The news & observer., 1897-01-22

physician in the speeding gig-all toward
the Capitol?
While DR.. ID. Reid Parker was leaning
back in this carriage faced by the devil
ishly determined eye Of his party's leader,
let us study phase. The phase referred
to is the g. Sam Bradshaw phase. Mr.
q. Sam Bradshaw, Of Asheboro, Demo
crat up to the meeting during the cam
paign of the Democratic State executive
committee, then a speaker for Palmer and
Buckner, now visitor to the Capitol,
and some openly said he was here to ill.,
tluence DIR. D. Reid Parker toward the
Pritchard column. Bradshaw was
neighbor Of the "inyalid'; the invalid"
was much attached to c. Sam Bradshaw
in many ways, and if Romulus Iigzag
Linney, once q Democrat, later a Repuh-
hcan Iuter Il popuiO- -kepubllcan, could
come all the way from Washington 10
use his friendship for Pritchard, with
il Democratic member friend of his why
could not &. Sam Bradshaw, eX-Demo-
crat, later Palmsn nBuckner, now come
TO use his friendship for pritchard
with Populist member and friend of
his? did it matter to Mr.. Bradshaw
what obstacles he had to overcome? Did
he know? DR. -. Reid Parker had de,
clarcd yehemcutly against Pritchard be
fore leaving home. had after reaching
Raleigh told two reputable Democratic
members of the House that he was
against him. but he had passed through
phases and whether it was the Brad
shaw phase" or some other phase that
phase, or some other phase thar
changed him, may never be put into
words.
But the party were at the Capitol, and
we will return to the group where lit
tie while ago we left them, dozen true
populst men in semi-circle, Tending off
Republicans whose teeth gnashed while
the seIni-circIe had in their
minds the ultimatum of any
defending deed, before they would sur
render therights of the constituents of the
man who sat pale before them. Butler
was just at the elbow of the Senator.
Two or three friends stood near him,
and the roll-call had begun. Butler had
triumphed, and yet there was a strange
uneasy sensat ton about something with
in him, if his face was true to dis
up in hard knot His arm bent rigidly
at the elbow, and his hand closed rigidly-
rigidly as told above. What was the
matter? For a second, he seemed not
know himself. AS if by transference of
thought, the fear leaped from his brain TO
the heart of his lieutenant next to him,
and from him comes these remarkable
words: "All at once, it burst upon me that
after all, the man might vote for Pritch-
ard; we had not asked; suppose he did;
the sensation of horror, the impossible
came along in succession; then u sensation
horrible in the most horrible sense fol-
bowed these. 1t was this; the world
would never stop laughing; it would go
on laughing as it had at John Gilpin
without ceasing. Butler would hear the
laugh begin in the galleries would hear
it taken up by the Senators, would hear
It caught up by the lobby, laughter,
too with cruel derision in lit would gal
lop like Il vicious giggle over every cross
roads in the State and along every noun
tain path and railroad cut; it would nes-
tie itself in the face of every United
States Senator, and the wires would
tingle merrily with it from Sen Pedro to
St Lawrence; that laugh would drive him
out of leadership, out OF politics, when
il the vote went right-then was triumph.
And so the arm bent I'igidly and the hand
closed rigidly and the lines of his brow
were tied in a hard knot, while his lips
were firm set between hope and exulta-
ton. And the roll-call proceeded. Parker"
called the clerk. There was Sahara sill
ence. ''Thompson!" answered a voice:
it was that of DR.. ID. Reid Parker And
that second Buffers arm dropped Imply
to his side, his features seemed 10 have
been swept by wave of ether and his
voice was never sudyer than when he
said in a low tone a few moments later:
Il think the doctor might go home now.
il he feels the need of rest"
= Dr. ID. Reid Parker of Randolph
when his name was called the next day
in the joint session, did not answer But
when Senator McCaskey's name was
called, that gentleman arose and said:
Il am paired with DIR. D. Reid Parker;
if that gentleman Were present, he would
vote for Pritchard, and | would vote for
Thompson"
DIR. ID. Reid Parker in Randolph coun-
ty.
DR.. d. Reid Parker's words to Demo
cratic members.
DIR. ID. Reid Parker's sickness.
DIR. ID. Reid Parker's procession to
the Senate
DIR. ID. Reid Parker's vote in the Sen
ate.
DR.. ID. Reid Parker's pair in the House.
Are there here six phases of Dr.D Reid
Parker or are some OF them psychologi-
cally merged one into the other? But
her is one phase that is not psychology
ally merged. Did not DIR. ID. Reid Par
ker on Tuesday night write letter TO
Senator Jeter Conley Pritchard assuring
him of his support? Did not the Sena-
tors eyes flood with joy en- reading that
note?
And the physician feeling the pulse of
DIR. ID. Reid Parker and taking an acute
ly professional bearing of his subject re-