North Carolina Newspapers

fo v* <>r SANFORD, NORTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22,1890 THE SOUTH UNDER THE LASH. And That Lash in the Hands of Negro '” PotlUclans. ;>■* A NORTH CAROLINA SEORO ANb A ;jbBXON YANKEE DISCUSS TStE FATE ■ OP THE SOUTH IN A WASHINGTON t". CITY CAFE—THE SOUTH TO BE KBPRESENTBO IN CONGRESS BY NE-' OBOES—NORTH CAROLINA TO FUR NISH HER QUOTA—NEGRO BU PRKNAQY, SOCIAL EQCA’IITY ,ANH ..... MIBCEQINATION—THE FORCE BILL ^INSTfMENT—WlS ^ •meaning.- ■ ^ C:rT7 *' - White Men of North Carolina, Bead and Consider l ; , lutclHaeuetr. ; : ~ ** ^ Two men sitting facing each oth er over a small table in Washing ton City cafe one day last week, at tracted more than usual 'attention :V from the other guests. One of them g rejoiced in a clean-shaven face, / rather full and beefy, with well-de ' fined lines dropping from either corV ' ■ her of the mouth, a chin that lost ‘i > itself in a dew-lap, and a strident ii voice which exercised itself many r times during the conversation with: g “f am John Wilson, of Boston,” His vis-a-iji's was the possessor of a ■Countenance of the complexion of a welt cured side of bacon, very kiwrcty as to the trout of it and very kinky «t the top. He was Mr. Abrubum Johnson, of North Caro lina, otherwise, “Abe Jchasing,” a and his business in Washington re lated to a certain “pintmeut” in New ■r: Herne Internal Revenue district. :• The sight of a white man audnegro f eating froth the same table in a . restaurant at the North is too eom • mon to provoke any. great amount of attention; but the tone of per fect familiarty and fellowship that - marked the intercourse of Mr. John sing and Mr. Wilson, and the sub ject-matter of their conversation, es - ploited in a voice that overrode rat tle of dishes and reached the rernot est comers of-the apartment, made ' it impossible to ignore the perform ance. That subject was the Lodge Federal Election bill, better known by the name with which it has beeft appropriately stigmatized, the. 4'Foree bill.” We cannot hope to •give our readers the. entire conver sation in its orignal richness, but the drift of it may be gleamed froth the? subjoined paragraphs, which are • not wishout interest as fairly indi eating the sentiments and motives which underlie this extraordinary political move, and the ultimate re sults of its successful perpetration according to the calculations of its promoters; - :'.J “Personally,” the man from Bos ton explained, “I have never , had the temerity to venture into ' your country, Mr. Johnson, knowing, as I do, the danger attend ing a visit among those crude and savage people by a gentleman of progressive New England ideas. All the same, my heart has never •ceased to beat with warmest sym jiathy for your poor, down-troddejf race under the cruel yoke of white / domoinaiion. J But a brighter day is dawning, my dear fellow—a day of perfect brotherhood between your people arid mine—when full justice and honor will lie accorded you in . spite of your ignorant and malig nant oppressors. The Lodge bill, - which we were' speaking of will be the beginniug of this glorious era, Mr. Johnson.” ' The representative of the down troddenraCeJifted a glass to his i lips, washed down a large mouthful % of beefsteak and remarked sen telitiously: “Yass’r, it sho’ly is.” “No doubt of it, my long-suffer ing friend,” the other days of your people's niurtyrdom are numbered,” - He glaneed around the room tri • umphantly to note the general ef ■tecs. . ■■ , v' “Lodge is an old friend of mine, Mr. Johnson, and a royal good fel low, I know tho metal in him, and with that strurdy champion of the people’s rights, Tom Reed, to back Iiiih, we can snap our fingers at , all opposition. Yon are familiar with the detaiW of: this, bill, Mr. John, it:, aonf ’ iESjattii,,,.. ■J ..i W'mWt v jsg The fact is, that Mr. Johqsijp’s knowledge of particulars was very hazy. He had a well defined notion that the general purpose of it was to place the machinery of the elec tions in the bands of the niggers, and make their voices-, supreme in matters political and he said tts much.- ‘ , V;. ;. ;“To be sure,” the other assented: "I see you are a man of few words, but excellent perceptions. We don’t put it exactly on that ground, but yon are correct in the main idea. What has been pulling down this country, my dear friend, is these; white Southerners in Congress. Traitors in the national councils! We must weed them out, Mr. John son; we must put good men and true in their places; and your race is to be the noble instrument by which this ulcer is to be removed from the body politic.” - “Jess so,” Mr. Johnsing assented by way of attesting his perfect un derstanding of the affair. ' ; “You see it is this way Mr. John son, We have the President. We have the Senate secure for years to come, by the admission' of Republi can territories and the' exclusion of those where the heresies of the Deni ocroticpa-ty might make them dan gerous members of the Sisterhood. We have the House, with* glorious old Tom Reed in charge, and we mean to keep it. .