The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1892-06-12
AN INSIDE VIEW
OF THE REPUBLICAN NATION
CONVENTION ATMINNE apOIvS

As Seen by North Carolina Demo-
crat-The Way the Doodle
Special Cor. State Chronicle.
MINNEAPOLIs, MINI, June 9.-The
wires have carried to the readers Of the
CHRONICLE full accounts of the official
proceedings of the National republican
convention In session here. But there
ls an inside view which shows the spirit
ana purpose OF the men here which has
interested me, and which ought to be
known to all voters. Returning from
the meeting of the National editorial
association at San Francisco, L reached
Chicago before the news was flashed
over the wires that Mr.. Blaine had
resigned. l knew that this meant
bitter contest in the republican
convention. [ determined to come and
, see it. With one exception | have seen
no other North Carolina democrat here
AS may be imagined, like Mark Twain's
honest man in politics, / OCCUPY a
mighty lonesome position" There is an
immense crowd here, and man who
gets MS dinner at any hotel within one
hour after ordering it, is accounted as
having been born under lucky star
But those who are willing to 90 ten
squares from the centre of the CITY. find
7 excellent accommodations at reasonable
prices. Banners, plumes, flags, badges.
mean whiskey, officeholders. shouters
tricksters and bad cigars are the leadino
attractions. With Mr.. w. II. Michael
formerly of Wake Forest, and now q
successful attorney at St. Paul, | sat for
Two hours last night in the upper bal
cony OF the West Hotel and watched the
rlotous crowd. The hotel lobby or cor
ridor is as big as Metropolitan Hall, and
IN the centre was band making poor
music, and enthusiastic Harrison men
waving two banners one a picture of
the President and the other picture of
an immense grandfathers' hat with this
inscription: "GooD FOR Four YEARS
MORE"
:, AS soon as the Blaine .'whoopers up"
saw this display, they rushed to the
front with plumes waving and bands
playing, determined to put the Harrison
men to route. For an hour the conflict
ragged; men were knocked down; and
vulgar hurrahs filled the place. AS |
looked at the jerring crowd, most of
whom were city toughs, the reflection
came: Can it be possible that this is the
party of great moral ideas9 The chief
propelllng power of both factions was
the liquid fluid supplied by an ad join
ing bar-room.
The Harrison forces are well organized
and better so than the opposition. Bv
actual count there are over 800 prominent
ottice-holders here, and this does not in
cude sub officers whose name is legion
with such force of workers, whose
bread and butter is at stake, there is no
wonder that the forces are well organiZ
ed. 1t is managed in each State as in
North Carolina where the arrangement is
that District Attorney Cook, Collector
White, Congressman Cheatham and Col
lector Dancy two white and two
colored) are in frequent consultation
with Gen. John G. New, who is
Harrison's leader. To them is assigned
the work of keeping the n. c.. delegates
IN line. Those who are regarded as all
right and unpurchasablc are left to do as
they please. strict surveillance is kept
OF all the others, and if one of them
dares even to talk to Blaine man the
TACT is communicated to Harrison lead
, ers, and that delegate is spotted :" 1t
is well understood that among the South
ern delegates there are many here ''on
the market Most of them are instructed
for the President, and their expenses to
this place and while here are paid by
office holders. They are thus tied hand
and foot, and the system of espionage
makes it difficult for them to follow
their inclinations to listen to Platt and
: Quays plausible arguments in the shape
OF SlOO bills without detection and ex-
posure. Besides the Harrison men are
quite as well supplied with Doodle as
their opponents, and whenever they
: find that Southern delegate has seen
Quay, they tell him that they will
: give him as much money as Quay,
will give him a good Office, and
that by standing by Harrison he will
make as much money as by deserving
him, and that he will not have to violate
instructions. In other words, they paw
him to do what he has pledged himself
to do. This is very telling argument
:. with the average Southern delegate
Openly buying votes as was done by
, Alger in 1888 is not done here. Half of
the Southern purchaseables are office
holders, and have already been "struck
in the belly with a pone of bread - and
when 1t was not supposed that Blaine
would be in the race, they bought other
votes with cash and promises. The only
question with them now is: "Are the
men we have bought honorable
enough to stay sold? If so, Harrison
is nominated. The president expects
: 221 of the necessary 450 votes to come
: from the South. Win he get theml 1t
, looks to-day that he will if his lieuten-
ants pay down the cash promptly and
check mate the opposition.
The negroes will name the nominee,
, and it is this fact that gives so much un-
certainty to the result Such negroes as
Cheatham and Prof. Johnson can be re-
lied upon, but the bulk are on the make,
' and will ''scent what pays the best and
90 for it bald headed An effort is be-
T ing made to solidify the negroes vote (or
keep it solid) for Harrison by contrasting
the record of Mr. Blaine and the presi-
dent on the Force bill 4 Harrison or
gan of this city yesterday had two col
Af