The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-12-12
NORTH CAROLINA ELECTION.

The Washington Evening star. which
is considered to be the pcl;u-al organ
Of the republican national admlElsIra-
Ion. las III editorial Jn I:.a ,lrl II
Senator Pritchard. Toe Star saws the
senator took issue VIII tine J-m mt
NJ this state that Inc negro wa 4
menac to good g~oveTnr1"u.," but still
just as soon as those .inmocrJts en-
abled him to do so he shook "nt the
because he cons decd him. not
only a menacn but an actGll hinderance
10 the success OF his :wn rarty. II
the negro is not a men1c" TO good gov
eminent h.s presence II tha republican
party would not receive such opposition
from its leader. The Star furthermore
says the president n)w stands on this
question where Senator Fli:chard for
merly stood. He holds that where the
negro is competent anC worthy to par
ticipate in affairs he il entitled 70 do so
and that it is wrong to deny him this
right. He refuses, tr"I fore to endorse
the movement" etc. NV 'he question
is: Where does the prN7riaEt stand on
this question? No DO y knors. for his
words and his actions have been so con-
ficting that no one "En I'll! where he
stands. He says one day that he will
stand by the negro. ana the next he
adopts a course fatty contrad citing his
words. Els actions even are as con-
Trajectory as his words nave been. He
removes an office-holde~ in Alabama
for taking part in the white republican
party movement. He agrees TO remove
without cause the last negro DoStmas-
ter in this state. H. ~arroints a com
mission Of three While MEN to look after
federal appointments in A!abs ma after
for months seemingly having heen
guided by the advice e the negro
Booker Washington. The truth. is
President Roosevelt does not know
himself where he stands on this aues-
ton, or rather has no fxei position.
is trying to be all things to all men in
the endeavor to please 10th sides In or
der to secure the SUPPORT OF the south
ern republicans for the presidential
nomination.
The Stars editorial is as follows:
In speaking of the Lily White
movement in North Carolina. Senator
Pritchard said Monday to o represent
ative of The star:
THAT we were right in action Is
shown by the vote in he November
election. We pollad a bigger vote than
ever known in the statc. Despite the
] disfranchisement of 2 $500 n-ero votes.
which the democrats admit hG always
been cast with the ~Cpublicans. the
democratic majority in the state ::
month ago was only 1000, about the
same as when the negroes were voting.
This is very frank. Mr.. Pritchard
was a candidate for recollection to the
senate. and everything was sCbOrdinat.
ed to his efforts to WIN vote. The ne
gro vote, which had twice stnt him IL
the senate, was no longer available. 1t
no l niger existed. The democrats,
against his protest, had eliminated ii
| from the question. He hGd taken issue
with them as to the proposition that the
negro vote was a meEace to good gov
eminent. But having been bic to
save the vote. and finding II Necessary
now. if he remained IN the race for the
| senate TO turn elSewheia for support he
made play for white votes on the
| strength of the prejudice against the
I negro he had just been conlha ting. He
secured d few-althoueh he was never
seriously in the runlIiug-anG now he
points to those votes as JEstfying his
adoption of the lilly white" line of ac-
ton. Mr.. Pritchard is convinced he
was right because he fDund q few men
willing to vote fer hini VINO uould not
lI
n declared against the negro himself.
The president stands where Mr..
Pritchahrd formerly stood. He holds
that where the negro Is cnmretent and
worthy TO participate in afffirs he is
entitled to do so, and thIt il IS wrong
to deny him his rights. He refuses.
| therefore. 10 indorse Il movement. or
! even tolerate it, SO far nS his official &C.
| lions 70, which has tor ito confessed
! object the drawing of the color line in
| our politics. The lilly whites have no
| friend In the White House. ard are not
| likely to figure in affairs t. any great
extent.
II il were possible however. for the
south to be completely changed politi-
| cally by this movement. the justice of
the proposition to reduce the represen-
tation in the national House &c conform
10 her voting strength would remain.
and deserved to be pressed. 1t is not
n partisan propositi0r, but relates
wholly to the exercise Of strength in
national affairs which the south by heI
own action has forfeited. She has no
light to hut the negro cut in local af-
fairs and yet count him in when she
votes in national Affairs. The constitu-
ton forbids it, and he pTirCiples OF
everyday fair dealing forbid il. Why
not support the constitution III rliis as
in other matters?
Our friend Richmond Pearson HobsoH