The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-08-01
WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 1. 1900.
THE NORTH CAnoLlNa ELECTION

The New York Evening Post in discuss
Gays that by the census of 1890 there were
noe5,3s2 whites and SCI, 5G5 blacks in that
State, OF In the proportion of sixty-five
whites TO thirty-five blacks. It then goes
on TO say that the excuse for disfranchis-
ing the blacks. in Mississippi. South Caro-
lima and Louisiana was that they outnum-
bered the whites, but that this argument
does not seem to apply to State which
has twice as many whites as blacks. It is
fair enough. however, to state in explana-
ton. that in North Carolina the blacks are
largely massed in the eastern counties.
Chairman Simmons. of the Democratic
party In North Carolina, has recently
pointed out that there are fifteen counties
in the State In (which the blacks outnumber
the whites. He says that for twenty-t1ree
years prior to 1894 the Democrats had con-
troll of the State and that during that time
a system OF local county government had
been enforced by which the white minority
in the negro counties were enabled to con-
troll their local affairs. But in 1894 the Re
1ubicans and Populists fused and elected
their Joint legislative ticket In 1896 there
was again fusion between these two parties
on the State ticket, and the Fusio,;ists
elected both their legislative and State
ticket. thus getting control OF every branch
of the State government In 1896 the
Fusion Legislature repealed the system of
county and city government, by which the
white minority in the black counties had
been able TO control their local affairs and
so these counties and cities at once passed
under the control of negro majoTities. AS
a result of the election in 1896. and OF the
appointments TO office by the Legislature
end the Republican Executive and Federal
Government, he goes on a thousand
negroes became oflceholders in the State.
three hundred negro magistrates were
elected. and twenty-seven negro postmas-
tiers were appointed. A negro was made
collector OF customs at Wilmington, and
many counties elected negro officers. In
the eastern cities there were negro alder
men, policemen, health officers. constables-
deputy sheriffs. and negro school commits
eioncrs IN charge of white as well negro
school teachers. An obnoxious negro be-
came the ruling member OF the Board of
Trustees OF the blind institution for whites
That is what the Southern people mean
by negro rule. a term which the Northern
people seem never to have compretended.
BY the term negro rule IS meant not simply
the rule of negroes in certain localities.
(which is bad enough. but the rule of the
State by the negro party. that is to say,
by the party which depends for its success
upon the negro vote. 1t is perfectly plain,
man. that a party which depends upon
great body OF negroes for its votes neces-
sartly caters to the negroes. and is Itself
in q great measure dominated by them
Wherever the negroes hold the balance of
power they Will inevitably demand the
aion's share Of the spoils, and a party
(Which is dominated by a mass Of ignorant.
vicious negroes is necessarily vicious
and corrupt party and will give vicious
and corrupt government
o. course million whites can control
haN million blacks IN any State. but in
order to do SO it IS necessary frequently
20 resort TO violence or TO methods which
Ire worse. and the people cf North Caro- ina
having eaten the bitter fruits of negro rule
having been annoyed and harassed from
time TO time since the war by the ignorant
and corrupt negro vote. have determined
70 ria Themselves OF it. and hence the
snovecnsnt IN that State for constitutional
amsndnent which viii practically dstraa-
ehise the blacks.
This action Is taken IN the interest OF
psaoe and GOOD order. There can be no.
euch things as clean politics and pure sov-
ernuasnt ia y State where ihs.e is cea-
siderable number of ignorant negroes yo,-
ang together and atwsyn In oppoa.tion TO
the whites. and the peacs and prosperity
& and good government q North Carolina.
and Of eli States whore hse aondihons