The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-07-04

Next Fall-The Conspiracy Exposed
by senate simmons.

Chairman Simmons OF the democratic
state committee authorizes h follow
ing statement:
For some time past prominent North
Carolina republicans in Washington
have been intimating that their parry
would control the next North Carolina
legislature and that enato Pritchard
would be returned to the senate. Dem
ocrats have beer unable TO understand
the grounds OF this hope in the face Or
the fact that that party lost the state
in he August election in 1900 by abolt
1000 majority. and since that time has
lost, by the educational provision of
the amendment. however, between .0,-
900 and so, 900 of its former voters.
The persistency with which this
claim was made aroused in my mind a
suspicion that it was based upon some
secret scheme and led me to an inves-
tigation with the view of ascertaining
what 1t all meant. As q result of this
Investigation. / have discovered a
shrewdly devised and well developed
conspiracy.
The scheme, briefly stated, is to stir
UP and promote dissensions and indie
pendantism and. by raising the cry
that the amendment has eliminated
the negro and freed the white man, TO
bring about during the early stages OF
III campaign a hOpSlCSS lNlSIO
| among democrats. and then on the eve
| Of the election hav the federal court
set aside the amendment. In this en-
terprise and in organizing the opposi-
ton forces, the c~onspirators are TO
have unlimited money furnished them
by the national republican committee
upo the promise of two. If not three.
republican congressman from the STATE
and the retention of the present re-
publican senator.
In order to divide the democrats,
every local quarrel, every fancied COM
plant n grievance against the party
and state administration, every disap-
pointment growing out of the nominal
ton or defeat of candidates. is to be
a~sSiduously nursed and famed. The
democratic party is to be charged with
hostility to certain interests and with
nominating men to office known to be
~prejudiced against these interests, and
conservative voters are to be appealed
to to resent this alleged assault and to
cast their votes against these objec-
tionable candidates. 1t is expected that
the opposition to Judge Clark's nomi-
nation will start the bolt and that. on
account of the unusual number of DEM
ocratic candidates this year, defeated
candidates all over the state will be
found who will be ready to hazard
their chances by allowing the use Of
their name.
On these lines our adversaries pro-
pose to open and for a time conduct
their campaign. When the lines of
battle V been drawn and frightened,
when passion has been stirred to
white heat by the friction of conflict,
when allignments have been made, and
when it is believed that the boilers
have gone so far that passion and pride
will not permit them to return to their
old associations, as the day of election
draws neal at hand the courts will be
asked to declare the amendment un-
constitutional and void. Every detail
to this end has been carefully arranged
and the conspiratOrs are confident
there will be no hitch or failure or de-
lay in carrying out the programme at
any point. Between the 1st and 18th
of October a white man, who has been
refused registration because he has
failed to pay his poll tax. will apply to
a republican federal judge, who has
already been selected. for a mandamus
to compel the registrar to admit him
to registration. This judge will hold
that it is within the authority of the
state to max the payment of poll tax
a condition ~precede-t to h right to
vote, but he will also hold that the
grandfather clause is unconstitutional;
and, as the amendment provides that
the whole shall stand or fall together,
SNSiy poLk vi l1C - ol4S1I.
ed by this infirmity. TIE attack will
be made upon the poll lax instead of
the educational clause. to avoid going
into court with a negro as complaint
ant.
By reason of the shortness of the
time. it will be impossible to get the
case heard or appeal before the cleo
ton, and. as the judgment will be eff
fective until overruled on appeal. it is
the expectation of the c~onspiratorS that
the election will be held under the law
as thus declared. If registrars refuse
to recognize and act upon this decision
mandamuses will be issued by the
thousands, to be followed, It necessary
to carry out the conspiracy, by fed
eral court bench warrants.
The negro who is always ready tc
obey the orders Of his party leaders, is
to be kept quiet. but secretly organize
and kept in readiness to rush to tn;
polls when the time is ripe and the
way is clear. 1t is the calculation Of
the conspirators that with 40, 900 ne
gro votes, added to the republican and
dissatisfied democratic vote, they vii
be able at least to carry enough coun.
ties to control the legislature.
The conSpirators have thoroughly
discussed in connection with the
scheme the election law passed by the
last legislature and are greatly en-
COuIdSCU dHO COIHlOTIeu Al lutlT Glitter
prise by its fairness and the large rep
resentation it gives to the opposition
party. They expect, before their de-
signs upon the amendment are discov.
cred. that h county boards, regis.
trars, judges of election. etc, will have
been appointed and organized, n thai
; they will have secured on these boards
all the representation necessary to pro.
tect their voters and to carry out their
conspiracy.
,, This is the republican scheme to cap
ture the state, and it is The basis of al
the predictions we have heard recently
of the reelection OF the present repub-
lican senator. It is not a scheme mere
ly in contemplation. but one which has
been discussed, matured and agreed
upon. In asserting this, / speak not
from conjecture, but from positive and
reliable information.
OF course the success of this scheme
required the utmos secrecy, and fol
this reason but few nave been take,