The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-03


lief that the United States ought to re-
tain the islands permanently.
Mr.. Pritchard discussed at considerable
length the suffrage conditions and politi-
cal situation in North Carolina, in the
course of which he said that in the So
called "black belt" of the State Mr.
Bryan had majority of 5000 at the last
Presidential election. Either the col
ored voters were cheated out of their
votes" said he, cor they voted the Dem
ocratic ticket l don't say which" He
recited what he denounced as "out-
rageous" which had cen perpetrated, he
declared. by the Democrats of North
Carolina upon Republican voters, but he
said he did not think a majority of the
Democrats of the State approved of such
outrages. He did not think, therefore,
that the isolated cases of outrage and
torture in the Philippines should be cited
as arguments against the Republican pol
icy in the islands. He expressed the
hope that the punishment of offenders
against the articles of war would be
swift and sure as he believed it would
be.
Mr.. Simmons replied TO some of the
suggestions made by Mr. Pritchard as to
North Carolina politics in the course Of
which he justified the white people in
protecting themselves against irresponsi-
lie majorities'
At the request of Mr.. McComas, Mr..
Pritchard expected what he had meant
by the sand cure" to which he had re-
ferred. docs my colleague say" in
quired Mr.. Pritchard, that the red shirts
did not ride through the State and ter
roriZe voters?'
"I state" declared Mr.. Simmons upon
m authority as a Senator and as a chair
man of the Democratic Executive Com
mittea that the stories of outrages com
mitted by red shirts are absolutely and
utterly without foundation. | know of
no outrages that can be traced to that
organization. Except for political pur-
poses the organization of so-called red
shirts never has been charged with being
an unlawful and violent organization"
He declared that not single red shirt
ever had been arraigned for violation
of law
Mr.. Pritchard read a table indicating
that Mr.. Bryan had received heavy ma
jority in the "black belt of North Caro-
lima and yet, said he, "the Republican
party is charged with being the negro
party. He said it was impossible to
discuss any subject in North Carolina
without having the question of negro
domination injected. He declared the
situation would be ridiculously absurd if
it We're not so serious.
AS an instance of the political meth
ods employed in North Carolina, Mr..
Pritchard said that an emissary of the
Democratic party in the State had ap-
preached him, promising that if he
Pritchard) would have entered nolle
PROSE- in certain cases of election frauds
the proceedings of impeachment of Re-
publican judges by the Democratic Leg
islature would be dropped.
"It was proclaimed boldly in North
Carolina said he, that these judges
were to be impeached in order to get
Democratic bench to pass upon the
grandfather clause of the new constitu-
ton
Mr.. Pritchard Indignantly declined the
proposition and said that subsequently,
brave and patriotic members of the Leg
islature, Democrats and Republican,
by their votes had prevented the unjust
impeachment of the judges.
In reply Mr.. Simmons asserted that
the man who approached Mr.. Pritchard
with the proposition to drop the impeach-
ment proceedings was not in the remot-
est way an emissary of the Democratic
party. He had repudated the charge
publicly in North Carolina, h said.
In explanation of the new State con-
stitution he said that while it permitted
educated negroes to vote it was adopted
expressly for the purpose of excluding
the votes of irresponsible negroes. In
the adoption of the constitution we were
moved by a high desire to perpetuate the
Anglo Saxon civilization in North Caro-
lima