The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-07-15

The People Are Entitled to a Direct
Answer to Mr.. Simmons
Challenge.
50 SAYS The SENATOR IN HIS REPLY
S'rong Evidence of Republican Efforts to fo.
ment Dissention Among The Democrats
Faces the Denial Ct Such a
Policy by Pri,chard.

Policy by Pritchard.
Senator Simmons yesterday gave out
the following interview in answer to the
statement made by Senator Pritchard:
after waiting a whole week, Senator
pritchard. in a statement characterized
by artful special pleading and more re-
markable for what it does not say than
for what it does say, attempts and pre-
tends to answer my interview of the third
instant. Much of his interview is devoted
to a discussion of National politics and
negro domination in North Carolina dur
ing the dark and stormy period when he
and Butler ruled supreme, and but lit
tie of 1t is devoted to the question at is
sue, and that little is couChed in general
terms, selected with the utmost caution
and hcdged by equivocating qualitica-
lions. The closing sentences of my inter
view was an unmistakablc challenge to
Senator Pritchard and the Republican
leaders to state in explicit and unequiv-
ocal terms the purpose of the Republican
party with reference to the amendment.
1t invited and called for a direct state
ment as to whether that party accepted
the amendment as a final and permanent
settlement of the negro question.
Leaving out of consideration the q>Ies-
ton of the alleged conspiracy, in view
of the fact that the Republican leaders
had declared upon every stump IN the
State in the campaign of 1900,
that they regarded the amendment as an
outrage and unconstitutional and that
they would appeal to the courts if it
passed and that the courts would, with
out hesitation, annul it, tho people of the
State were clearly entitled TO have a di-
rect and emphatic answer to that chal-
lenge.
In the long, 1aboriously prepared and
carefully wordcd reply OF Senator Pritch-
and there is not one syllable, word or
sentence which asserts that his party
either accepts the amendment or that il
will not after it goes into effect, appeal
to the courts to set it aside. On the
contrary, the only logical Inference that
can be drawn from his silence upon this
subject, under the circumstances, is that
they do not accept the amendment and
have not changed their purpose, loudly
proclaimed in 1900. to invoke the judg-
nent of the court upon it's constitutional
ity
What the people of North Carolina
want and what they have a right
to ask Of the Republican party is a direct
snd specific answer to this challenge.
Upon the forthcoming of that answer
must necessarily depend the character OF
the approaching campaign, for it is as
much the duty of the Democratic party to
defend ard safeguard the amendment
from annulment by the courts as it was
to pass it.
Il am not of that ~credulous and com
n1apCut kind who cnDinoJu ana +lo IL,
lusive hope that the Republic
can leaders in North Caro-
lima have abandoned all expectation
of retaining the negro vote If | had en-
tertained any doubt about its purpose in
this regard, that doubt would be removed
by the evasive character Of Senator
Pritchard's answer, together with the
character Of campaign which the enemies
of Democracy are making in North Car
DINA today-a campaign so manifestly in
harmony with the plan outlined in the
upon which my interview
was based that no man who is not blind
can fail to see.
Il re-assert my confidence in the ac-
curacy Of the upon which
my interview was based. | rc-assert it,
first, because my informant is one of the
most prominent men in the State, re-
Spected by all for his great ability and
fer his universally conceded high char
actcr, and because he was known to me
to be in a position which would enable
him 10 secure information upon the
subject about which he spoke. Because
Be assured me he did not speak from
conjecture, but from knowledge. And be
cause there was no motive why he should
mislcad me, while there is the highest
motive for tho dopio1 ~ tho DO,,IJioo-
managers. Ny informant is a lawyer of
tn" highest standing in his profession,
and at the time he communicated this
information to me he expressed the opin-
ION that the assault upon the amend
ment at the time agreed upon and in
the way agreed upon would be danger
Gus, ana that it was my duty as chair
man to warn the people. to the end that
the plot might be thwarted.
Further, | assert my confidence in the
correctness OF my information upon the
ground that the plan OF campaign already
inaugurated by the Republicans is along
the lines Indicated and that the charge
that they would appeal to the courts to
set aside the amendment is in entire &C
cord with all of their declarations with
reference to that measure openly made
in the campaign of 1900 The fact that
thdC assault WIS 10 De 0G1aYG0 until
shortly before the election is in entire
keeping with the cunning for which the
leaders of that party are noted.
1T will be noted that Senator Pritcb-
ard in his answer attempts but two de-
malls Of the alleged conspiracy and that
both of them are couched in generalities
of the most suspicious nature. In one he
denies that the Republicans have con-
epired or consulted as to the policy men