Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-21
FUSION In CAROLINA.
Inc Eject Of tho Combine an Object
Lesson to the Entire South.
DEMOCRATS WE'RE DECEIVED.
Campaign Methods of the Popuiists
ana Republicans-Placc Hunters
Hungry for Odcc-Coursc of tho
Parties In the Legislature.

RALEIGH, N. G., March 2o.-(Special)~
Fusion OF Republicans and Populists as
carried into effect and wrought into new
laws In North Carolina is an obIect-iesson
to the entire South. 1t swept the State
last year. and was simply an outbreak OF
dissatisfaction. in which the Republicans.
who had everything TO gain and nothing
to lose. made use OF the Populists. though
the latter really thought they were the
leaders OF the new movement.
1t was tho policy OF the Republicans 10
make the Populsts believe that the latter
were the leaders and not the led. and
well did they carry out their plans. Dur
ing the campaign each side deferred
20 the other and all was harmony. The
speakers devoted themselves In their
stump speeches TO telling the people that
reform was the issue: that the county
government law and the election law were
Ubiquitous. and that to get rid OF these
and enact new and fair ones was the
real object of fusion. SO the Populists
sunk their principles and the Republicans
pretended TO sink theirs. Thus the ma
chine moved along smoothly. with Marion
Butler as the Populist dictator. and
about n dozen Republicans acting as
managers of their party while a. T.. Hol-
ton posed as its chairman.
SPREADING POISON.
IL ought to he borne in mind that the
Populist campaign began In January, ten
months before the election; that Butler
sought to win over 10 his side dissatisfied
and disconnected Democrats. and that he
In ,DV4eg hnV
out weekly nearly 5000 copies OF his
paper. In this no led them week by week
nearer and nearer TO the Republican
party. and at last delivered them over,
like batch Of prisoners. All the work
was insidious. Every element Of discon-
tent was fostered and the Populist move
ment. which had its birth in the Farmers
Alliance. reached outside that secret order
and seized many Democrats And so IL
came 10 pass that while on one
side Marion Butler. in his inaptly-
named paper. the Caucasian, was
urging white men to ally them
selves with the Republicans and TO sink
all their national views In order to Join
State issues. the negro breaches
were from hundreds, perhaps thousands,
of pulpits telling their sable hearers that
at last the opportunity had come 20 ruin
the Democrats The Republicans kept on
the move. They pretended that they had
no funds. while. in fact. their national
committee had sent money quite hberaily.
Their national committee had also done
another thing. IL had passed upon the
question OF fusion and decided that II
was not only quite permissible, but was
TO be commended. for the reason that
North Carolina Populist was different
from a western Populist." This was only
proof Of the complaisance of the Repuol-
can party and showed that the real main
plank in its platform was anything 10
beat the Democrats"
BECAME SOLID.
So the negroes. who had somewhat
divided in the campaign Of lSR became
SO solid that not even one in 100 fal.ed
TO vote the fusion ticket. The white Re
publicans "tood the mark ana thus
1900 Republican ballots were cast. Inc
Populists. mastering all their strength
cast only $4,000 votes. These figures are
given by Republicans.
The Democrats were deceived through
out the campaign lulled into faisei
sense OF security; ignorant OF rye
lers early campaign ana Aew
methods ignorant Of the pSwer
and work Of the negro I5reach-
ers. who literally put religion no politics
and made "vote as We say a Scriptural
injunction. The Democrats were an easy
mark.
Within two weeks after the campaign
tItel ana lIf ~ fsiIlk TtSulNS VI tiN
election were mPde known, one or the
ableSt Democrats in the State said that
there would be a catastrophe II the Popu-
lists. filled with desire for office got away
from under Buffers control. Ii was a
prophecy % the life. The Republican and
Populist papers talked OF the sohdity ana
beauty Of fusion. Of the brief coming
sessirn OF the legislature and OF the Few
things which would be done.
LEGISLATURE
ouch a rush of place-hunters occurred as
b had never before been known in North
Carolina. They came In crowds-Radtcals
aud Populists-all hungry for office.
THE BREACH.
The Populists and the Republicans were
for the first half Of the session friendly
IN the extreme. Then came the breach.
and Just as predicted, quarrel over
offices caused H. With this came 10 an
end the Joint caucusses of the two parties,
over which n Radical legislator OF 1868
memory presided. and then the Populists
and Republicans kept I'm their own paths
to a certain extent. Then began the pc
riod Of trading, the most infamous since
the dark DAYS of 1868. There were eau
cusses day and night, and each caucus
had its committee. These went back and
forth. trading for offices in much the same
way as horse-swappers do during court
week in a county town. II was shame
less barter I'VE Will give you the Rail
way Commissioner and the Commissioner
OF Agriculture: now. what will you give
usp' We have given you two judges
of the new courts we have created, and We
want two Code commissioners and the
management Of the penitentiary.' ma SC
IL went on: very nightmare OF political
bargaining. These buzzards actually nae
the value down in dollars and cents ano
three weeks before the session ended the
Populists declared TO the Republicans thai
the latter had secured offices worth Sl2l,
Oe) more than those which were TO TAI
&c the share Of the Populists
Here was sharp and sudden end 4
all the ceaseless professions of reform
o. non-partisan judiciary; OF pur
election law. The new election law. base
upon the assertion that "a political part!
IS one which in 1894 cast 10000 votes,
Is nonstrous In its unfairness and in II
opportunities for fraud: allowing as !
does any color OF ticket 10 he used ar
any sort OF device. SO all the fai
promises OF the Populists were merel
sugar-coated. and foolish Democrats
roped into PoDulism by the agriculture
anarchitts' and other plotters an
schemers found too late that they wer
Republicans In all save the name.
A TRADE.
But early In the day the bargain be
tween Popullsm and Republicanism ma
10 be contaminated by the election G
senators Here. too. there was trade
Butler getting the long term in considers
ton OF his work for fusion. while Jete
Pritchard Republican) got the shoi
term but was assured openly that mex
time the Popullsts would see that he wa
given the long term.
The Fusionists in the Legislature forme
themselves into a close corporation an
upon the testimony OF some Of the ables
Republicans outside that body, put nc
a man In Office tsaye one). who was ne
q member or a kinsman. Never was any
thing like II seen In the State. Place
were made. before unknown. and wer
filed by eager applicants. and as r,
suit the legislative expenses were In
creased over 10 per cent. as compare
with those Of the previous Legislature
while the appropriations were over $3.50
greater.
FRAUD RAN RIOT
Bills were tempered with until the mat
ter has become u public scandal Ever
device known for the purpose OF passln
bill or making It appear as passeC
or 10 put II aside If II did pass and Wa
not agreeable 10 the conspirators wa
made use OF freely.
There was wild grab at even I'll
most sacred Of the State institutions
those for the insane. and an equally will