The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-10-06
WEAVER IN RALEIGH.

= The demonstration in honor {
, Gen. Weaver in Raleigh last Thurs
: day was not as big a thing as ha
, been predicted it seems. There wa
enthusiasm enough but the crowd wa
much smaller than the Third part
leaders and managers had led tn
public to suppose it would be. Th
Raleigh correspondent of the vii
mlngton Messenger says this of it
Standing in an upper window or
Fayetteville street, your correspondent
looked at the procession as it formed
at the Yarboro to receive Weaver Al
its head was big man bearing big
national flag of bunting, topped by d
white streamer, blazoned on which was
"Weaver and Field" As the pro,
cession moved there was no music, NO
sounds save the shouts. Behind the
color bearer rode A. G.. Green, OF
Wake, the chief marshal, with sash OF
red, white and blue. After him was
a carriage in which chairman Otho
Wilson and Gen. Weaver rode on the
front seat, while in the rear one were
| Mrs. Weaver and Mrs. Lease. All
| four wore big rosettes made of corn
shucks. Abreast of the carriage,
nearly surrounding it, in fact, moved
column of men nearly as wide as the
! wide street. In a carriage just in rear
were DR.. Exum, Mr.. w. H. Worth,
Mr.. Stroud and other party nominees.
Behind these rode, by actual count,
16S men on horseback, twenty-eight
of these being colored, and some be-
ing boys of IL to IS years. Along
side of this cavalry detachment
marched many on foot, and behind it
came the vehicles. There were forty
eight OF these and in them were I32
men, Of whom fifty light were negroes.
In fact, the negroes were roughly es-
tlmated to compose at least fifth of
the procession.
In order to be on the safe side your
correspondent asked Republicans how
many people were in the parade, in
Guiding those moving with it Oh the
sidewalks. They said ''not over J.
ooo." Democrats said that nearly a
third of these paraders had been Re
publicans or were now.
Now then for a statement. This
rally was the result of weeks of work.
Chairman Wilson determined to make
a show of strength here. He told me
he would have people from fifty ooun
ties. Another Third party man, G..
l.. Tonnofski, assured me early o-day
that $1,000 of his party would be
here. They failed to show up. What
were here represented the parry's
strength in this tier of counties. 1t
gave the Democrats something to go
upon in forming an idea of that
strength.
1t was about 1880 when the speak
ing began at pretty Brookside park.
In the big pavilion there sat Gen.
Weaver and his wife and Mrs. Lease.
Grouped near them were DR.. Exum
and other Third party lights. Chair
man Wilson was at hand and on the
platform were a lot Of the marshals,
white and colored, wearing their sashes
of white cotton bagging. One negro
marshal wore whole suit of that ma
terial.
Chairman Wilson introduced Gen.
Weaver as the next President. There
was great cheering and certainly
Weaver could find no fault with the
enthusiasm of his devotees. Your cor
respondent: wishing to get nonpar-
tisan estimate Of the crowd at the
speaking asked Mr.. +. r. Purnell for
it. He said s'about 5000" After
wards Democrats and Third party men
said that was about the figure. Some
thought $500 was more nearly correct.
Of the crowd it is safe to say third
were Democrats. Cleveland badges
were plentiful. AS your correspon-
dent talked with Chairman Simmons
the latter said: "There are plenty Of
Democrats here. There are $50 Of
them in a body from Johnston county"
At this remark man just in the rear
said: eyes, that's SO, and | am one
Of them
Mr.. Loge Harris was in the process
sion. 1t was great day for him, and
he expressed his delight, declaring
that the Republicans were losing
ground daily. This went quite at
variance with what Victor Dockery,
at Republican headquarters said, his
remark being that no negroes would
vote the Third party ticket, save those
who were hired to do 50, thos1 being
only few leaders who really could
not lead other negroes out OF the Re
publican party any more than Charles
Price led Democrats into the Repub
Iican ranks. 1t should be stated that
plenty of Republicans such as Oscar
Speares and ex-Sheriff Rogers, OF Gran
vile, were on the stand at the speak
ing.
An Associated press dispatch gives
the following account:
Gen. Weaver and Mrs. Lease spoke
here to a good crowd to-day. The
speaking was not marked by any inter
ruption from the crowd, which was
good natured and seemed to enjoy the
scene The Third party managers had
arranped to make the meeting here a
grand demonstration. People came
in wagons twenty miles to attend. The
procession formed at the foot ofFayette-
vile street, marched to the Capitol,
thence to Brookside park. There were
about $50 men On horseback and IN
vehicles. One thousand others were
in the procession and about 1900 not
in line. After all the Third party eff
forts to get people here from FIVE Con-
gressional distrscts, there were only