The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-12-16
THE PEOPLE OF WILSON UNFAIR
LY CRITICISED.

| uniust in their criticism of the people
of Wilson with reference to their let
| ter testifving to the good character Of
Sam Wick. postmaster at Wilson. If
| they knew the true situation, all of them,
| exceDt the Pritchard organs, would
| heartily approve OF what the good white
| people of Wilson have done. They have
not been playing politics, but have simply
been proving the truth of what has al
ways been asserted, to-wit: The best
| friends to negroes who conduct them
| selves well are their white neighbors.
The Democrats of Wilson prefer a
| white man of character and worth for
| postmaster. Whenever they have had
| any voice in selecting a postmaster, ne
| has been a white man Of high standing.
| That settles their convictions. During the
| recent campaign, in a speech at Smith
| field, Senator Pritchard, hoping to get
votes from white people, Dragged that he
had removed every one Of his negro
postmasters but one, and promised to
nave him turned out Of office. After
the election, in pursuance of his Smith
| field promise, Pritchard recommended the
| removal of Sam Wick solely upon the
| commended as his successor a man who
in 1894, 1896 and 1898, acting with the
negroes, did everything in his power to
| keep the negro party in political power
:. \-o,+b Corolino on1 70 1ofpat tho rom
stitutional amendment 1t was expected
that the negro, Wick, would do this be-
/! cause he was a negro. 1t was not ex-
pected that any white man, who loved
his State, would help the negroes to
continue the disgraceful rule that pre-
vailed from 1895 to 1899 in North Caro-
lima. The man who in that crisis was
untrue to his own race showed his I'M
fitness to represent the white people in
any capacity. The Wilson people wish
q white postmaster who was not a lieu
| tenant of the negro and other Republican
leaders when it required a political rev.
| olution to redeem the State from in
cendiary, revolutionary and r~ascally rule!
Sam Wick IS the best negro in North
Carolina. He conducts himself we'll. He
is respectful, polite, accommodating. In
| Wilson the white people know and ap-
| preciate his good qualities. They Will
| not endorse him for office because they
| do not believe in elevating any negro to
important public position, but when re-
quested to state whether he was a man
| of good character they did not hesitate
to do so. If they had failed to tell the
| truth about a respectable negro, who
had won the confidence Of the white peo-
| pie by his good conduct, they would have
done an injustice to themselves and re-
pudiated their professions of friendliness
to we'll behaved and correct negroes.
They are honest-they have always been
sincere-in their professions of kindly
| feeling for the negro. They have fought
to the death Pritchard's plan to turn
over the Eastern counties to negroes and
unworthy white allies. They believe the
best interests of both races are subserved
By the elimination of the negro from
politics. Therefore they will not endorse
any negro for any public posi-
ton. But they will not refuse to testi-
fy to the good character of a negro citi-
zen for fear some Radical politician, or
some man ignorant of the facts, will
criticize them for SO doing. The negro
in North Carolina, who is industrious
orJ >o,oc hoe loo ~ .fror, Tho XTi1cDp
postoifice incident two lessons which
every intelligent man has long ago learn
ed, to-wit: /. That the white Democrats
are hostile to the political power of the
negro but are their best friends in their
daily life. 2. That men like Pritchard
and Boykin, who have encouraged them to
demand political power IN ORDER TO
GET OFFICES FOR THEMSELVES would
does not keep them in office.
The Democrats Will forever oppose
nuegro voting and negro offce-holding,
but they will always testify to the worth
of a negro who conducts himself properly.
~ LIS p1SP1S Ill Ills AoNC
acted with credit to themselves and with
perfect consistency. If the President ap-
points Sam Wick, that is a matter over
which they have no control and for which
they Will be in nowise responsible. They
were not consulted When Pritchard aD-
pointed Wick in 1897. They nave not been
consulted now. They know that the mat
ter will be determined without refer
ence to to their wishes. but they would
not permit a we'll behaved negro TO ask
in vain for a testimonial of good char
actcr to which his career and life ertitle
him.
If Roosevelt can help the Republican
party in close Northern districts by keep
ing Wick, he Will do it. If, however, he