Evening star., 1896-09-08
LOOKING BOTH WAYS.
North Carolina POpulists May Fuse
After All.

Alter All.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
RALEIGH, N. c., September 6, 1896.
little light is being thrown on the puz-
zling political situation in North Carolina.
Though Senator Buffers paper said the
republicans had made the populsts the
tetter offer as to eicctors-six, while the
democrats offered only five-yet there will
be nc division of electors between populists
and republicans. Such are the positive
declarations of Republican Chairman Hat
ton and Populist Chairman Aver.
The republicans assume new attitude
toward the populists. Chairman Hatton
says they have the rank and file of the lat
ter under control. This means that the re-
publicans believe Senator Marion Butler to
have lost his influence and power over the
mass of his party; in other words, that
while he opposes fusion with the republi-
cans. the ra!ik and file determined it
shall be effected. The republican leaders
therefore ignore Senator Butler. This is
perhaps a movement originating with Sem
ator Pritchard. II is not the least secret
row that the Senators are at odds.
State Chairman Hatton said today that
Senator Pritchard had never been for free
silver. The populists thought him a free
silver man until his recent declarations in
his party organ and in his public speeches.
The friends Of Butler will spare pains
to defeat Pritchard. They say much.
Butler has earnest enemies in his own
party The chief ones In point of promi-
hence are Congressman Skinner and Cyrus
Thompson. The republicans announce their
plan to support both of these They have
already indorsed Skinner. Their committee
men say they want Cyrus Thompson's
name to remain ON the state ticket Popu-
lists nominated him for secretary of state
and the republicans at once indorsed him.
Fusion for Chicken Feed Omces.
State Chairman Hatton makes the an
rfy
fusion with the populists in half the ninety
SIX counties in the state. 1t may as we'll
be assumed fact that in nearly all the
counties republican-populist county and leg
lsiative tickets will be put up. The demo-
Gratis have never had any hope of prevent
ing this, or. if they had, have made no
visible efforts in that direction.
The republicans put 1t simply, by saving
that the mass of the populists are deter
mined they and the republicans SHALL as In
1895. control the Legislature. The demo-
Gratis have devoted their whole attention to
lists They seek fusion only On this part
Of the ticket. This matter was taken up BIZ
tie democratic committee. For the first
time the committee has not the solid sup
port Of the party. The protest which was
made by most of the democratic newspa-
pers against any fusion whatever has never
atated. The chairman of the democratic
committee has an Unwavering faith that
ard Sewall and five Bryan and Watson
electors. When there were intimations that
the populfsts would demand all eleven for
Bryan and Watson he lost no time in saw
ing prompt reply would be made to any
srch demand as that And yet that demand
has at last been made by Senator Buffers
newspaper. The popust state chairman
admits as much. Democrats have pressed
the populist chairman for quick answer
| to this proposition. 1t was not made The
republican chairman assures your corre-
spondent of his fixed belief that the demo-
Gratis will yet accede 'n pure desperation
and after they hear from the Maine cleo
/ tion." to this demand for Bryan and Wat
son electors To accept this proposition
would split the democratic party: of this
| there is no doubt
Strength of Gold Democrats.
The extreme silver democrats say openly
| and daily that they wish the sound money
| democrats to get out of the party and go
| into the republican ranks. Chairman Hat
| ton was asked what sort of a showing he
thought this democratic sound money con-
| tirgent would make. He replied 'It will
| give Mckinley directly or indirectly 10000
to 5000 democratic votes in the state.''
The populists have greatly at heart the
re-eisction OF Congressman Stroud in this,
the fourth, district. If democrats indorse
MN, then the populists will indorse kitch-
en-. democrat In the fifth and perhaps an
other democrat in the ninth. But Congress
man Pearson, republican, in the ninth, is
working like a beaver in the hope of get
ting popul1st help. But populists say they
DO not know whether Pearson is or Is not
| for free silvar -
Democratic Chairman Manly was asked
why he believed so fully that there would
| be electoral fusion. He said in reply: "Be-
cause believe large number of the rank
and file of the populists are sincere friends
OF SILVER and will vote for Bryan, and be-
cause l do not think their leaders are so
pima ana unpatriotic as not to see that
Bryan electors will be elected in North Car
DINA on our ticlset"i The chairman is MAX
ing trips in the state endeavoring to abate
the feeling against electoral fusion.
hiram l.. Grant. the republican state
committeeman on duty at headquarters
here, said to the Star correspondent: "Our
committee has waited and waited for the
our nominees on the state ticket. 1t was a
foolish thing to wait on handful of popu-
lists. Butler will never agree to fusion, but
we nave the populists corralled. That par
~, 1 assure you, can't poll over 25,0O0
votes. If w. A. Guthrie and Oliver H.
Dockery, Its nominees for governor and
lieutenant governor, remain in the field and
canvass the state, as we want them to do
they will not poll 1900 votes. On this 1
Will bet my political sagacity. I tell you
the populsts are afraid to show their
hand"
Democrats assert that Mckinley will lit
orally Hood the state with money. and that
their hardest work will be to counteract the
effect of this.
The populist state committeeman are not
all elected yet, as a few Of the districts
have not yet acted. Each district has two
committeeman.