The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-18
TO THE HANDS OF A NEW CON
FERENCE COMMITTEE.
With Full POWERS TO ACT
No Formal Resolution Adopted Skinner inCon-
troll Of The Policy Of the Party--A Minor
lily Favored Straight Fight But Was
0verawed Resolutions DenounC.
ing the Democrats We're
Withdrawn.

The POpuliSt State Executive Com
mittee met in the court house yesterday
afternoon at $50 o'clock and after Il SEES
sion of an hour and half adjourned to
meet at $50. The night session lasteu
until H. Nothing was done at the after
noon session beyond Il mere general dis
cuSsion of the situation.
There was Il noticeable disfncliAatioh
on the part of members of the committee
to talk, which tendency Il. I. Garrett
the Mckinley postmaster at Henderson
voiced when he declared I'VE amt
given out no news"
The State central committee and the
executive committee met together Of
the central committee there were present:
Chairman Cyrus Thompson; J. B.Lloyd,
of Edgecombe; u. L. Garrett. of Vance,
Hal. w. Aver, of Wake. OF the eXecu-
tive committee there were present: First
district, Harry Skinner and Theo. Whise
by proxy; Second Il. Il. Kinsey; Third
Mccarthy and Y. NJ. Cole; Fourth, s.
Ohio Wilson and James Amos, by proxy;
Fifth, 4. S. Peace; Sixth, S. \. Ed
munds; Seventh. Jno. a. Sims; Eighth,
Il. A. Cobb Ninth, A. ID. X. Wallace.
Beside the members of the committee
there We're present Gill, of Vance; Con
gresham Strowd. Treasurer Worth
Clerk Senter, of Secretary of States
office: Kelly, of Wake. fertilizer inspec
tor; Daily, former Populist nominee for
Congress in the Fifth district.
The committee was practically unani-
nous in favor of fusion with the Repub
lican party. though there was n minority
in favor of making Il straight fight. This
minority, however, was overawed and
made no open opposition to the fusion
policy of the majority.
Prominent members of the committ%
stated last night that no resolution look
ing to fusion with Republicans was in
troduced, though the expressions of opin- |
ion from the individual members of the
committee were free and all favored flu |
sion.
The policy of the party was committed
to the hands of the central committee,
TO which was added Harry Skinner, A. |
S. Peace. and S. A. Edmunds, this en-
larged central committee constituting II
conference committee which would ar
range the details of fusion with the Re
publican leaders.
This. of course, was equivalent to a
resolution favoring fusion. The confer
ence committee will have charge of all
matters looking to fusion.
Members of the committee said that
no resolution recommending fusion in the
counties and districts was introduced and
no action taken with regard to such ar
rangements. they being left entirely to
the discretion of the local leaders, UNI
der the general supervision of the con-
ference committee.
There were no set speeches, though
every member of the committee made
remarks as one member facetiously
put it. The remarks all tended in one
direction according to those present.
Harry Skinner and Hal w. Aver are
understood to have been the controlling
spirits ON the floor and to have urged
most strongly the necessity of taking inn
mediate steps TO come to terms with the
Republicans. The facetious member de-
MED that they were the leaders" of the
fusion majority, but merely said they
"acquiesced in the action of the com
mittee."
Several of those present beside mem
hers of the committee contributed re-
marks.
proceedings at all were unanimous in
stating that the situation in certain Con
gressional districts was not discussed by
the committee, and no steps were taken
to harmonic conflicts where Populists
and Republicans have nominated zen
for other offices, as in the case of Jockey
and Loftin.
\ resolution denOuncing the Democratic
party in terms of unmeasured severity
was introduced and precipitated coDsid-
cradle discussion, but was finally with
drawn without coming to a vote.
The resolution, it was said, cONs Ne
no good and might do harm.
Members were not inclined to discuss
the attitude of the committee as tri-
umph for Skinner over Butler, but it
was evident that they so regarded it.
They did not gainsay that the addition
of Skinner to the central committee in
IFS capacity as a conference committee
practically made him the dictator of the
party policy in the coming campaign
Cleared of all garnishing the action of
the committee may be summed up as
follows: 4 conference committee was
appointed and empowered to arrange
fusion with the Republican party ON the
best terms possible: this the comms'tee
viii proceed TO 90 as soon as convenient
1t was denied that any formal propo-
sition from the Republicans was sub
mtted to the committee for conslderh-
ton though it was not denied that the
committee was advised as to about what
the Republicans would expect.
One of the most noticeable features
of the meeting was the absence OF any
enthusiasm. none of the members, de-
spite the affirmed unanimity of the com
mittee. seemed TO be trimming over with
cheerfulncss. They named large ma
iorities for the fusion candidates, but
there was little fire in the eye or con
fidence in the voice when it was done.
If the members had just come from the
obsequies Of the populist party they
could not have had less of the jovial in
their demeanor.