The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-06-21
Rioters Made Rulers.
THE WILMINGTON RIOT BY ONE OF
the RIOTERS HlHstlF.


Seeing Red Blood and Smelling 1t Hot
"Dsmning Cape Fear River with
Dead NeKroes'-"Rale or Grave
yard"-Rule bv ..Fire and Blood"
Union Republican, June7.
Quite an interesting article ap-
peared in last Sundays issue Of the
News and Observer concerning the
Wilmington Revolution" And
although the writer, Mr.. Mesres,
states that this was nothing concern
ing politics, this article, covering
more than one entire page, and con-
ceived in the mind of the writer and
written nearly two years after the
trouble" stands as q welcome and
timely contribution on the from,
page of this hot political sheet, the
News and Observer. in the midst OF
another heate political Gam paiga.
O. course this article was intended
to smooth over this terrible and uu
called for riot and bloodshed and
again place the perpetrators of such
crime and lawlessness in a plausible
light before the people in order to
again get their support IN the com
ing election and to make them selves
again appear as peaceable and law
abiding citizens.
But as the history Of this affair, if
truly given, does not work bad
effect in determining the votes OF
the people We do not deem it ou, Ct
place to give brief synopsis of thu.
e sir from MIR. Meares' own wurds.
though reslzipg the fact that the
osi7ct Of the article was to ease ma,
ters of, and believing that the &C
count is given in as mild form as
human ingenuity can construct.
After stating under the hes Of
Organic alton Effscted" that al
ready and, before any organization,
men had commenced to buy fir,
arms for the protection of then
homes,' and that cat a cost of ST.,
200 the ci,iz ms purchased, equipped
and manned rapid fce gum (tbis
of course right on the eve of the
election,) the writer goes on and
gives in the following paragraphs
the following quotations, which gives
the pith of Mr.. Meares' story Of the
awful fair:
"WRITE MANS DETERMINATION"
1.-THE determination of the white
men OF this city to control its af
fairs had reached in the fall of that
year such state Of absolute unity
and stern resolution covered be-
fore it. They did not run a county
ticket. The negroes, however, or
the day of election, voted theil
full strength. The election il tn.
city passed off quietly. The Negro
was permitted 10 vote.
"After the election there was
strong feeling pervading this com
munity that the negro, having vo
ted, did not realizs that recent
movements in this communit,
meant that the white man woult
control the community. It wa
INTENDED bv the demonstration
that followed to make the grea
mass of ignorant negro voter
realize the deep seated purpose o
the white man to control IN tn
future. We know he had made tn
Daily Record his idol. He ha'
Sustained it and endorsed it. ]
was intended that the paper shoul
cease publication, its press an
printing outfit should be removes
from the CITY, aud it's editor ban
ished once and for all"
| AHOu III OAo A1oiAAAS VI nv
fvember 10, a large body Of citizen
Of this community, consisting Of
thousand or m, re, marched to th
, Record Office in brad day.ligh
and destroyed it,"
"When the pre- IS was destroye
. hough it was not intend. d, I'll
; building was also burned. The m
tive which inspired the burning
this building Vas not an unrIgh
I eous one"
D. "Early j. the day the commit,
Of twenty-five demanded OF tt
> mayor. alderman and the chief
O police that thy resign They a
g knowledged their utter incapacl'
O to mai tain order"
n "At four o'clock In the afternot
l. at the agreed hour, the alderme
y assembled in meeting and one
; one rendered their resignation
As each one resigned they ell. cted
n successor whose name had be,
.e furnished by the committee
, twenty-five and the newly elect
b member Immediately assumed
q seat When all the aldermen b;
,t been thus changed, the mayor al
le chief of police rendered their n
q ignations; and Immediately t
D. board ele cted the new mayor Al
e. chief Of police
% slater in the day, when the NJ
s mayor and board OF aldermen we