The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-04-13

But the brightest OF all on that ban
ner viii be sentiment that the white
race must be supreme We put our
standards in hands of man who
knows no fear He said North Caro-
lina's next governor was born in an
eastern county forty years ago. man
Of ability, a matchlesS debator. He
said: Il name as governor OF this
state Charles B. Aycock. tremendous
applause.) Republicans say they will
make their battle ground in western
North Carolina. Let them come; the
white men of the west will meet them
and vanquish them"
E. w. Pou seconded the nomination
of Aycock. "A man chosen by destiny
to be the leader of this great people,"
He defied any enemy to point out any
flaw in Aycocks life and character;
ne was a patriot. He said the man does
not live who could stand UP before
him in this campaign and combat his
arguments. He said the women were
never more interested in a man than
in this nomination. White rule must
follow our flag wherever it goes,
whether the constitution gets there or
not
E. B. Norvell, of Cherokee, seconded
the nomination of Aycock in behalf of
the extreme west. He moved that Ay-
cock be declared nominee by acclama-
ton. This was done with a roar, fol
lowed by cheer upon cheer and cries
for Aycock, while the band swung into
the gay strains of Dixie
Chairman Overman said the chair
declares Charles B. Aycock the next
governor of North Carolina. This
happy hit brought down the house.
Locke Craig and Walter H. Neal
conducted Aycock to the platform.
When he reached it there was a scene
indeed. The whole house rose, floor
and gallery alike, and gave cheer up
oh nv
with hats, canes and handkerchiefs.
This lasted half a minute. 1t was in
spring. 1t was grand.
Aycock made a speech worthy of
him; his voice rang like a bell. Never
was man listened to with closer at
tention. He said:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
Convention:
The language of gratitude ought to
be brief, for inadequacy of speech is
never so apparent as when it seeks to
convey sense of obligation. / am
| grateful to you and to the people whom
| you represent. l cannot tell you how
| deeply so. My past life and service
| to the state have so little justified the
| great confidence which you show in me
| today that / am made humbly anti
| for all the rest of my life to approve
| to your judgment the action of your
| affections. This nomination has not
| come to me unSought, but I can say
/ with truth that / have sought it in
honorable fashion and it has come to
| me free from taint of contrivance and
| combination. For the office of govern
or itself, dignified and honorable as it
| is, made glorious by the records of a
| long line of the states greatest and
| best men, 1 have not wished, but
have earnestly desired that manifes-
| tation of affection on the part of the
1 Of q whit
| it's expression in election to the gov
| ernorShip. This unanimous nomina-
| ton is joy to me, because the good
| will of my fellow citizens has ever
been thing OF delight to me. Wher
I consider the character, the ability
the service, the fitness of the gentle
| men who were named in connection
with this nomination, anyone of whom
would have done honor to the state,
am oppressed with the consciousness
of my obligation to you, and with feal
of my inability to meet the dem
which your kindness makes upon me
But the fight is not mine, nor shall
claim the victory when it is won. The
contest this year is to be made by thu
people Of North Carolina and the per
sonality of men will count for little.
The question for settlement is of thu
utmost Importance. 1t touches tht
race question and deals with conditions
have been fought from time to time
along race lines, while we have sough
in vain to make the theory of universe
suffrage work out good governmen
and private virtue. We have founl
by actual trial that it cannot be done
Senator Cullom tells us in his repor
of the Hawaiian commission that 9Th
American idea of universal Suffrag
presupposeS that the body of citizen
who are to exercise it in free and in
dependent manner have by inheritance
or education such knowledge and ap
probation of the responsibilities o
free suffrage and of a full participa
tion in the sovereignty of the countr.
as to be able to maintain a republican
form Ofsgovernment
Our experience has taught us tina
the negro has not such knowledg
either by Inheritance or education. TIL
whole people Of North Carolina hav'
undoubtedly come to this conclusion
All parties have in different ways an,
to different extents recognized the in
! capacity of the negro for government
| In 1875 the people changed the consti
tuition at the instance of the demo
cratic party, and authorized the legis
lature to provide for the governmen
of the counties Under that conStitu
ton the legislature provided a sys
tenn of county government by whicl
the justices of the peace in the variou
counties were appointed by the legis
lature and not elected by the people
These justices in turn chose the count
, commissioners who appointed the va
, rious school committees and passe
upon the bonds of the county officer
chosen by the people. The counties O
western North Carolina gave up thei
much loved right Of local government
in order to relieve brethren of tn
east from the intolerable burden Q
, negro government For twenty year
the republican party waged unceas
ing warfare upon us against the forr
of county government adopted by tn
i democratic party. They appealed t
J that desire which has always charac
terized our people to participate /
the selection Of the officers closest
them. When the populist party cam
into existence it joined with the re
publicans upon this issue and togethe
they won a victory over the democracy
/ They came into power with the dis
tinct pledge to restore to the peopl
| local self government and indeed tn
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