The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-11-07
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18th, 1902.
THE RECENT CAMPAIGN.

The result of the state election is all
that the democratic party could wish.
1t evidences hat the people of his
state. whatever differences of opinion
they may entertain az to national is
sues, are not yet prepared to entrust
the management of state affairs to the
republican party and it's allies. The
Importance and more directly touches
the interest Of III people tina national
affairs. This election does not, howev-
er, mean hat the republican party is
permanently annihilated, even in the
eastern counties, where it has made lit
tie or no showing. 1t has been general
ly conceded that the elimination of the
negro was most desirable that issues
might be discussed and the individual
man be untrammelled by the racial
questions on public issues. We believe
that this much desired condition will be
yet accomplished. If the speeches of
the democratic leaders made in this city
are to be taken as evidence, the demo-
cratic campaign, though successful, was
not conducted upon the high plane
promised by the constitutional amend
ment. There was too much said in these
speeches about the negro, too much
of the reconstruction era. too little of
the live issues of today, too much of
the dead past. 1t should have been
conceded freely, as a fulfllment of the
promise Of the constitutional amend
ment, that men in this election should
be at liberty to vote their convictions,
without censure or OstraciSm. The
democratic claim for p as we'll
1T might be, should have peer rested
upon argument and exposition of live
issues. We had too much appeal to
passion, too little to intelligence. and
none to the future, but all to the past.
1t was not to be expected, perhaps.
that he public journals and public
speakers, who have felt, written and
spoken SO strongly upon the negro peril,
would drop the habit of doing SO so
soon after the real danger had passed.
1t is to the credit, however. of both a
nuEber of the public journals and pub
lie speakers of the state thai they did
rise to a higher and broader position in
their discussions during the campaign
Just closed. One thing in our minds is
certain, it is high time to relieve our
selves of the resentments of the past.
We nus let the reconstruction era pass
into the domain of history, where it
now belongs. The men who inflicted
it upon us are dead. Numbers of their
descendants are today active forces in
the development of our southland. 1t is
time to face to the front and consider
upon their merit and to couragously
support those issues, which in our judg-
ment, will best serve the up-building
of h material interests of our state.
We cannot do this without dropping the
prejudices of the past, and, with free
dom of thought, alike to ourselves and
to others, consider the issues and duties
of the future. The highest duty of citi-
zenship demands this of the people of
this state in the future. We do not
wish to be misunderstood. We think
the result of this election is decidedly
best for the state. We are in this graft
fled. We do believe, however, the same
result might have been attained with
out having continued, as freely as it was
continued, the discussion by the demo-
cratic leaders of the dead issues of the
past and of the racial question. So
much for the democratic conduct of the
campaign.
On the other hand. We believe, that
there has been very little in the man
ner of conducting the republican cam
paign by its leaders to have command
ed the respect of intelligent and
thoughtful men, The adoption of the
constitutional amendment, with its lib
eral promises of political freedom to
which the democratic party was COM
mitted. gave to the republican leaders
of this state a very great opportunity.
Either they did not realize it or did not
have the courage to avail themselves
of it. 1t is not unnatural that men
should differ upon public questions,
These differences nave existed for years
as to the questions of money, tariff,
trusts n expansion. The negro queS-
ton in the eastern section of this state
has kept men voting with the demo
cratic party. Notwithstanding they diff
fered with it Upon main issues. II
would have been too much for the re-
publican party to have expected a vic
tory in this campaign. Had their po-
IiticaI leaders taken the position that
the constitutional amendment had elm.
mated the negro question and that it:
promise was one of political freedom Il
enable men to vote as they pleased upol
the great issues, and addressed
themselves to their party's po
sition upon the practical issues
with an assurance that they &C
copied the constitutional amendment a
a solution of our racial troubles, even
Itch n Straiohr marty frht they Nigh