The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-06-03
Friday, June 3. 1904.
WHITTIER ARE WE DRIFTING?

1t cannot be denied that a serious
condition of affairs exists in our
state. We have nearly reached the
crisis, and what the result will be no
one can tell.
There have been for some time
efforts on the part of certain news
papers to stir up strife-to array n
class of our people against another.
Everything that has been done by
the one side which did not suit
the editors of these papers n their
hackers has been denounced as con-
spiracy against the state. No one
dared criticise ever in the miidest
manner n action of the state ad-
ministration or of one of its officials
unless he was willing to be denounced
as a traitor n a conspirator. There
seemed to be a persistent effort on
the part Of these men to misrepresent
the motives of all who did not agree
with them, and to incite the people
of the state against them. This de-
nunciation of certain men and of
their actions has been going on for
several months. Scurrilous editorials
calculated to stir up bad blood and
strife have appeared from day to
day. 1t seemed to be the object OF
these editorials to bring on a clash.
The immediate cause Of all this
was the bringing of a suit for the ap-.
pointment of a receiver for the At
lantic and North Carolina railroad.
The remote cause and the origin was
the Acknowledgement of the negro in
this state. Many will think this
latter statement very n~onsensical.
But look back to conditions which
existed before the adoption of that
amendment, to the campaign of 1900
and to events occurring and condi-
tions existing since then.
Before the adoption of the amend
ment the white people of North
Carolina We're almost solidly demo-
cratic. White supremacy was the
dominant issue. 1t kept the ranks
of democracy as solid as a Grecian
phalanx. Al minor issues were laid
aside. All fractional differences were
buried. The white people Knew that
for their protection they must stand
together. They obeyed their party
leaders without questioning. They
accepted the machines proposition
and elected its candidates without a
murmur.
Then came the proposition to
amend the state constitution, so as to
d~isfranchise the negro. The white
people were told by the advocates of
this measure that it would relieve
them from the bondage of blind
obedience to h mandates of party
rulers. They were told that when
this amendment was adopted they
would be free to hin and act for
themselves. The amendment was
adopted. Some democrats refused to
vote for it. Many voted for it just
because it was a party measure,
though not approving it. But these
classes were afraid of it's effect on the
party. They saw that, with the diff
ferent views as to VIVA the demo-
cratic party should advocate which
existed among the people of u
state there was danger to the party
in the elimination of the negro as a
political factor; in other words, they
knew the strongest tie which bound
the white people together was the
solid negro vote on the other side.
The amendment was adopted, and
the white people of the state began to
/. exercise that right and privilege
which the advocates of the measure
promised them from the stump.
They began to think and to act for
TI-- - ~o-- - q
the yoke of party ring, and to resist
the tyrannicaI dictation of sef-ap-
pointed party leaders. This created
a protest from the headquarters of
the old party masters. But the
march of independence has not been
arrested, n the protesting has not
ceased, but increases.
And this is the condition which
brings events up to the issuance of
a rule by a federal court judge on
the editor of a newspaper at Raleigh
to show cause why he should not be
attached for contempt because of
certain editorials in his paper de-
%nouncing the action of the judge in a
proceeding pending before him. The
opposition to this proceeding from
certain quarters grows out of the de-
termination of a certain clique in the
party to rule at all hazard. They
will not admit that my one else has
a right to be heard as to party
The control of the rail-
road. which is the subject matter Of
this suit, is in the hands of the state
administration. and this clique is
determined that it shall there re-
main. All persons who favor a
change in the management are de-
nouneed. h men who brought the