The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-07-11
PR|TCHARD SEEKS TO
E.VADE THE
QUESTION
His Reply no Denial of Pur-
pose to Attack the
Amendent.
II Is A SHREWD DODGE
The People Are Entitled to Direct
Answer to Mr.. Simmons
Challenge.
If is A SHREWD DODGE
SO SAYS THE SENATOR IN HIS REPLY
S Srong Evidence of Republican Efforts to Fo-
msnt Dissention Among the Democrats
Faces the Denial Ct Such
Policy by Pritchard. 4

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 it is devoted to the question at is
sue, and that little is couched in general
terms, selected with the utmost caution
and hedged by equivocating qualifica-
tions. The closing sentences of my inter-
view was an unmistakable 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 final and permanent
settlement of the negro question.
Leaving out of consideration the c>les-
tion 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, the people of the
State We're clearly entitled to have di-
rect and emphatic answer to that chal-
lenge
In tho long. laboriously prepared and
carefully wOrded reply of Senator Pritch-
ard there is not one syllable, word or
sentence which asserts that his party
either accepts the amendment CIR that it
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 jUjg-
ment of the court upon it's constitutional
ity
What the people of North Carolina
want and what they have right
10 ask of the Republican party is a direct
and 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.
II am not of that credulous and COM
plaeent kind who supinely hug the de-
lusive hope that the Republi-
can leaders in North Caro-
lima have abandoned all expectation
OF retaining the negro vote If had en-
tertained any doubt about it's purpose in
thls regard, that doubt would be removed
ny the evasive character of Senator
Pr1tchard's answer, together with the
character of campaign which the enemies
or Democracy are making in North Car
"ilna today-a campaign so manfestly in
harmony with the plan outlined in the
information upon which my interview
was based that no man who is not blind
can fail to see
re-assert my confidence in the ac-
ouracy of the information upon which
my interview was based / re-assert it.
fiTst. because my informant is one of the
most prominent men in the State. re-
srecte1 by all for his great ability and
for his universally conceded high char
acter, and because he was known TO me
to be in a position which would enable
him 20 secure information upon the
subject about which he spoke Because
Le assured me he did not speak from
conjecture, but from knowledge. And he
cause there was no motive why he should
mislead me, While there is the highest
motive for the denial of the Republican
managers. Ny informant is a lawyer of
the 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
;he way agreed upon would be danger
Gus. ana that it was my duty as chair
man to warn the people, to the end that
Ihe plot might be thwarted.
FURTHER, / assert my confidence in the
correctness of my information upon the
ground that the plan of campaign already +!
lnaugurated by the Republicans is along :