The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-20
A VERY QUIET CAMPAIGN
THE COLOR LINE BEING DRAWN
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT.
DENY THAT THEY HAVE ANY DOODLE
The "Pietriots" Must Put Up the Stuff for
Printing the Tickets or for Campaign
Literature, Say the
Managers.

The Republicans have decided that
they don't want much campaign this
time; that is they don't want much
speaking from the stump.
The other fellow draws the line on
them too close-"the white man and the
niger, choose which side you'll stand
on" This is too much, if not for the
candidate certainly for the voter. So
they've decided to have no more Of il if
they can help it.
SO they're going to send out only their
best men, and even then they are going
to be very careful where they send them.
DIR. Thompson is to be the only free
lane allowed on the field for the pres
ent.
All inexperienced candidates are to
be muzzed as much as possible and
expect to ''side UNDER to their
base while the other is making the
grand-stand catch on the stump.
Either Uncle Mark Hanna has become
mighty stingy of late or the Republican
campaign managers have mighty little
regard for truth.
1--WE have absolutely no campaign fund
this year." said Willie Simon Hyams, Sec
rotary to the Republican State Execu-
tive committee" We are dead broke
this year.
''How do you expect to get along with
out barrelY / asked.
"Oh we don't need any. We just sim
ply have to let our people know there's
an election and tell them who to vote
for
How about speakers and literature
who pays the piperT
1--WE are not having much speaking,
except by the candidates, and as for
literature we are for the most part
sending out public speeches
in Congress and the like. Then there's
a good demand for the Populist cam
paign handbook and DIR. Thompson's
Clinton speech.
"Do you endorse that Populist hand
book?"
"Why not?'
1.-The Republicans have been claiming
that the Democrats want to disfranchise
the negro, and to prove it they have
scattered broadcast over the State a false
interview with Gen. w. r. Cox from the
Washington Post. Hal Aver in his Pop
list handbook, says the Democrats de-
sire no such thing; that they have had
thirty years of opportunity to enact such
a law; that it is to their interest for the
negro to retain and cast his vote. Now
who is rightY'
'We are The Democrats acknowl-
edge that they want to disfranchise the
negro. Gen. Cox said it to that reporter
in Washington and we are preparing to
prove it, too."
Collector Carl Duncan, chief of the
red-legged grass-hoppers, talked very
much to the same purpose. He said
neither the Republicans or P0pulists this
year had campaign fund, but that
fusion having been effected they were
working along together In the greatest
harmony.
"How then do you manage to print
so many speeches and campaign books 2"
''The money is advanced and we get it
back by selling the books
isn't that something new"
'In North Carolina, yes"
"Where is Uncle Marks barrel"
"We'ye never seen it..
.You saw it in the last campaign"
''And you felt it"
''Have the Populists no campaign
fund.-"
mo"
''Wil neither Populists nor Republi-
cans have any during the campaign, or
on election day."
.They will not. They need none. Flu
sion is complete. 1t has been ratified
by the committee and the voters. With
such an arrangement we need no
money"
"How about election expenses?"
',The voters in each county will be
called on to contribute enough for print
ing the ballots for that county"
1t is just possible that there is some
truth in these statements. If there is it
explains many things.
1t explains why there are so few hee-
lers hanging around the Republican and
Populist headquarters.
1t explains why Jim Young has gone
off with his regiment and why he was
so periodically willing to go.
1t explains why the Fusion campaign
is left to drift along in such an aimless
sort of way and why when You ask
FusiOnist what he thinks of the situa-
ton he shakes his head sadly and says,
half dOubtfully, "Oh Wen win