The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-28
AN 1897 INCIDENT RECALLED.

SWinSOn of heart disease at ocean
View Hotel, near Wilmington, re-
calls an incident in the stormy Legis-
lature of 1897 that played large
part in the politics of the State. Mr..
Swinson was about the first man In
Wayne county to join the Populist
party when it was organized in the
State His business was conducting
an apiary and the printed paper liz
the interest of bee culture, which had
a sharp. sting for all Democrats. liz
recognition of his services to the Flu
sion party, Mr.. Swinson was elected
Enrolling Clerk. He was a faithful
official, working night and day, and
seemed to have an eye single to the
duties of his important office. But
the pressure for positions in the Legis
lature was very great, and the Steering
Committee of the Pops and RAIDS were
sorely put to it to get job for every
hanger on who had been promised
place. In their eXigency they called
on Mr.. Swinson to put more persons
on the payroll than were needed to
do the work He protested that he
did not need them. The committee
told him they had promised the jobs
and he must do as they said. He re-
fused and there was friction. The
bee man stung the Steering Commit
tee and they were furious. They
called a caucus of the Rad and Pop
legislators and they ordered Swinson
to put on several big negro bucks,
who had done good political work for
legislators. Then Swinson rebelled.
He told the "Steerers," as they came
to be called, that he would never per-
NIT a negro to work in his office
where ladies were employed. The
"Steerers" grew furious and sworc
that if he didn't they would remove
Il am a white man." he said, land
gentleman. Some of the best wo-
men in North Carolina are earning
their bread in the Enrolling Clerks
office. | will never compel them to
leave by offering them the humiliatlng
alternative of working side by side
with negro politicians" And he
stood his gronnd. The ''Steerers'
had him removed. He refused to sur
render. They broke the locks and
ticians on the payroll. Mr.. Swinson
contested every inch of ground, went
into the courts, and fought for his
rights and against putting unneces-
sary persons on the pay roll and
forcing negroes to work where ladies
were employed. He lost in the Ions
run because the Fusionists had all
three branches of government and the
100000 negro voters made officials
march double quick when they crack
ed the whip. But Mr.. Swinson's fight
saved the ladies. Though the Steer
erS'' won, they were forced to give the
negro favorites other work, though
they CHARTERED them on the State
pay them for the service they had
performed in masquerading as dead
negroes and swelling the Radical vote.
Mr. Swinson never had further con-
nection with public affairs. He was
sincere in his belief in the Populist
platform and contributed much to its
success, but he had race pride and
knew that tearing down the barriers
would open the floods gates and would
destroy racial peace in North Car
DINA. He fought single handed
against the negroism that dominated
his party He failed, but the issue
was made plain and his fight was the
first combat within the ranks that
opened the way for others who re-
fused to endorse the wrongs and
schemes that aroused the State. Mr..
Swinson's bold and nervy action In
1897 contributed to the rout which
came to the Fusionists in 1898, and,
now that he is dead, we wish the
friends of good government in North
Carolina to recall the debt due to his
brave stand against the men who
would and did crush him for his man
ly attitude.