The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-09-11

Judge Tourgee was in my opinion
the most brilliant carpet-basgec who
found fame and fortune in the ruined
south In many ways he was a re-
markable man. His death was de-
creed by the ku KluX klan for the
part he took in persuading Governor
Holden TO suspend the writ of Habeas
Corpus in North Carolina. The writ
had never been suspended for mo-
ment during the entire history OF
the commonwealth, not even during
the four years of war when the con-
script acts were enforced. a hundred
picked men We're commissioned to exc
cute Tourgec and the governor for this
usurpation Of power and throw their
bodies into the capital square at RAJ
leigh. They failed only because of
warning received in time. And yet
! this big-brained, self-poised Yankee sat
down afterwards and wrote the tri-
butte to his foes | quote. We south
erners are much too intense in our
feelings to do such things.
1t never occurred to Judge Tourgee
at the time he wrote the book that the
members of the klan We're merely a
set of scoundrels and desperadoes
Nothing perhaps better illustrates
the chaotic conditions Of the times
than the manner in which Judge
Tourgee obtained his title. He applied
to the supreme court Of North Caro-
| llna for license to practice law and
/ fell through on the examination. He
cursed the ancient and honorable court
composed Of men OF great ability
as an aggregation of solemn asses,
ran for the legislature on the negro
ticket and was elected He passed
o bill through the black parliament to
deprive the supreme court of the right
to examine candidates for the bar
and placed the privilege in the hands
Of the common justices Of the peace,
many of whom We're negroes who
could not read nor write. He went
before a magistrate, paid his fee Of
twenty dollars got his license to prac-
tice law without examination. ran for
Judge and took his seat on the bench.
do not record this fact in any dis
respect TO the memory Of Judge Tour
gee. He was man the people Of
North Carolina would have been de-
lighted to know under nobler condi-
tons He was one of the few men
in our state government az the time
who had any brains or conscience AZ
all. He was a prince among the
Judges" who sat with him in those
trying days, We would have thanked
God for the privilege of trading a
half-dozen scalawags Of the native
breed for one such Yankee Of ability.
When the reign # terror which fol-
lowed negro rule reached its climax
as many as nine burning barns were
seen at one time from the court house
square of the town of Dallas in Gas
ton county. North Carolina.
Taxpayer conventions met and ap.
pealed to Washington in vain. The ad
ministration answered by sending more
rifles to arm the negro militia.
The laws forbiddng the intermar-
riage Of races We're repealed by mill
tary proclamation and ;he command
ing general OF North Carolina took
negro woman with him over tn,
state in special car and made
speeches from the platform, declaring
that she was his wife, that a new
era had dawned in the history OF
the world, and that he was there tt
enforce II with the bayonet if neec
be.
The lowest type OF negro maddcnet
. by these wild doctrines began to gril
the throat Of the white girl with
his black claws This bestial.looking
creatures portrait, from life. appeared
in the first edition Of my novel, "Thl
Lcopards Spots but the pubisher'
were compelled TO cut it out Of al
subsequent editions because Northern
readers could not endure to look upor
The face of such thing even In q
picture Yet the people Of the soutf
must face this living beast day ant
night.
In this the darkest hour of tn,
life # the south. and the lowest II
, public morals ever known In the ma
zion, the lnyisip.c Emrrc suddenly
. rose from the field ~ death and chal
81 lcneod the visible tc mortal combat.
= within u few mcrths after the ap
. pcar"ncc Of the Wr!te brotherhood
. the disorders OF anarchy We're sue
J ceeded 10y a strange peace, positively
, weird In It's completeness, according t'
, he Acknowledgement OF Judge Tour
gee In the first campaign they over
= turned the negro governments of 81!
= southern states. and the others, ON,
. ] -. II Nf.H
: spiraucu of this success.
D In North Carolina my uncle Col
T Leroy McAfee. was elected To the lex
e stature from Cleveland county and "a
! the representative OF the klan ON tn
judiciary committee impoached Gov
0 ernor Holden. removed him from offic
: hand deprived him of his citizenship.
+ Colonel McAfee was In many re-
! spccts a typical leader OF the knu. H.
e was In the official language OF the In
visible Empire a Grand Tituu--'hat
4 to say the commander OF cungrcs
o siunal district The chief was Genera
Nathan Bedford Forrest, OF Tonncssc,
+ the daring and brilliant cavalry com
mandcr uf the Confederate forces u
= the southwest. Ills title was Grant
: Wizard OF the Empire. The Gram
Dragon commanded the state, th
= Giant u county. the Cyclups a town
= ship den.
\ glance at the portrait OF Colonc
McAfcc will convince even "a Bosto
aboltiunist that he could hardly b
called ruffian. scoundrcl or despcra
: do. lie was a man OF gentle man
! ucrs. courteous. kindly, brave. an
! considerate. an alumnus OF the I'm
= vcrsiiy OF North Carolina, and a wi
!, eran of the Confederate army, who lc
!, a company Of volunteers TO the from