The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-06-07
BURKE DEMOCRATS.
Pretend Like They Are Seeing
Spooks.
NONE BUT GUILTY MEN FEAR.

They Say Blackburn's Threat to aoebel
ize Begin to be Exeeuted-George RIa-
lock Is Going to Intimidate Democrats.
Morganton Cor News and Observer.
Local Republican heelers are boast
ing upon the streets of Morganton,
that Columbus Blalock, one of Har
kin's revenue raiders. has been or
dercd to open an Office in Burke
county, ostensibly TO look after dis
tilleries. but in reality to intimidate
and bully Burke county Democrats.
Bialock was with George Pritehard
on the Roar Mountain and killed
man who resisted arrest and shot
Pritchard. He has been in several
other shooting affairs. He accompa-
MED j. G.. Pritchard, as body guard,
TO Newton, and is generally regarded
as the bully of the Radical circus.
Burke county Democrats have never
yet backed down. They have carried
the county, when the town was occu-
pied by regiment of Fedora sol
diers sent to back the Republican
leaders. People are indignant at the
suggestion that they can be intimi-
dated by armed desperadoes sent
here under the pretense Of enforcing
the Internal Revenue laws. They
will hold the local leaders answera-
bic for this insult to the community
and for any violence that this ill-ad-
vlsed step NAV provoke.
The people of the whole State
should understand how arrogant this
man Blackburn is becoming. The
sons of three hundred men from
Burke, who sleep in soldiers graves,
will see whether the Goebel act can
be performed by single revenue
bush whacker.
Nobody in Morganton is scared.
They know he was not sent there for
that business. No one but fool
thinks one man could intimidate
two brave men, much less a dozen.
And 9 dozen men who would sane
tiOn such howl to be sent ont,
exhibits themselves before the world
as q mighty big set Of towards. No
one in Morganton is scared. It is
done to excite the people in other
sections and to keep them from see
ing the trick of the machine. 1t is
like white folks being scared (D to
death of the negro, fearing he is
going to do some harm, when the
poor, black devil is running for his
own life.
Such stuff makes brave men tired.
Such report slanders Burke. If
armed forces are such a terror to
good people, why did the Democrats
provide in their election law armed
forces at the pollsq Was that to
intimidate too7 If one man is such
terror, how about three? And
these three having power to make
more2
Democrats can threaten, They
can say they are going to "carry
the State by force" They can say
they will "rule or make the State a
grave yard" They can say Butler
shall not speak at Rockingham and
Little Washington. Adams life
can be threatened. This is all right.
Yet, when one revenue off Ger is
sent to Morgsnton, the Democrats
make out they are scared plumb to
death.
Blalock is not the only man in the
State VINO has killed man, and
holds Office. And they are not all
Republicans, either. They are good
meu. They belong to the churches,
aud are active party workers too.
They are not considered dangerous.
No one Is afraid of them, except
those who are guilty. The machine
ought to wait on Mr.. Mckinley and
give him orders that the free nigger
and free liquor in North Carolina
belongs to Democrats. If the reve-
nue. departmet sent him there to in
timidate, then that is nearly as
mean as to organize a drunken
r, d-shirt gang to intimidate. If the
Democrats of Morganton are so
afraid of one man, that accounts for
their remaining in the Democratic
party. They are afraid of red
shirts.
Pritchard vas shot and then Bla-
lock shot the man who shot Pritch-
ard. He would have been a fool to
have stood still and let the other
fellow kill him.