The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-19
Thinks Pritchard Made a Fatal
Mistake on Silver.
THE sTRADDLE WON'T DO
Populists Will Never Fuse With
Such a Silver Plank.

d. ~. -. I1dIElSs one Oh htSseiA , ia ~
lientenants, is raving over the action Of
the convention, and declared with en-
phasis in a crowd Sunday evening that
Pritchard's straddle on the money
question would drive away all those
Populists who were formerly in favor
of fusion.
4 told Pritchard," said Harris, "that
few of the silver Republicans and none
of the Populists would be satisfied with
that ''now-you-see-i and now-you
don't straddle, and had a resolution
declaring for free and unlimited coin
age of silver already written, and when
the platform committee reported, so
many had left the hall, and there was
SO much confusion, that / wouldn't
offer 1T.
"Do you believe the Populists will
cooperate with you on this ticket and
PLATFORM" was asked
Il do not" replied the erst-while
leader of fusion.
DO you think chat Judge Russell
will be taken down and q new man and
new platform named?'
Il can't tell yet, said I0ge
IF the Democrats nominate a free
silver President and there are three
electoral tickets in the field in North
Carolina, who viii carry the State?''
was asked
The Democrats" frankly admitted
| the Wake county boss
DO you think other concessions
than those contained in the resolutions
| passed by the Republican convention
will be made to the Populists?o
II do; and unless others are made
| there will be no fusion
DO you believe the entire electoral
ticket viii be conceded to the Popu-
| lists?"
II do. / think Mckinley, If he IS
nominated, and the National commit
tee, viii see the wisdom OF such a
course and sanction lit, for no elector
can be elected in North Carolina excepr
one pledged to vote for silver man
for President"
Suppose both old parties nominate
4 gold man, as straddle, what would
be the resuIt?"
"The Populists would carr the
State.H
Pritchard went back on his own
word, continued Mr. Harris. referring
again to the platform straddle. "and II
would have been better to have de-
clared straight for gold, for the people
are III no hnmor to tolerate straddlers.
ana they are not going to do it,
Why was it that you were defeated
TOR secretary, Mr.. Harris?"
II was not defeated. / told then,
| that would not attempt the nosition
| Do you think would accept the score
| tsryship of committee with q man
/ for chairman who, for the sake of he
/ ing chairman, sacrificed even his self
respect, as Holton did? He amounts
to nothing. Pritchard stripped him Of
the last yestige of authority. mt Rob
i patterson in to run the campaign. and
Holton submits, hoping that in tha
event Of Republican President he can.
/ get somewhere near the pie counter
but We'll see that he II relegated then.
as he is now
No, sir; I did not want any secre-
taryship under any such circum-
| stances"
WHY PRITCHARD ISN'T CHAIR
MAN.
/ Senator Pritehard in his mad ehasa
for everything in sight came near los
| ing bis grip on his upholstered chair
and fiye-thousand-dollar salary, The
| Russell forces were determined Ia
| make Pritchard chairman, and had
SET all their pegs that way.
i a prominent Republican attorney
who happened to have read the new
election law heard Of this movement.
! Don't you know Pritchard can't be
chairman was the word he sent Rus
And, pray, why not?" asked the
bull-necked man from New Hanover.
You read the lection law"
copy Of the new law was hauled
out IN Jiffy. In the Act Russell found
the provision that the chairman OF the
executive committee is an officer of the
State, and when he qualities as chair
man by taking the oath, he becomes
Commissioner Of Elections" a State
/ officer.
No man can hold two State Offices
in North Carolina, and the Supreme
Court has decided that when a man
qualities for one Office, he relinquishes
his claim on the Office he previously
held, When Pritcbard qualified as
chairman he would have ceased to be
United States Senator.
anu thaI IS why Prltchard dropped
the Craftsmanship as if it had been
hot brick.
Then the scheme OF an advisory
board was presented, and Pritchard
named the board. He is chairman in
all but name, and Holton is a power
less figure-head.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
eft will he more folaral,1a en-. Gcdosn,
and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment
than for Dockery man when Russell
gets to be Governor said Republi-
can who sides with the Russell crowd
''The blacklist is already being made
out, and they will be cut from Alpha
to Omega"
CONCERNING FUSION.
Republican who keeps up with
the band-wagon said yesterday: "The
Russell men have for weeks made the