The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1910-11-17

:, CO the Good People Of Cleveland
oounty viii Not Stand For 1t.
Shelby Aurora.J

~ Ed;tor.-When a party wins a
go, and unusual victory at the polls
1.,ch rejoicing and enthusiasm il e1-
~ectad from its supporters--I have
- nv youthful days, participated IN
s~,ch--but 1t has no right 70 resort TO
-o,eonaI abuse, insult, or fndignitiea
= she person or family OF those who
sngport an opposite party. The spirit
uhlch prompts such a course toward
= political opponent embles more
the spirit of the savage who dances
arounde the writhing form Of his
victim as he toTtures him 10 death
than OF a Christian people who EN-
Joy the blessings OF republican form
Of government where every citizen IL
supposed to be a free man.
Ten years ago, at the close Of the
memorable amendment campaign, on
the night Of the election. while at
the election precinct and after going
home, | was subjected to the most
violent abuse known to the tongue OF
men, and, at the latter time, In the
presence Of my family, by drunken
mob of fifty or more. This / endured
without public protest for the good
name Of my town.
Again, two or four years later, a
similar offense, on smaller scale,
vas committed at the Shelby postof-
fee toward two or three others be-
side myself. Again the matter was
passed over without notice and there
was no repetition OF a similar offense
until this election. I fully believe,
and so declared frequently, that our
people, old and young, had outgrown
such low, cowardly. and contemplate
methods. l so stated Tuesday night
TO friends.
You can imagine my surprise Tues
day night to meet with the same
abuse, insult, and indignities about
80 minutes after | had declared that
the Democratic party had out-grown
such conduct and just few minutes
after a number Of my political
friends had left my Office. About
1890 D. IN. about 20 or % men and
boys gathered in the middle of the
street in front Of my Office and began
to sing offensive songs, with which
my name was interviewer, to thrust
at me the name of Booker Washing
ton in an offensive sense, and many
other offensive expressions. A friend
who was in the Office with me at the
time, at my request, ran out into
the street to see who the parties were
but, on seeing him or seeing my ap-
proach, they ran, like the towards
that they were, till they entered a
drug store, where they mingled with
a crowd in the store and could not
be identified. They hadn't the cour-
age to meet me face to face in the
open, but sought the cover Of dark
ness to do their dirty work. While
in the store I administered to the
guilty parties a somewhat heated re-
buke and then left for my home to
protect my family in case they went
to my home as in 1900. My friend
was able to identify only five or six
of the guilty parties before they ran
from the street. They were G. T..
Hord, B. o. Hamrick, Ray Short, Alb
Borders, Jacob Anthony, Jr.. and one
other name withhold for the reason
that he says he was not in and took
no part with the offending crowd.
l have made every effort possible,
but in vain, to learn the names of/all
the guilty parties, that I might give
them all in this article. The first
two names given above have &C
knowledged to me as to their guilt.
Have not seen the last three named
n ;c how re
ers' Hardware Company, and B. O..
Hamrick is with w. H Blanton, a
liveryman. Both are men of fami-
lies. I am certain that there were
other men in the crowd. On enter
ing the drug store saw there two of
the police force, Messrs. Hester and
Kendrick, but do not know whether
they saw or knew at the time Of the
conduct Of the crowd. I turned to
Mr.. Hester and appealed to him to
see that I got "a square deal"
Twice have my family and suffer-
ed these indignities in silence, but
silence has ceased to be virtue. The
time has come when my personal
friends in both parties (and believe
have as many In one party as in the
other), both in and out OF town,
should know the facts and correct
similar mistakes in the future. To
have been silent again, like sheep
led to the slaughter, would have
pleased some, no doubt, but would
such course have ever corrected the
evil in the future?
Can it be that In the cradle OF my
childhood, where my life is an open
book, that my family and I are to be
periodically subjected to such indig-
mites as the above? And for what
offense? Why, the crime 81 OF vot-
Ing for what is, locally, minority
party, but is the party which has,
made this the greatest and the rich
est nation under the sun.