The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-01-03
JIM YOUNG EATS DIRT
And is Made Publicly to Swear
He Loves 1t.
REV. LEAK ON TOP AND HAPPY
At the Emancipation Celebration Jim
Young Praised Leak and Jumped
in the Band Wagon--He Was
Getting Left in the Pro-
cession.

cession.
Leak and Jim Young buried the
Ratchet and in public promised to
stop their fussing on Emancipation
day | am glad of it for the better
element of negroes do not like wrang-
ling. But Jim Young had TO eat a lot
of crow. 1t went hard with him to do
it, but when he found that Leak had
completely downed him, Jim was
smart enough to come up smiling and
get on board Leaks platform. Jim
not only had to eat dirt, but to swear
he loved ii"
Thus spoke prominent and infiuen-
tial colored man in Raleigh yesterday,
referring to the makeup between Rev.
II. III. W Leak and Jim Young. Since
the Legislature these two leaders have
been at odds, and have spoken of each
other in pretty severe terms, and the
whole colored population has been
divided into hostile camps, the Metho-
dists and many others. the professors
in Shaw and ST. Augustine, siding
with Leak, and the Baptists with
some exceptions) siding with Jim
Young.
1t is a long story of warfare between
the two bosses of the Republican
party in Raleigh. The seed were
planted in 1892 before the election.
Jim Young wanted the nomination for
the Legislature. He knew he wouldn't
get it without Rev. Leaks help. Rev.
Leak is pastor of st. Paul Methodist
church, n power among the sisters and
brethren, and strong man with the
race generally. The members OF his
church didn't like Jim, and don't like
him now. They opposed Jim on moral
grounds. Jim had violated the atfec-
ton female member of ST. Paul
church had for him, and her father
had been threatening Jim with sum
mary punishment for his immoral con-
duct. And SO Jim was afraid if he got
the nomination Rev Leak and his
flock fabout seven hundred) would
punish his base conduct with the
young woman in question by com
passing his defeat. Jim is smart
enough, and he began TO make his
peace with Rev Leak He professed
sorrow for his sins, had resolved to re-
form, and wanted the assistance in
politics as we'll as the prayers of such
good men as Rev. Leak. This pious
CANNON captured Rev. Leak who is
very strong partisan, and he rolled up
his sleeves TO elect Jim to the Legisla-
ture. He told his members TO forgive
Jim. v no had reformed. and was rum
ming on Il Reform" ticket. Result:
lin ,sas elected. Jim hadn't relished
having 20 crawl on his belly before
Leak. and as soon As he raa elected he
began 10 put or airs. ~ the time the
Legislature met, hc made all his con-
stituents get on their knees to speak
to him. He was particularly 'uppity
with Rev. Leak, seeming to say to him,
Il am on top now and no thanks 10
yon."
Rev. Leak was not at all pleased
with the course of legislation, and he
spoke his mind freely about Jim
Young's part in the bad legislation,
and declared fusion to be failure, and
opposed continuation of fusion. Jim
wasn't quiet and the feud between
the two bosses got SO hot that it be-
came necessary for Jim TO have a
newspaper, the Gazette, and Leak to
start the Outlook, TO advocate their
respective positions. Last September
Leak and John Williamson and
number of school teachers, pros
porous and other educated colored
men held u big convention
in Raleigh, declared independence OF
political bosses, and virtually denounc-
ed Fusion. Jim used every effort III
his power TO prevent large atten-
dance at the meeting, rldicuied 1t III
his paper. and has denounced it up TO
to-day. But Leak & Co. won.
As a result of that victory, Leak
vas on top and jim on the bottom.
Leak announced big emancipation
day 10 be celebrated by the emancipa-
ton society. Jim Young at first tried
to make il failure, but finding that
he couldn't do that, he determined to
attend and try 10 have Leak defeated
as President. II was the biggest cele-
bration of emancipation day ever
known in Raleigh big crowd at
tended The orator failed to come,
and Rev Leak delivered the Grafton.
1t was one of his best and greatly
pleased the audience. When he had
finished Jim Young, who was present,
took the floor. II was expected by
the onlookers that there was going TO
be a rumpus, for all knew that Jim had
tried to iniure Leak. To eyerybody's
surprise, Jim began by praising Leaks
Grafton, speaking upon the desirabili-
ty of harmony and good feeling among
the leaders of the negro race, and
closed by nominating Rev. Leak for re-
election as President 1t almost took
away the breath of the adherents of
Leak and dumb-founded Jim's follow
ers Rev Leak said he stood where
he had always stood-did not desire
reelection unless it came as an en-
dorsement of his course-and that he
opposed fusion on the electoral ticket
and would continue to do so. Result:
Leak was reelected. More than that:
when the resolutions were offered, they
were almost, if not quite, the same
adopted at the September meeting
which Jim denounced. The professor
had hardly finished reading them be-
fore Jim had the floor and advocated
their adoption.
Jim's surrender was abject and com
plete. Leak accepted it without in
dicating any back-down. The New
Year harmony between the bosses was
public and the subject of conversation