The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-01-01
SENATORIAL CONTEST.

! WHSIlO2iOiie
ial Correspondence There is much in
terest manifested here over the Senatorial
Situation i'm North Corolina-quite as
pucb IL not more than is shown in the
| State itself. This is attributable to the
coet that-th political complexion of the
United State. Senate is dependent upon
| the ontcome in North Carolina. There
nre ~ Senator's, The Republicans will
hive Il. not counting the Kentucky and
| Norlb Carolina Senators to be chosen. As
they have clear ma iority in Kentucky.
n h generally. conceded that Repubh-
r,n viii bn named 10 succeed Blackburn.
know that thcrc n talk that three or
| r,r,r Renubhchus favor the election Of
| rnr,tsle viii hot ntdde by their party
,nu,ns and n9 thut. but when Hanna
hrlpra his prcsIure 20 bear on the kick
| inc members. Iihcy viii dance to his
music. RcpubBtuns talk about kicking
ont az marty tfaccs freely enough, but
| not one has been known to do SO just
MS his party wAs going into power for
four Years. No 3kick then is TO die aud
none Of them 3trc counting death or
| Punishment front the pie counter. This
is why | say that the Republicans will
elect Senator ib Kentucky. That viii
give i3 SENATOR'S They have the Vice
| President TO give. the deciding vote, and
| If they can elect laritchard or some other
Hlle Republican from North Carolina,
they can control the Senate for the next
four years. This is the stake they are
playing for, aud it:is the pivotal position
that North Carolina occupies that makes
our Senatorial contest the most interest
| ing political move Of the new year.
The contest interests all parties. The
gold standard men are anxious for Pritch-
ards election bcca,lse they know they
can rely upon him if necessary to pre-
vent the passage Of n free coinage meas
ure either by helping to weight it down
with amendments, to bury it in commit
tee. or in such other way MS the admin
istration may decide is the safest plan.
This is evident when such thick-and-thin
administration men as Thurston, Mark
Hanna X Co, are interesting themselves
to secure Pritchard's reelection. lie is
wanted 50 bad by them THAT they are
even willing, If absolutely necessary, for
him to take the silver pledge, knowing
that if they can control the organization
of the Senate they can prevent action on
any silver bills, and thus never make it
necessary for PritchaTd either to keep
his pledge or TO violate it. There is no
sort of doubt that Mr. Pritchard will
have all the help he reeds, and that if
money will buy the election the Repubh
can managers will send it down to Raj
eigh in just such volume as may be
needed to control the election. The men
who need the Senate have big things at
stake. Republican Senate means mil
lions for private gain under the name of
protection, inhs and riclf SchnnnS @"to.l"'
and they can afford to pay million dol
lars for that control and then make
money on the investments Anybody who
is gambling on the result may put it
down that if any member has vote
for sale he can name his own
figure, and get it. The big managers
prefer to pay money for the necessary
fifteen votes than to give offices.
The money transactions can be covered
up. The office payments involve ma
tionaI scandal. But there is every reason
to believe that the Republican managers
will give money, offices, either or both, for
an administration Senator from North
| Carolina.
81 cannot understand, said a Western
Populist of some prominence, talking
about the matter, why the Republicans
have even the shadow Of chance to
elect Pritchard or any other Republi-
can, if they are short fifteen or sixteen
votes, unless there are gold-bug Demo
Gratis who will support him" l assured
him that there was not a gold Democrat
in the body; that every one Of them was
an advocate of silver, and that every one
of them stood ready to vote for a silver
man for Senator; and that Pritchard's
/ only hope was 10 secure the needed votes
from Populists.
rs there any possibility that a Popu-
list will vote for him or any other sup
porter of McKinley?" he asked.
1t was a question couldn't answer, and
frankly told him that it was not unless
sixteen of the Populists should barter
their votes for the gold standard for gold
or its equivalent He says that the
Western Populists, having faith that the
North Carolina Populsts are as true to
silver as the Western Populists, are
confident that Populist will be chosen.
They regard the talk by Republicans
that they can get Populists to vote for
Pritchard as a SANDER upon members of
that party. why" he said, "the Popu-