*ffe regard it as a sacred duty-<-a matter of1 patriotism and religion, Mr. Johnson, to 1 rout put all heresies and punish treason with an iron hand. We hold the whip, my dear friend, and these white Southerners must be made to feel the bite of it. Look at the Montana Senators. Look at Breck Southerners, kicked-' out of the House of Representatives. L'ok at your own great, glorious Prof. Langstou—w hat a noble type he is! By the way, Johnson, did you read his speech -when recently serenaded iu this city—the paead of thanks giving of the long down-trodden brother, raised by our party to a pinacle of fame op the necks of his white oppressors? No? Why, why —you astonish me. It sounds the key-note of our j.reat moral cam. paign. Mr. Johnson, ‘the black MAN HAS TRIUMPHED, HIS ENEMIS ARE CONFOUNDED. HENCEFORTH HE WILD STAND AS THE NATION’S AC CREDITED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE new South. Let Him not ’rest HERB. ON TO. THE SENATE! ON TO THE PRESIDENCY!’ That is the trend of it, Mr. John son. Glorious! “Didn’t say nothing’ ‘bout the second North Carolina revenue dees trick?” * , “Oh! fie, my beloved friend, no! you dear, trusting people have so long been hewers of wood and drawers of water that your minds will still dwell on these' trival matters. Don't yon know that your race is to be called upon to regenerate the South and represent it in the higher councils of the nation? Don’t you know that the first fruits of the Lodge bill are to be twenty Con gressmen taken from your race to take the place of these despised Southerners. I say from your race —Mr. Johnson—all from your race, for that is on the programme as the most effective way Of crush ing at one masterful stoke the mon strous pride of these Southerners and makiifg their humiliation com plete". Yes, sir, twenty colored Congressman to start with, and the machinery of this bill has been built up piece by piece wiih a pain staking that leaves nothing to be desired, and fitted into a whole far top thorough to admit of any rea sonable probability of the plan miscarrying. How would you like to be a Congressman, Mr. John son?’’ auuumo iuw ui. LYViy JJtBUanu^ through a prodigious aperatufe in, the sable gentleman's countenance convbyod his sentiments. in a way that was not lo be misunderstood. “Nothing easier, I assure you," the friend of Mr. Lodge continued. “The details have been perfectly arranged. Yon see, in the first place the appointing power'of the Federal Supervisors who are to have charge of the elections resides in Our Circuit Federal judges. X- say ouk judges, for they are all’tried and true Republicans who may '.fa ira plicity relied on to do the patriotic work that is set for them-’1'.’' Mr. Johnsing’s grin expanded at the imminent peril of engulfiug his entire upper anatomy. _ “The Chief Supervisor is the main thing, and you may be certain our judges will be alive to the impor-" tance of selecting men -who 'will ?arry out the party’s- wishes with becoming fairness, and without any absurd squeamishness or sentiment al scruples.' These Chief Supervi sors must come largely from your race, Mr. Johnson. What are they to do? Why, bless your innocent heart, THEY ARE TO DO IT ALL—naru§ their own subordinates Who shall have absolute control at the polls. % These men, too, wilt naturally come largely from those of your color. They will have un disputed charge of all voters will be decided by them. No man : will dare vote against their bidding, _ ex cept at tne'cost of a term or a years at hard labor in the penitentiary. Let the officials appointed by the State to oversee the details of the. election dare to interfere and they will fare no better. I repeat it, these Supervisors, three at every voting precinct, reinforced by their deputy marshals and with the whole fore of the Government be hind'them, will have absolute powef as to who shall vote, the counting of the votes and the -forwarding of thoTesult to our Board of Canvass ers similarly appointed, . r. -- This Board will then Certify to the election and there is no power; in the machinery of the puny State in which, the election is held to dis turbe the result. From first to last everything decisive, will be in the hands of Federal officials specially commissioned to do the work-in the hands of our people. Could you wish for anything better than that, MrJohnsoh?” The son of Ham hardly thought he could. He wanted to know if the election officers usually appoint ed by the State were to be dispensed with entirely. ' “Practically yes,” tbe philan throp ist answered, “so for as the Con gressmen are concerned. - To be sure they will be there, but what can they do? They will not dare ter lift a finger except by authority from our Supervisors, my friend. And if for any reason the opening of the polls should be delayed for an hour—one single hour—our peo ple will run the whole thing without evefl having these figureheads at their elbows, The hill provides for that specifically. I say that if for any - reason the opening of the polls should be delayed; you can imagine how they might be, my friend,eh?” The men exchanged winks and grimances and the... Bostonian pro ceeded: . ; “Another wise-provision^ my dear fellow, is that the Chief Supervisor jhclds his position during good