The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-10-11
Pou Skinning Butler.

Congressman Po1 OF the Raleigh
district. and Maion Butler lad
Joint political discussion In Smith
6e!d last Saturday Marion Butter.
Who Ike the gentleman OF the same
lame. o! Boston. EhO commanded
=Ee federal t1Fc-- il New Orleans dur
Ing TIE var between the stats and
D@@aUs- o. Ii Villai1o1s conduct
-+aeTe @a- given the name Of Beast
BIC@T. cau boast that whatever
NAY have b-en said OF him. no one
mas ever call=d him fool slipped up
u tbs debate 5y delou0cing tLe
white F=opIe Of the state for causing
c-rtaIn Disturbances III 1855. esp-c-
Tally those which are known as the
Wilmington revolution. From al
eycnaLge we take The following &C
count OF Mr. Pous reply 70 this part
Of Butler sp=acn:
BgI5=r denounced -le people Of TIE state
Tor th= Disturbances which took place in
tE@ campaign q 1>5. and 1860. and
charged that Senator Simmons ea-
cO1-ags1 mob rGle Nj Pou-z reply
was one d The most terrific TIC writer
las ever Listened ~. and | wish eEe-v
tae1t white man II the srareeo1f have
heard II Y OF charge Senator Simmons
with encouraging mob vi0bsDce." said
Mr. POu. You know the charge :
!a-se- and !oa shall not slaoder nan
who = better than you are. II Lis alb
s-Ecs- charge he-e and now. Marion
B1tler. that TOa are responsible fo-every
drop VI blood that X a. SHE'D in the city
Of Wilmington You betraye4 theS-hoas-
and. ri good men who had followed Won
IatO the pOpullsC party. and .ou formed
al alliance with the leaders Of The H.
gTOe= Of our state IN order thar Won
might 20 to the senate In the county
d New Hanover you paI forty reyro
magistrates IL Office All the police otJbe
city Of " ilmiDgton were negroes Nearlv
al Of the deputy sberiEs were nAyro-.
The result o. course was a carnival o
| crime. such an era Of lawIessne.. the
| ieople d that city had never seen High
| way robbsEles were com nitted in the
| open day time Burglaries were eorn-
| TnItted night alter night within the verv
! shadow Of tie city hall White women
were knocked Of the sidewalk bv insa-
| lent drunken negroes You will nor
stand up here and deny that you were
more responsible than any other one
| man for putting these venal and ineon-
| petent negroes IL Office. YOQ acrnn-
| plisbed ;hat when : on sold out the orran-
nation Of the populiss party DovoQex-
pect white men 10 submit to such con-
| ditiou-? You ar white man yourself
| and you ought TO be conscious Of rha
| things that your race cannot and will
| not submit to Now. / 9eplore evarv
| violation OF Law which has ever TAKEN
| plaCe in our state. | expect | d4DIo-a
! these things as much a. you do. bur ri.
you here and now. in the presence Of your
own people. that II DOES not lie in yo7-
mouth 10 denounce the u4opIa Wi
nington, or any one else in North Caro-
lima for anything that was done in ses
and 1900 10 nd tie state OF your work
and that i why yOu did not dare stand
| up in eastern North Carolina and arrernr,r
TO defend your record il 1890 and 1902
| That i the reason tina. you hare waited
all these years before you return 10 fsn-
The people you have betrayed You think
that they have forgotten. and that Won
can deceive them once more By your soft
and hypocritical words.
Butler did not resent the charge,
He could not, for Conscience does
make towards Of IL all" and Buffers
conscience reminded him that every
word OF that de1unciatorv charge
was true. Think Of a white man of
North Carolina, one who had been
! honored by our people by election 10
high office, being forced TO stand b.
fore an audience OF his fellow men
and hear such a denunciatiou o. his
! conduct and not be able TO denv a
single one OF those fearful and dam
nable charges. for the reason that he
knew they were true and theIisteniDg
crowd also knew OF their truth. 4
pitiable sight it must have been.
These were honest, patriotic white
men in that audience who, no doubt,
blushed for him when they heard a
native North Carolinian charged 70
his face with such conduct and who
did lot dare deny the charges or at
tempt TO defend himself against
them. because all knew there was no
defence that could be made.