The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-03
north Carolina
ELECTION methods
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ELEUllUn lllElhUDD
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the Philippines, and the South will be the
bcnenciarieS Of the extension Of the cot
ton goods trade in the Orient
He said that a Republican voter was
taken from his home at night and beaten,
his face being crushed into the sand to
st!1e his cries.
Mr.. Simmons declared that this was the
Hrst time he had ever heard of "the SAND
cure" He said he did not believe the
statement of the witness quoted by Mr..
Pritchard, and insisted that Il it Were
true, the sand cure was not admins
tered for political purposes. He Said that
for six years he had been the chairman OF
the Democratic Executive Committee CT
North Carolina, and he had never known
OF any case Of outrage and violence for
political purposes.
Mr.. Pritchard inquired If it were not
fact that organized bands of "red shirts
rode over the State of North Carolina for
the purpose of terrorizinG Republican yot-
erS.
That organization (the red shirts),'
replied Mr.. Simmons, never had fo- its
object any bellicoSe or belIigerent purpose
toward any part of the voters of North
Carolina. 1t was merely an organization
for the purpose of more effectively organ
ling the voters Of the State" Prolonged
laughter on the floor and in the EalleTleS.)
WANTED SWIFT PUNISHMENT.
In the course of a colloquy with Mr..
Clay, who said that while he had no doubt
about the validity of the title of the
J,Eited states to the Philippine Islands.
but thought the islands ought to be turned
over to the inhabitants in order that
they might govern themselves, Mr.. Pritch-
ard declared frankly his belief that the
United States ought to retain the islands
permanently.
Mr.. Pritchard discussed q considerable
length the suffrage conditions and political
situation in North Carolina, in the course
OF which he said that in the so-cas1ed
"Blacl1 Belt" Of the State Mr.. Bryan had
4 majority of 5000 at the last Presiden-
tial election
Either the colored voters were cheated
out of the votes" said he cor they voted
the Democratic ticket. don't say which"
He recited what he denounced as "out-
RACES that had been perpctrated by the
Democrats Of North Carolina upon Re-
publican voters, but he said he did not
think q 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 Phil
1ppineS should be cited as arguments
against the Republican policy in the Phil
lppines. He expressed the hope that the
punishment of offenders against the ar
ticlcs 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 ''wh,te people in
protecting themselves against irresponsi-
BILE majorities."
At the request of Mr. Thomas. Mr..
Pr1tchard explained what he meant by
the sand cure to which he had re-
fcrred.
Does my colleague say" injured Mr..
Pritchard, that the Red Shirts did not
ride through the State and terrorize
voters?"
DEFENDED RED SHIRTS.
state declared Mr.. Simmons,
upon my authority as q Senator and as
chairman of the Democratic EXec,I-
tive Committee that the stories of out
RACES committed by Red Shirts are ut
terly without foundation 1 know of no
outrages that can be traced to that or
ganization. Except for political pur-
poses the organization of so-called Red
Shirts never has been carged with being
an unlawful and violent organization"
He declared that not a single Red Shirt
ever had been arraigned for violation
of the law.
Mr. Pritchard read a table, declaring
that Mr.. Bryan had received a heavy
majority in the "Black Belt of North
Carolina, and yet the Republican party
was charged with being the negro party.
1t is impossible to discuss any policy in
the South without having the negro oues-
ton injected into it. He declared the
negro question would be ridculously alb
surd were it not SO serious. He had
had men approach him, promising that
if he would have a nolle PROSE- in GER
tain election cases, the charges of i'm
parchment would be dropped.
1T was declared said he, chat GER
tain judges We're to be impeached, to
get a Democratic bench to pass upon
the grandfather clause Of the new Con-
stitution''
proposition. He said that subsequently,,
brave and patriotic members of the Leg
acknowledgements and Republicans
through their votes had prevented the
unjust impeachment Of the judges.
In reply Mr.. Simmons asserted that
the man who approached Mr.. Prtchard
with the proposition to drop the i'm
parchment proceedings was not in the
remotest way an emiSsary of the Demo-
cratic party. He had repudiated the
charge publicly in North Carolina.
In explanation of the new State Con-
stitution, he said that while it permit
ted educated negroes to vote, it was
adopted expressly for the purpose of
excluding the votes of irresponsible
negroes In the adoption of that Constitu-
ton we We're moved by a desire to per-
petuate the Anglo-Saxon civilization in
North Carolina