The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-09-10
DEM-PoP ELECTORAL FusioN9
Dockery Puts Himself in the Hands of
the Committee--Is Willing to do
Anything to Win the State
For Bryan and
Silver.

Silver.
At about quarter to one this morn
ing the committees broke UP without
having come to any definite action.
Meanwhile, the political doings had
been full of incident. Russell was in
his room pacing the floor in his shirt
sleeves, and putting and blowing in a
way to excite the sympathy even of
his political enemies. One man said
it was pitiable to see the old duck
treated in such a way.
But underneath it all was the iron
hand that held in its hollow the am
billions of other men. Russell had
said Tuesday night that he was willing
to come down, and he was still willing
last night, but the men who scotched
this wheel We're Hancock, Grant and
Mott. These men fought the whole
movement bitterly. Russell was the
only straw they had to cling to for
their political life, and they held on
to him. During the meetings of the
committee they went to his room at
the Park every now and then to brace
him. and so it turned out that they
temporarily won.
The opposing forces to these men
were Holton, Settle, Pearson and
Pritchard. Pearson and PTitchard left
Yesterday afternoon, but left here r.
o. Patterson as their representative.
All these ''come-down" men, also,
visited the room of the tortured man
and prodded him until the miserable
Dan. was nearly maddened. In return
for Pritchard's activity, the Senator
got heartily cussed out by the anti
come-down men.
And in the origin of all this coming
down there is history beginning
with the visit ten days ago to Mark
Hanna in New York of Settle, Pear
son, Pritchard and Holton. They ex-
planned to Mark that their only chance
was in taking down Russell, effecting
fusion with the Populists on the State
ticket Mark tumbled to their sere-
made, and summoned Russell TO Wash
ington to see his (Mark's) representa-
tive. The story of Russel's abandon
ment of his canvass and his journey
to Washington has been told in these
columns. He met the agent there who
gave him some kind of a rabbits foot
anyway the song-and-dance proved a
Knockout; for he agreed then and
there to come down and came imme
diately to Raleigh and told Holton that
he was ready to be slaughtered. And
in the midst of it all when the COM
mittees were proceeding On this basis,
in stepped the anti-come-downs mem
toned above and for the moment put
a stop to the whole business.
At the close Senator Butler walked
into the Park Hotel arm-in-arln with
Lloyd. He was asked as to results by
the News and Observer reporter, and
said the only reply he had to give was
that no definite result had been arrived
at, but that the negotiations were
pending and the committee would meet
again at nine o'clock his morning. The
other matter of electoral fusion with
the Democrats was not reached. at all,
but viii be doubtless before the final
adjournment of the committee. The
opinion among large majority of the
Populists last night was that the Dem
ocratic proposition would certainly be
accepted.
There was some talk last night that
the hitch hinged on settlement with
Russell for money out, but it is to be
presumed that Hanna fixed this up
with Holton in New York and through
his agent in Washington. 1t may be
that the apparent zeal of Marshall
as deep as it seems.
But his Machiavelli play viii keep a
day or two. He thinks, maybe, an
other man may win something by Rus
sells being kept up.
Among the prominent Republican
and Populist politicians here yes
terday were Claudius Dockery, r. b.
Davis, of Wilmington, Congressman
Charles III. Martin, Dr. j. j. Mott, T. c.
Caldwell, James T. Legrand (Dem.),
Frank Thompson, Democratic nominee
for Congress from the Third district,
S M. Holton, w. r. O'Brien, Robert
Hancock, of Newbern, j. s. Merritt, of
Roxboro, Zeb. Vance Walser, r. O. Pat
terson, Thomas Settle, Abe Middleton
(col.), Carl Duncan, Sheriff Simms, of
Cabarrus, Messrs. Sheriff., of Catawba,
Peace, of Oxford, Westmoreland, of
Davidson, Stratford, of Guilford, Gar
rett, of Vance, 0tho Wilson.
Senator Butler returned to Washing
ton this morning at 1926.
Afessrs Legrand and CIaudius Dock
cry returned this morning to Rocking
ham.
Most of the remaining politicians are
remaining over to-day to finish up the
job.
Tom Settle leaves this morning for
Oxford, to speak with Kitchin today.
There is some talk that strong influ-
ence is being used in certain Populist
quarters to have Populist candidate
put up in Settles district, in order to
insure his (Settle's) election.
y y n
Up to midnight the Populist com
mittee were still in session, not having
come to any definite action. About
eleven o'clock they took recess, dur
ing which a conference committee was