be havior, which is another way of saving ‘for life.” Suppose the* Democrats should get possession of the House by next month’selection,4 what could they do? j Not one soli tary thing—Mr. Johnson, the^ would find ouf Supervisors already in charge for life. Their clerk would be compelled further, to ac cept the returns of our Canvassing Boards and seat the men' thus cer tified to without cavil or question. You see we will be intrenched in an absolutely impregnable position. Even' that worst of possible calami ties, a Democratic President, would be powerless to interfere with us, our majority in the Senate being assured for years to come. Is not this great cause for joy, in y friend ?” Mr. Johnsing stood picking his teeth with the tines of his fork long enough to repjy that there was not the least doubt of it, ■ —-' -T» " ; r-=—6- ■ “Why^your own State,” he of Boston went on to say. “is. down fqy at least four colored Congressmen to start with, Let’s see, ttreye-’s the First District. With our Supcrvis ors in charge there is no reason in the world why this long-misrepre sented district should not be with us. ; The Second has already covered itself with luster.- We .have a chance in the Third—undei'themir management, miud you--and. the Fourth is naturally -ours. Plenty of fine material among your people in that, Mr. Johnson. You see I’m something of a political student. Yes, sir, we must have at least four colored Congressmen from North Carolina to begin with, bear that in mind, Johnson; it is men of your stamina and your color, too, that we need. These people must be broketil Reed sees it and Lodge sees it, and the rest of us .see it,” “How come they didn’t pass the law before adjourning?” the broth er in black inquired. “Oh! don’t allow that to bother you; there were too many other pressing things that; had to. be look ed after, and these howling, filibus tering Democrats made progress slow. We had to get through the new tariff bill; so many of our: staunchest people ate interested in it, you know, and postponement would Hare been dangerous. I’m iff the manufacturing business my self—Wilson’s. Self-ill uminatiug Stove Polish—and of course it’s only human nature to look after private interests first. But uow that all over and we have nothing to do af ter the Congressional recess but to whoop up the election bill and make the party solid for years to come; :—— :-—---7 Mr. Johnsing also wanted to know why it was that only in cities of,a certain specified population the Supervisors were authorLedto make a house to house canvass before election. ■ , “There yon go again, my un sophisticated fellow,,vhis companion exclaimed. “Some people . are so timid and conservative that it isn’t always best to speak right out; one must be politic. \Vhy, sir, dues not the bill specifically authorize the Supervisor to make a house to house canvass in a voting district of any size, provided he '•has reason to suspect fraud.' And what oil earth piay, could prevent our friends from having‘reasons’ to suspect fraud if it would be a point in their favor to do so? Dismiss all scruples on that score, Mr. Johnson; the very essence of the bill is to have a , house to house canvass in every Southen election district before- election. And,your race must supply the men to do it. I can’t make it too emphatic, these white Southerners must be humiliated- - He paused to give the words be coming impressiveness and resumed: “Imagine yourself one of these officials making the canvass, Mr, Johnson, You go from house tp house and collect whatever informa tion that may be useful in making up your polling list. The law em powers you to make all enquiries that you may consider necessary. If refused admittance, kick the door down. If no men are present, make the women tell you.” “S’pose they-won’t answer?" i Won't answer? Jail ’em. The law authorizes it. If these South ern white women with their fine airs should be contumacious to you, Mr. Johnson, remember that the majesty of the law surrounds-your sacred official person and teach them a wholesome lesson by having them severely punished. In old tunes, my friend, nations sometimes used to excuse-the killing' -ott^ the women of ^.unfriendly nations on the ground that they should not be spared to rear new enemies. I don’t say I go quite that far in the practice, Mr. Johnson, iut thelogio of it is sound, very sound.' - What these howling Southerners need is to feel the chastening rod;^ severely -r-to writhe under it—Me mothers of trhitof’S as well as the. traitors themselves. You know how it would give an extra twist to the torture to have this chastening come direct fj-qm the hands of the negro. That, though, is the very heart of the Lodge bill, my friend. Harass them worry them, provoke them, defy them, show them that by the grace of triumphant Northern Republi canism, you are their betters, and ■fcwM the spirit to avenge their in sists and past tyranny. If they dare to lift a hand to interfere with you, if they should be provoked in to threats or even give yen reason to suspect..that they might make trouble, remember that the whole power pf the United Status Govern^ ment ij> back of you. Every