Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-28

though he admits that this particular vote
Is not as well In hand as 1t might be. But
He thinks the democrats are trying to buy
negro votes. Not few cases of attempts
at such purchases are reported by negroes.
The democrats, he further asserts, are
trying to buy white votes.
What the Democrats Say.
Mr.. J. H. Pou. the new democratic chair
man, says fusion appears to him to be q
sacrifice of all the principles Of each Of the
republican and populist parties for the for
lorn hope Of getting office. A successful
fusion Is something seldom found In modern
politics. From the time Of the coalition be-
tween Fox and North to the present day
instances of successful fusion may be count
ed on the fingers Of one hand. When IT fails
the collapse and Generalization Of the par
ties is complete. He declares he sees no rea-
son to think the present experiment " i'll be
any exception to the rule. Already, he as
serts. leading republicans in Raleigh. mel
who have stood by the party's principles for
years, are openly denOuncing fusion and pre-
dieting defeat. The same thing Is largely
true at all points where there Is republican
strength. Many populists realize that 1t Is
an effort ON the part of their leaders to bar
ter any principles of their party and the
votes of their followers for personal adj
vantage. They realize also that Marion
Butler. the populist leader. and others, in
the hope of getting Office, have spurned
every cardinal principle heretofore advo-
Gated by the populists. The leaders are
willing to trade the populist strength to any
party or any faction, no matter how much
opposed in principle, which will furnish the
necessary votes to send Marion Butler to
the Senate.
Such bargains. he claims. seldom succeed
anywhere 1t Is impossible for them to Sue
coed in North Carolina. As to the cclcred
vote. Chairman Pou says that where there
are republican candidates nominated 10y a
straight republican convention they will be
loyally supported by the negroes but the
latter seem indlcposed to follow such pcpu-
lists as Marion Butler, w. II. Kitchen and
Harry Skinner. 1t Is probable that the
fusionists will not pcll anything like the full
negro vote. The better class of negroes
openly expresses hostility to fusion; this be-
ing the case both IL country and town.
What the Populists Think.
Mr.. Marion Butler, chairman of the popu-
list party. says he thinks the reform ele-
ment Of the republican party is standing
squarely up to it's agreement. Part of 1t
does not want the reforms which the popu-
lists are fighting for; or at least do not ap-
pear to want them.
There are enough reform democrats to
take their places and with the populists
agree on a nom partisan judiciary. The ma
jority of all North Carolina voters want a
change in the election laws. and this desire
is irrespective of party. In other words,
they want 1alr play, let the consequences
be what they may. The election law and
the judiciary question are the issues of this
campaign. 1t Is better to have supreme
court made up of members of all parties
than OF one party alone In the former
case they act as a check on each other
AS to the negro vote Chairman Butler
said re could not say positively. A great
many negroes will vote the fusion ticket.
The purchasable element will not do So
Those who take money will vote the demo-
cratic ticket. The size of this element Is
not known. The populists have no money,
save enough to maintain headquarters The
populist gains are steady. and all over the
state. They are of mer who two years ago
were democrats. These gains are made
without work, from headquarters The
Farmers Alliance will not be a factor in
this campaign. but will be very much I'm
evidence after it ends. TIE question as to
fusion has not been a division of Offices
That question was hardly discussed. 1t Is
literally a question OF cooperation. Mr.
Butler says Senator Sherman co-operated
with the democrats on the demone tia ton
of silver, and Rarsom with the republicans
to continue the national banking law. This
he terms true cooperation. He says the
populists will do their part in good faith,
and vote for the men put up. The fusion
question does not enter into the congress
sional campaign, he declares as the election
laws are not at stake in the congressional
matter.