The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-11-03

Is an unknown quantity in North
Carolina politics now which, when
discovered, may knock all ideas and
opinions heretofore entertained awry,
and astonish the natives who think
they know anything.
There is no reason to doubt the cleo
ton of the cooperation State ticket.
The majority is the only thing to spec
uIate on in this particular. The Lesis-
iature will be largely anti Democrat
ic. To say that the Democrats will
have forty members in both houses IS
quite liberal from all indications.
think that while some few Popu-
lists may not vote the entire Bryan
electoral ticket, the number viii not
be large enough to cause the election
to turn one way or the other.
n. W. AYERE
Never before have / known an election
the result of which was so difficult to
forecast. Everybody was talking politics
yesterday and last night, but few were
willing to risk their reputation as a
prophet on prediction of the result. Il
believe Bryan will be elected, or Il hope
Mckinley will win," was about as far as
most of them would GO Occasionally
there would be some Smart Alex" parti-
san who had "made q special study of the
situation" that would name some impos
sible majority for his candidate. But
for the most part, everybody was con-
tenting themselves with asking everybody
elses opinion.
This uncertainty as to the Old North
State is due, not only to the great break
ing up of political parties on the fnan-
cial question, but to the change in the
election law and the consequent increase
in the registration.
Another element of uncertainty is the
sudden determination of the Palmer and
Buckner supporters to vote for Mckinley
and Hobart. The order went forth
from Chairman Ashley Saturday, and
yesterday many of the gold men were
busy securing Republican electoral tick
cts and FASTING them over the Demo
cratic State and Congressional tickets.
When asked why they were doing this
the gold standard advocates said they had
been notified that in order to carry this
State Mckinley needed every vote he
could get That being the case, they had
decided not only to vote against Bryan,
but to lend their aid directly to his Re
publican opponent.
A third element of uncertainty is the
probable action of the Populists in regard
to the State ticket. They are badly torn
up over Major Guthrie's firm stand for
silver and Chairman Ayers sell-out to
the Republicans. They do not want Rus
sell and all he stands fOr-negro rule and
extravagance-but Aver and Wilson are
doing all in their power to force him
down their throats Their henchmen
were yesterday industriously circulating
the report that Major Guthrie had with
drawn, and as soon as a Populist would
hear this he would go to Aver Here he
would be told that while the report was
not true, still he layer would not advise
anybody to vote for Guthrie. Then this
political trader would add that he would
not vote for Guthrie himself were it not
for the fact that he was chairman Of the
party that nominated him, and was bound
by his official position to support him.
After lot of this kind Of talk, Aver
would end up by telling the man he could
get Russell stickers from Loge Harris.
And this is the man that has been yell
ing free silver so loud This is the man
who was so anxious to fuse with the Dem
ocrats; to get the white people together;
to defeat Dan Russell; to save the State
from misrule. This is the man whom the
honest Populists of the State have trust
ed with their leadership only to be stulti-
fed, sold out, betrayed and confused.
Whether he will succeed in his scheme
to deliver them over to the goldbug Re
publicans, bag and baggage, this day win
prove.
That this lie concerning Guthrie's with
drawal is part of the bargain by which
Aver was put on the Republican ticket,
no one doubts. Yesterday was chosen as
the proper time for it to be industriously
circulated among the people, with the
hope that it could not be corrected in
time and that it would give Russell many
votes. OF this there can be no doubt:
Aver and his minions are paying the
Republicans we'll for the office of State
Auditor.