The news & observer., 1897-02-24
And the Air is Full of Crimina-
ton and Recrimination.
THE BOLD BAD BOLTERs
ARE MAKING 1T INTERESTING
FOR THEIR REPUBLICAN
ALLIES.
REPUBLICANS GETTING MAD
And Doing Some PLAIN and Pointed
Taking Governor Say
ing But Little.


"You were right" said q Republican
yesterday, when you said in the News
and Observer that the spirit of Pritchard
was here. 1t is here, and it is lowering
about in every nook and corner of poll
tics.
1T is not here to conciliate, not even
to consider, but to destroy, and it means
TO tear down every man and every move
that has a thought or action not directed
or endorsed by this new Republican au-
tocrat.
II have been fighting hopeless battles
in the Republican party in North Caro-
lima for twenty-five years" said another
Republican, land from the way things
look now, that kind of a fight has got
to be inaugurated again, but I've got all
| want of it, and when the time comes
TO begin over again, this battle against
the waves of party strife and the
storms of the enemy, l am going to
quietly pull for the Shore and let the
old ship drift where it pleases."
''The result is just as | expected it
would be- said another Republican,. and
member of the General Assembly,
when the Republican party, with hun
dred and sixty thousand voters, was
forced to surrender to nineteen hungry
ex-Democrats, and now here we are a
party with both the National and State
administration, to our backs, absolutely
held up by this little corterie of place
hunters, who hayn't got voters. enough
behind them to fill the offices they are
claiming"
There is only one parallel to the treat
ment that our Governor is receiving,
said another prominent Western Republic
cen, "and that was the treatment meted
cut to Governor Curtis H. Brogden in
1874 By the Democratic Legislature. /
was here during that Legislature, and
the treatment Of Russell now reminds me
OF the treatment by the Democrats of
Brogden then. 1t was disgusting Demo-
cratic proceedings then; it is disgracefu!
Republican proceedings now"
Yes, and / am sick and tired Of it, )"
remarked another Republican, land |
think the best thing the Legislature can
do is to adjourn sine die and go home and
stay there"
1--WE will show his autocratic Excel
lency thing or two before he is many
days older" said one of the anti Russell
ties He is big man down in Bruins
wick and a pretty lively old fellow, but
he is out-classed when he insists in en-
tering contests with Pritchard, Gudger
Iusk Boyd, Ewart and other minority
Popuist friends, and if we can head him
off at one end of the lane, we can at the
other"
These are some of the expressions
heard yesterday, and the air ives full Of
others like them, and the row in the
camp is not abating The Governor
himself is reported as saying that hc
would be pleased to he relieved of any
of the responsibility attached to naming
trustees aud directors of the institutions,
but that he would like for it to be done
in respectable manner; but he is no
clerk to be commanded or dictated to,
and that he is not built of surrendering
material.
The boilers are doing all in their powes
to hold enough of themselves ard the
other forces together and to hold them
together, leaving a few of the institu,
tons in their grasp, but even some of the
bolters are getting uneasy. One of them
said last night:
ITO be perfectly candid with you, /
don't believe we can do anything except
pass few more appropriation bills,
run the State little further in debt,
pass IA few more foolish local bills, and
in this way fool awaythe balance of the
session"
Why don't you go ahead with Your
other schemesY was asked.
"Pashawt' ne replied, I'VE can't go
ahead The bills are hung up here and
there, in both houses, and now unless we
surrender everything to the Governor, we
have got to change them all, and add the
names Of the trustees in each bill"
We'll, that is easy enough to do, isn't
it?"
Maybe you think it is easy. We
haVn't even attempted it yet, and when
we do it viii create a scramble for po-
sitions on the different boards that it
will take two weeks to settle, and then
probably stir up opposition enough to
defeat the bills.
1t is big fuss, but only such fuss as
might be expected to result from a lot of
hungry officers, whose only hope and pur-
pose IS to gobble up some loaves and
fishes. In the great scramble to see who
shall get them, there is an evident pur-
pose to knock down and drag out any
body or anything that gets in the way.
We are the masters OF the situation"
said a boiling Pop, "and' we are
going to carve the pie our way or nat at
ALL"
Senator Clarke surprised the Butler
Populists Monday when he took up his
bag and baggage and walked over into
the minority caucus He had been chair
man Of nearly all the committees in the
majority caucus, and the minority crowd
straightway made him chairman OF one
OF their many stirring committees. Sena-
tor Clarke is said to have crossed the
rubicon because he got mad with the
Butler Popnlists over the Halifax stock
law bill. What statesmen these, to be
sure, and what mighty problems it takes
to disturb their equilimity.
oh, well, we cant prevent a man
flom committing political suicide IL he is
determined to do ii, said one Of the ma
jority Pops yesterday, referring to the
action OF Senator Clarke. All we can