The Charlotte Democrat., 1896-03-06
FROM OUR RALEIGH CORRESPONDENT
RALEIGH, N. c., Feb. "a, 1896.

that there will be three electoral tickets
in the field. This means that in his
opinion the populists and republicans
cannot agree to divide the electoral
ticket. 1t is quite clear that if they do
not have separate tickets electorally we
or the other party will have to eat big
dish of "crow." It will not be hard for
the populsts and republicans to reconcile
any differences as to the State ticket,
though the populists now swear that they
must name the candidate for governor.
The republicans swear, with equal posi-
tiveness that they will not yield an inch
in this matter; that it would be disgrace--
full were they not, as the majority party,
to say who was to be the nominee.
To tell the truth some of the republi-
cans distrust Senator Butler and say so,
and they go further and say that he can
not even carry his lieutenants with him.
This is meant for such populists as Hile>
man and Kestler. The populsts are heav-
lily saturated with repubicanism and it
sticks TO them like tar. Butler declares he
does mot believe that there is single
populist in the State who will vote for a
gold bug for president and that enough
men in the two old parties will take this
position to deliver North Carolina's elc-
toral vote to the presidential nominee of
the silver party" He wrote this in re-
ply to question by your correspondent.
The supremest test of Rutler's power is
now begun. Heretofore ne carried his
people with him. Now do the rank and
file dominate bin. Every thing he has
thus far done has had the backing of the
State executive Committee of his party.
The popuIists of Wayne county, however,,
last Saturday declared in favor of cons
plete fusion from top to bottom. Judge
Ewart says the republican committee
will not agree TO pledge that party for
silver.
Much has been said about Ed. Cham
bers Smith being the founder and head
of the new silver party in North Caro-
lima. But be denies it and said to your
correspondent 81 am not in the silver
party, or the 4th party. [ simply said
that from what heard, l believed state
silver convention will be called. [ really
am not identified with the party" Your
correspondent is assured positively by
others that a silver convention will be
called and that tolerably soon. 1t is
case of make or break with the promoters
of the party. Some of the democrats
who at first proposed to think we'll of the
scheme and who went into it, soon saw
they had raised the devil and now they
want to exercise him. He is going to
give trouble. The party is torn to
pieces and the animosties of its wings,
the silver and gold, are nearly as great
as those of the republicans and demo
Gratis 20 years ago. 1t is a pitiful thing
to say, but it is mighty near the truth
to-day.
Solicitor Poe of Johnston county, who
is a brother of the democratic State
chairman, says he is looking for the dem
ocratic party so he can get in it when
ever he finds it. Think of the demo-
cratic party of 1876 so nearly lost in 1896!
Spear Whitaker is, by good judges,
considered to have killed, cooked and
eaten his own political goose. He will
never get what he so desired, the popu-
list nomination for governor.
There are many country democrats
who have an undercurrent of idea that
it will be grand thing to cooperate
with the populists. But there is no sign
of anything OF the kind, and 10 outlook
for the endorsement of the idea by the
democratic or populist convention. This
is one of the years when it is very hard
to ascertain what will be the drift of
things before the conventions meet. 1t
is year for broken hopes and states,
and for all sorts of startling things. Old
democratic leaders like Ransom and
Jarvis are dead. That party has now no
leader. Is the republican party in any
better shape? Butler has always been
the unquestioned populist leader. Is he
so now2
The farmers alliance it is said by re-
publican Chairman Holton will not be a
factor in politics this year. It's $4,000
members will do all they can for populism.
That is certain. The alliance is the
parent of popuIism and boasts Of it. The
populists are angry because their SINGER
ity is questioned by some people. They
swear that when they say they will vote
for silver man and a silver man only,
they mean it,
The workers for David L. Russell de-
clare that "the East is on fire for him."
The Dockery men are Saving wood )"
keeping quiet.
That there is to be an increase of the
LOUaCCO dCISdSo 0o "OH 40 tnO SOIGOh
acreage in this district is now certain.
Nobody can stop the movement for more
cotton. Even at the State farms on the
Roanoke the acreage in it will be largely
increased.
The going over of Capt. "Bilr' Day,
of Halifax, to the republicans is one of
the funny things of this funny year. In
1872 he was in the independent move-
ment. The republicans want to know
how long he will stay with them.
There is quite loud call for dem ocratic
newspapers to come out and state their
position, The question most at issue is
whether the state convention or the
national committee is absolute and makes
the party laws. On this now there is a
wide division. In other parties national
committee is absolute, and in other years
it has been SO in the democratic party.
1t is matter of states rights in poll
tics, it seems.
The supreme court to-day takes up the
docket of appeals from the fifth district.
Tomorrow an interesting case will be
argued, that of Cowan VS.. Fairbrother,
from Durham. Fairbrother and his wife
signed an agreement not to publish
hn xrI,i ho Mt