bay onet irithe service is at the Super visors' [call by express an th orization of the bill*’ - The only fear is that there may not be bayonets enough in the army to keep the polls pure from the defilement of these white Southerners. You know a bayonet when you seejit, Mr. Jonbson? Have you forgotten the Slsoffuer bill?” ft He didi He had even seen them at the polls in his own State in the halcyon days of the scalawag and carpet-bagger—though he expressed it rather differently. jl^Sj ana you will see them again, my brother, piles of them. JLet. ob& of these obstreperous Southern whites dare to lift a finger! You may have to handle a musket yourself, Mr. Johnson; there are a good many Southern voting pre cincts and the tJnited States army is none ) too large. I trurt you would be ready to discharge this patriotic service," my friend, with proper firmness.” Mr. Joihnsing explained that tie that point. “Certainly, certainly, my _ long-, suffering brother; yon and your peo ple are coming to their own at last, arid the prospect is glorious. Now, is you have the slightest doubt of our earnestness m this matter, hear whatLo|ge himself says. ' These are liis own words to his enthusi astic constiuents when accepting a renomination last weekr, He pulled from his pocket a copy of the Bos-' ton Journal of October 5th and read:. ' — ^ “ We are entering on a struggle with Which that over the tariff or silver is as nothing. There is no calumny and no slander which our opponents, and especially those who lie coiled at the feet of their South ern masters, will riot invent, no resistance they will not make; hut whether We as individuals fall or succeed at this moment, the ultimate triumph is surely ours. Let us raise agaiu the scarred battle flag which carried us to victory over slavery and secession, and whatever our personal fate may be, we may rest in absolute confidence that the right will conquer and that th4 la bor to which we now put our hands will not be in Vain.” “Nothing uncertain about that, eh, Johnson?” Let us raise agaiu the scar re# battle-flag that carried us to victory ovei’slavery and seces sion"— this shall be our shibboleth, from the noble lips of the author of the bill himself. Learn them by heart, Johnson; theacli them and preach them *o your people—live up them! Old New England is in the suddle again and once more I say it, these Southern whites must be broken.'' Mr. Johnsing said something, and the Force bill missionary con tinued:-' - ' ---5. - “Yes, my beloved brother, the new day of perfect race equality is not far off~perfect brotherhood, I say, social, civil and political. These miserable race prejudices im pudently Taunted by the Southern whites aie relics of a barbarous age Mid worthy of a people of barbarous and brutal instincts, Your , great Mr. Frederick Douglass lias set his people a worthy example. Mr. Johnson, I have the honor of per sonally knowing Mrs, Douglass— a most charming and estimable la dy, I assure you. Why should the difference in the color of their «k'ns i shot the. love of that errand- ami, noble man out 6? her virtu > n heart *' and debar her from taking him to be her beloved husband and bearing i him children to bless their lives?, ! . ^Absurd, sir. ridiculouly absurd! i These audacious Southerners have become an effete people, Johnson. They are getting more hopelessly so each succeeding year. History has dealt with such problems before, ' arid always the remedy has been the same—THE INFUSION OF i NEW BLOOD—THE BLOOD OF A DIFFERENT RACE. This is ! the only hope for the Sooth, John son—A NEW RACE, WITH THE ] RICH, WARM BLOOD OF 1 OUR < PEOPEL COURSING THROUGH < THEIR VEINS. That is what our 1 political prophets and high priests have in their mind's eye. The Lodge ! bill is only to blaze the way—oh! t there is a glorious future for you 1 and your people, my beloved friend 1 and brother. Remember what 1 Lodge says:—‘ LET US RAISE i AGAIN THE SCARRED FLAG.’ ' “And now, my dear friend, will you accompany me tc the parlor, where T fear my enthusiasm has kept Mrs, Wilson waiting too long? I So“so want to present you to her i ana to my aaugbters, and we shall be very proud to entertain you, Mr. Johnson, if you ever visit Boston. By the way, would it be quite con venient for you to take my place and escort the young ladies to the thea tre to-night, Mr. Johnson?—it’s tame sport for me, you know. But mind you, no sly glauees, you saucy fellow!” And Mr. John Wilson, of Boston, playfully poking the ribs of Mr. Abraham Johnsing, ofNorthUaro lina, locked arms with that estimable gentleman and the two strolled j leisurely from the room, PLATFORM 0F PRINCIPLES. Of the Railroad Commissfon Club, of Buncombe (County. Whereas, Democratic promises unfulfilled and Republican villiany unaccomplished in practical results the same, the one does no good, the other dots qo harm. Therefore we hold that ‘'deeds and not words .are the only guarantee of Democrat ic .fidelity.” Resolved, That we deplore and condemn the infamous railroad lob by that has debauched and degraded the last several sessions of our state legislature and that has defeated the railroad commission bills before our