The news & observer., 1897-01-26
THE BREACH WIDENS
The Two Committees Meet But
Fail to Agree.
WILL PRITCHARD RETURN
REPORTED THAT HE HAS BEEN
ASKED TO COME BACK.
TO HEAD OFF RUSSELL
And Protect The Boilers From a Deal
Between the Republicans and
the Regulars,

SN~SSU tHS nSpuDiCanS and
the Regulars.
There are charges and counter charges,
elimination and recrimination, agree
ments and disagreements, fusion and con-
fusion in the legislative situation and
the breach between the two cooperating
parties is getting wider and wider.
Governor Russell has used all the good
offices of the administration to bring
about truce, but without avail. 1t is
including McCaskie, the chairman and
leader, yesterday and pleaded with
them to make some overtures
to their majority brethren for
their reinstatements, but with one
voice they cried: Never" Until the
majority retracted the harsh things they
had said about them. The regulars are
still more obstinate and declare still that
they don't even know the boilers and
don need them and never expect to need
them in their business. Every member
of the majority who goes out of the city
comes back with the same story, that the
POpulist voters are terrible incensed over
the action OF the bolters and are APP
plauding the majority and standing by
them to a man. 1t is said that Col Skin
ner admitted before he left Raleigh that
he would have to get out of the Populist
party and return to the Democratic
party.
1t is declared by nearly every Populist
you meet that the boilers are no longer
Populist. What is all this talk about
Republicans cooperating with that bolt
ing gang? Why don't they just take
them? They belong to them and its fool
ish to be talking about cooperating with
them
1T was boldly stated yesterday that
the boiling Populists had a written con-
tract with the Republicans, the condi-
ti0ns of which are that they-the boilers
shall be taken care of and one of the
bolters declared in the presence OF lead
ing Republican, that if the Republican
CAUCUS co-operated with the majority and
left them out that this contract would be
given out for publication. This is another
evidence that the conference, reported
by the News and Observer two Sundays
ago, as having been held in room IL. at
the Branson House, was literally true
and that there the spoils involved in the
deal were duly discussed and agreed upon,
whereupon one member declared that
bhcy were II IL All got out. nor
was Odom the only one that was offered a
specific job, if reports be true for another
representative has declared that he was
promised 81 500 place if he would vote
for Pritchard, which proposition he indig-
nantly declined. 1t was said by half a
dozen or more yesterday that Pritchard
had been telegraphed for and that he
would be in Raleigh to-day, and he was
sent for to head off Governor Russell in
forming the anti-lease combination which
he is trying to perfect.
If Pritchard comes here for that pur-
pose you are going to see some fun in
Raleigh sure enough" said one of the
Governors friends last night, and Pritch-
ard will be sorry that he ever put his foot
in that trap. The Governors friends
were counting noses last night to see if
they had enough to carry out his plans
on the lease without cooperation with the
majority Populists, and it was claimed by
several that the Goxernor could control
the Republican caucus on this question,
and compel the party to vote as a unit or
bolt the caucus. While all this is going
on, and all these things are being said,
the regular Populists, under the leader
ship Of Butler seem as calm and compla-
cent as if nothing was happening.
II have no idea when | shall leave Raj
eigh," Senator Butler said on Sunday.
Raleigh is pretty good place to stay
in, and think | shall send for Mrs. But
Ter and put up for the winter"
A few Republicans were saying last
night that the Republicans would Just
take in the bolters, satisfy them all with
positions, and then perfect cooperation
with the majority and divide what was
left.
The Holton folks are doing some quiet
grumbling over the report that Nj. l..
Mott has cinch on the District Attor-
ney's place, but little grumblng and
kicking is about all they can do for it
may just as well be stated definitely now
as any other time, that that little $4,000
plum will 20 to the man from Wilkes
Boyd is to go abroad, if he can make
the connection, and Gudger is to get
consulate. The Collectorship is to go
beyond the mountains, and Alex Bailey
will do the Marshall act, provided he can
escape the Senatorial confirmation gull
lotine. So Holton, Settle and the others
of the left wing of the party must aim
lower If they want to bring down even
any small game.
CONSULAR APPROPRIATION BILL