The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-07-24
News aud Observer, July lith.

Challenge Says the Senator.
News aud Observer, July lith.
Senator Simmons yesterday gave
out the following interview in answer
to the statement made by Senator
Pritchard:
after waiting whole week, Sena-
tor Prilchard. in statement charac-
terized by artful special pleading
and more remarkable for what it
does not say than for what it does
say, attempts and pretends to an
swer my interview of the 3rd Instant.
Much Of his interview is devoted TO
a discussion of National politics and
negro domination in North Carolina
during the dark and stormy period
when he and Butler ruled supreme,
and but little of it is devoted to the
question at issue, and that little is
couched in general terms, selected
with the utmost caution and hedged
by equivocating qualifications. The
closing sentences OF my interview
was an unmistakable challenge to
Senator Pritchard and the Repuhli
can leaders to state in explicit and
unequivocal terms the purpose Of
the Republican party with reference
to the ameniment. 1t invited and
called for Il direct statement as to
whether that party accepted the
amendment as a final and permanent
settlement of the negro question.
''Leaving out OF consideration the
question 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 uncon-
stitutional and that they would ap-
| peal to the courts if it passed, and
that the courts would, without hesi-
tation, annul it. the people of the
State were clearly entitled to have
a direct and emphatic answer to that
| challenge.
I'm the long. laboriously prepared
and carefully worded reply Of Sena-
tor Pritchard, there is not one sylla-
| BILE, word or sentence which asserts
that his party either accepts the
amendment or that it will not, after
it goes into effect, appeal to the
courts to set it aside. On the contra
ry, the only logical inference thai
can be drawn from his silence upor
this subject, under the circum
stances, is that they do not accept
the amendment and have not changed
their purpose, loudly proclaimed il
1900, to invoke the judgment of thu
court upon it's constitutionality.
..What the people of North Caroline
want and what they have right tt
ask of the Republican party is a di
rect and specific answer to this chal
lenge. Upon the forthcoming o
that answer must necessarily depend
the character of the approaching cam
paign, for it is as much the duty o
the Democratic party TO defend AM
safeguard the Amendment from an
nulment by the courts as 1t was t
pass it.
Il am not of that credulous an
complacent kind who supinely hu;
the delusive hope that the Republica
leaders in North Carolina have aban
doned all expectation OF retaining
the negro vote. II / had entertaine
anv doubt about its purpose in thl
regard that doubt would be remove
bv the evasive character of Senate
Pritchard's answer, together wit
the character of campaign which tn
enemies of Democracy are making
North Carolina today-a campaig
so manifestly in harmony with tn
g plan outlined in the information upo
which my interview was based tina
| no man who is not blind can fail
| see.
z Il re-assert my confidence in th
accuracy Of the information upo
which my interview was based. l r.
assert it. first. because my informar
:. is one cf the most prominent men
the State, respected by all for h
: great ability and for his UNIVERSAL
conceded high character. and becau'
he was known to me to be in q pos
ton which would enable him to S
cure information upon the suoJe'
about which he spoke. Because
assured me he did not speak fro
conjecture, but from knowledge. Al
because there was no motive why
should mislead me, while there is Il
HIGHEST motive for the denial OF Il
Republican managers. My informa'
is a LAWYER Of the highest standir
. in his profession and at the time
communicated this Information
me he expressed the opinion that Il
assault u pom the Amendment at Il
time agreed upon would be DANCE
Gus, and that it was my duty
IT chairman to warn the people, to t
N end that the plot might be thwarte
Further. | assert my confden n
in the correctness of my informati'
upon the ground that the plan OF cal
paign already inauguraied by I
Republicans is along the lines inc
y Gated and that the charge that tn
Ii would appeal to the courts to
aside the Amendment Is IN entire
cord with all OF their declaratlo
with reference to that measure ope
" made in the campaign OF 19l
Il The fact that that assault was to
w DELAYED until shortly before the ele
or ton is in entire keeping with t
ID ID cunning for which the leaders OF tf
an party are noted.
..it will be noted that Senat
Pritchard in his answer attempts b
on two denials of the alleged conspira
B. and that both of them are couched
!; peneralities OF the most suspicio
~ nature. In one he denies that
Republicans have eonspired or &C
suited as to the policy mentioned
Senator Simmons In the other