the voters to settle
the question Of the negro in politics,
once and for all by law. reporter
Of a daily paper printed in Raleigh
was present and sent report OF that
speech in which he said that Mr.. Ay-
cock has used these words:
"The white people will rule. There
are three ways in which they may
rule-by force, by fraud or by law.
We can rule by fraud BUT WE WANT
TO RULE BY LAW"
A few days thereafter. the News
and Observer, after talking to Mr..
Aycock and a gentleman who heard
the speech, stated that the reporter
had made a mistake in quoting Mr..
Aycock's speech, and adding that he
had not advocated ruling by force or
fraud. Other papers printed our
statement and the denial was accepted
by everybody except the gang of
Black-and-Ta liars who get up the
and their allies. They kept circulat-
ing the lie.
A circular headed in big black type
CHE WOULD RULE BY FORCE AND
FRAUD" recently came into our po-
session which purpOrted to be an exact
copy of the report OF Aycock's Snow
Hill speech. This extract was print
ed in large type:
''There are three ways in which
they may rulc-by force, by fraud
or by law. We have ruled by force,
we can rule by fraud"
1t will be observed that the fellow
who got up the circular dishonesty
left off the closing words in the re-
porter's sentence. but WE WANT
TO RULE BY Law thus suppressing
material part of the report As a
matter of fact. the reporter made
q mistake, but the Black-and-Tan ed
itor of the circular eXpurgated the
most important clause in the report.
What did Mr.. Aycocil say? In n
letter to the editor of the paper which
published the report Of the, speech,
Mr. Aycock writes:
To the Editor: Your correspondent in
reporting my speech at Snow Hill, in the
hurry of getting his letter off, inadver-
tently made me say what / did not say
I did not use the language that eve
have ruled by force we can rule by fraud
but we want to rule by law" In dealing
with the question of eliminating the ne
gro vote / did say that / knew Of but
three ways in which a minority of whites
could rule majority of negroes-by
force, by fraud or by law | then added
that our opponents have heretofore
charged us with carrying elections by
force and fraud. If this be true, ! said
it is high time. it being conceded by
Republicans and Populists, as well as as
serted by Democrats, that the white
men will rule that the people of the State
should so amend their Constitution as
to make it possible to rule by law.
This is what / said and by this | abide.
did not correct the report at the time
because | am aware that thousands of
errors will creep into reports of speeches
and cannot undertake to correct all that
may come out, but since several Repub
lican papers have seized upon the re-
ported speech as a basis for inhamma
tory articles, ! deem it due to myself
and the State TO say exactly what |
did say to correct the error to the end
that there may be no misconception in
the matter
Very truly yours,
c. p. AYCOCK.
That settles this campaign lie. and