The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-06-16
THAT REP-POP FUSION.
Editor Aver Says the Whole
Story is a Canard.
OUTLINES THE OUTLOOK
His Conclusion is That There viii be
Three Tickets and That Rus
sell Will Not Come
Down..

ington during the last few days some
stories about so-called re-fusion be-
tween the Populists and Republicans
in order to get at the truth Of the
matter a reporter of the News and
Observer asked Mr. Hal. Aver, editor
of the Caucasian, yesterday frankly to
state whether or not there was amy
basis to any such story
Mr.. Aver replied promptly: De
cidedly not; there has been no change
whatever in the status, and that Wash
ington story was no doubt worked
over from a Raleigh special which APP
peared in the Washington Post OF last
Sunday" 1.-THE special referred to is
thought to have been written by Mr.
j. {. l.. Harris.)
In this special, the position was
taken, readable enough to be sure, that
Russell would be taken down, but, as
suggested by Editor Aver, who is go
ing to take him down? The commit
tee appointed at the Republican CON
vention was given power only to till
up the spaces in their ticket that
might not be filled by the Populists
at their convention, and no power to
do anything else and Editor Aver
wanted to know how he was going to
be taken down.
As to any recent movement toward
any fusion between Populists and Re
publicans, MIR. Aver said it was an
Aesop Fable of. the first water, and
had been started by Republicans and
not by Populists.
NJ hA II i'm
their convention ratified the action of
their executive committee which met
the PopuIist committee of five, and it
ought to be well known that the Popu-
lists would make no fusion with. the
Republicans unless they acceded to
the proposition laid down by the Popu-
lists.
This has all been stated before by
Senator Butler, who added, as did Mr..
Aver also, that the Populist conven-
ton would, it was believed, fully en-
dorse every thing that was done by
the Populists executive committe.
Thus this gauzy rumor is torn away,
but more should follow that might
as well he frankly said now. Editor
Aver said, touching his editorial in
which he had declared that there
would. under no conditions, be fusion
with Democrats, that he had received
over 900 letters, each one declaring
against such fusion, with the exception
of two.
Therefore, the reporter asked was
was not the logical conclusion OF these
reflections, the resultant OF three
tickets in the field
The young Populist editor hesitated
here somewhat, but finally assented,
not however, before remarking that
though he spoke for no one but him
self. he would not be averse to Doug
las and Waller, but that he would not
personally support Russell or Hender-
son.
This reflection did not exactly tally
with the declaration of the editor that
there would be no Republican-Popu-
list tusion-but he OVERRIDE this by
substantially predicting u full POpu-
list ticket to be put up by the Populist
convention.
MIR. Aver, continuing, said that if
the Democrats were in earnest they
would support the Populist nominee.
And why not the Populists support
the Democratic nominee? the reporter
asked.
FOR this reason, he said, the issue
claimed by the Democrats in this State
fight is Russell and Russell alone. On
the part of the Popuiists it is the
Legislature and almost that alone.
Now If the Democrats want simply 10
avoid Russell, they can do so by voting
for the Populist candidate"
Will it endanger the prospects of a
Populist- Republican Legislature for
the Populists TO vote for the Demo
cratic nominee"
THAT is just the point" replied the
editor, there are some men among
the Democrats land he mentioned
one) to whom the PopuIists might not
be ayerse, but the force of such a move
ment would carry with it the danger
of a loss of the Legislature to the Pop
ulists. and that we intend to have, at
all hazards, and the Legislature might
as well now be understood to be the
issue with us just as Russell is claimed
TO be the issue by the Democrats. We
are going to have it; we are afraid TO
let the Democrats get control of it"
This much has been written in order
to let the Democrats of the State
know just how the organ of Senator
Butler is looking at things to-day.
What has been said by Editor Aver
may or may not represent the rank
and file of Populist opinion, but he,
nevertheless, thinks it does, and all
conditions and expectations of 1.-THE
Others" should be in the possession of
the thinking Democrats of the State.
There are many steps to be taken
within the next few weeks; if they
are to be taken wisely, they should
be taken with as many lights as pos
sible.
But after all, Mr.. Aver has said, it
does not look like the Populists can
get the Legislature desired by Mr..
Aver without some cooperation be-
tween his party and the Republicans
at present seemingly unprovided for,
and even then it would not be Popu-
list but Il fusion Legislature.