The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-07-11

amendment in the way I have
indicated. That way, he says,
he thinks would be beset with legal diff
| fculties. The question is does he pro-
pose TO attack it at ALL His position re-
minds one forcibly of the story of the
negro parson who enquired of his new
convert at the end of the first week of
his period of probation as to whether
| he had committed during the week any
! of the sins he was known to have been
addicted to. Asked the parson: Have
you stolen any hogs this week." mo,
parson." 'Have you stolen any turkeys
| this week." s'No parson' Have you sto-
! len any chickens?" mo, parson." A
few minutes after the new convert re-
marked to his chum "De person press
ed me mighty hard. If he had just axed
: about ducks, he would have kotched
me-" The application is apparent. Had
said grandfather clause instead Of poll
/ tax clause, | might have ''kotched" him.
Senator Prtchard intimates that l am
reckless in my statements because, upon
! information l have exposed an alleged
scheme of his party to foment indepen
! dentism and bolts and to stir up strife
in the Democratic party in tha early
stages of this campaign, and after the
amendment goes into effect to seek to
have il set aside by the courts He in
Inmates that this is a serious charge
and ought not to have been made upon
information. 1t is charge Of
purpose to do what in part
they have already done, and it is
a charge of a purpose to do what they
had boldly declared in 1900 on every
stump in the State they intended to GO.
No one so far as 1 know, complains of
the exposure except the Republicans (and
they we're expected to complaint and GER
tain Democrats who have recently be-
come noted for their criticisms OF the
Democratic party and its leaders and
who speak more often in terms OF APP
prevail and commentator than in criti-
csms of the opponents of Democracy
Why are these people SO stirred up over
this exposure? Why should they be so
cock sure that the Republicans do not
intend to carry out their ante-election
threat against the amendment?. Why do
they go into Mysteries when it is charged
that the Republicans are fomenting in
dependentism in North Carolina?
But Senator Pritchard issued an ad
dress. not long since to the people of
North Carolina, in which he did little
charging based upon information" l
refer to his address, issued April Sth.
1902 signed by him as chairman of the
Republican State Executive Committee
and issued by the direction of the Re-
publican State Executive Committee. In
that interview he used this language: 81
am informed that the leaders of the
Democratic party propose to try to in
duce the county commissioners in the
various counties where they are in con-
troll to release from payment of poll tax
all those who fail to pay their taxes on
or before the first day of May provided
they agree to vote the Democratic ticket,
regardless of the fact as to whether or
not they come within the provisions of
the statute which authorizes the COM
missioners in certain cases to exercise
such discretion
Here is a charge made by the Re-
publican chairman and Senator that the
Democratic party proposed to try to in
duce the commissioners of the Demo
cratic counties, in violation of law and
in disregard of their oaths of office, to
release from payment of poll tax all
persons who had not paid their tax
according to law who would agree to !
vote the Democratic ticket Was there
ever a more slanderous, outrageous and !
unfounded charge promulgated in the |
State, charge of corruption against the |
whole Democratic party, a charge that |
it would attempt to induce the Demo- |
cratic commissioners of the State to COM |
nit baldface perjury for partisan pur- |
poses and this charge based upon in |
formation? That the charge was SLAM
derous has been proved by events. I |
do not recall any very vigorous censure
of Senator Pritchard for publishing this |
Islander from those who are now going
into Mysteries over my exposure. do
not recall any protest on their part upon
the ground of it's "improbabiIi-i
ty." although it was absurd
and ridiculous upon its face.
These things are pertinent. these
things are significant. The people of
North Carolina should reflect upon them
and they should ask themselves whether
these things do not indicate-that the
Republican plan of campaign. as out
lined by my informant. is already at
work in North Carolina and far ad-
vanced.
In less than fortnight after Senator
address to the people. an ex-
tract from which has been quoted the re-