legislature for enactment; Resolved, That every considera tion of the State's best interest de mand that we have a. railroad com mission; looked at an economic question, or as a political ' or moral question, the establishment of a commission is demanded by the people, and will never be settled un til one is given them. We believe that this demand for- a com mission righteous and just, and as a business proposition is necessary to the State’s best devevelopment. We hold that is good politics to' elimi nate by settlement a question that is on the side of the people a pop ular demand and on the side Of the corporations is a public menace. -The lobby that has been main tained by the railroads in our leg islatures of late years is a mbral ob loquy on the State’s fair name and fame that should be blotted out at once and forever. Resolved, That we believe .that the generally accepted maxim of the railroads, that it is easier to manipulate a legislature than to elect one is all wrong. We hold that a fair is sue of this railroad cotnmisson question ought $o be made, and if the'rail roads cun elect their agents as such, to our legisla ture os representatives, then they ought to go with the proper brand on them and be knows of all meq far what they are.. ' - • / Resolved, That we subscribe to all the requirements of the State platform of the Democratic party as enunciated last month by the bate convention in Raleigh, and vhile we denounce and condemn be Lodge hill, aud all other iniqui oua legislation proposed or attempt* ■d by the Republican party fa aa> iional affairs, we maintain that' as he Democratic party is the minori y is is important to promulgate or i jass any beneficent salutary laws by ' lational legislature,. but can only ise the best means in its power* |*~. >ppose the enactment of bad and •evolutionary laws. Therefore we iold that being unable to give MB' - vliat we should have in national egislation, that in the State where lie Democratic party is supreme in lower and command that all en sroachments of corporate power and * lomination and all vieions political 7 J nethods shall be suppressed. We give all honor and glory to hose faithful men whodid their dtt y in the dark days of reconsrtruc ion, but believe that it is onr duty o do something in the living pres ;nt, that the hast decade of the cent ury be no reproach in history on* - ■hose that have gone before* We believe that living and present ssues are the best stimulus to vort-hy acts. - We therefore demand that the •ailroad commission bill be made m imminent feature of the coming lolificul campaign and! that leaden worthy of the cause rise up-and lead J8 to victory. . vv e demand a railroad commission1 insisting of three persons, to winch. shall be given full powers- to- pro tect the rights and interests of th« people, to have the power to regn late and correct all discriminations m freights and other charges and to adjust a schedule of tariffs favor— iOte rebates be allowedL ’‘Resolved, That we Subscribe to j and adopt the foregoing resolutions as the fundamental principles of ourclub, which shall be called Rail road Commission Club, and that we pledge ourselves not to support or vote for any candidate for the legis-v lature in the coming campaign not committed to and in favor of the establishment of a railroad commis sion upon the basis herein set forth. i. All citizens of Asheville and Busi combe county holding the opinion* ions and beliefs contained in these resolutions are eligible to member- x ship in this club, and are cordially invited to join with us and help : us in the movement. " / Persens desiring to join this elnb. apply to 8. K. Kbpuso, Pres. Or N. Plumadobb, Sec. Justice Miller. r The Washington Post says of the - late Justice MillSr:. He was much more than a great constituntional lawyer in the ordi nary sense of the term. He was thoroughly imbued with the spirit of that great charter; with the mo tives and impluses. of its creators; and no more skillful interpreter of its subtle meanings ever sat - up on any bench. Hence his sturdy and impressive. defenses, of the rights of the States and of popular sovereignty as opposed to Federal centralization. Such a man could not be otherwise than in sympathy ' with the people. He was not only so by negative instinct, Jbtft made so by his logical deductions from th« organic law of the government1 as being in its intent and essence the bulwark of the people and the out growth of an irrepressible demand - f for their more "perfect un ion* in private life he was a citizen without reproach—a man. of-plain and simple tastes, of easy and genial manners; a thorough lover of his kind, and at peace with the world. His greatness wore an unpre tentious garb. His relations to others were unswervingly honorable and upright. The warmth of his affections corresponded to the brightness of bis intellect. Hi# passing.away ia in the: nature of $ public sorrow, alleviated only by the reflection that be sinks in the arms of the grim harvest full of, fruitful years, and leave* to hit peo ple the benefaction of a radiant ex Mnple and i in perishable mem* >ry., > -- . -V'"-;" U':- - “4—rr: * ,• ■' II 'It