The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-04-04
FOR THEIR CONVENTION
THE STATE COMMITTEE MEETS
HERE TOMORROW.
THE COMING CAMPAIGN WILL BE HOT
Plenty of indications That Therell be no
Time in the Old State This Year.
With Whom Will The Pops.
Co.0perate.

Tomorrow afternoon, at ociock' ~
the Marlborough House. the fopuhs'
State Executive committee Wall mee'
for the purpose of naming date TOT
their next State convention.
OF course it is not known which date
will be chosen but the opinion, among
those who ought to know, is that May
Goth will be the date selected. Certainly
tho convention will meet before May
o6th. the date chosen by the Democrats
for the;r convention. The Goth of May
is very much in favor for the reason
that Populists are fond of meeting on
independence days.
1t is expected that Senator Butter
will be here, though on account OF the
war negotiations now going on IN WASH
ington, it. is by no means certain Ihal
no will come None of the other Con
gressmen are expected.
With the bursting of buds, twitter o
birds. thawing of water courses ina
announce the end of winter and tht
advent of spring. there are also sundr!
invariable representations and fore
shadowings of an active and interest
ing political campaign.
The old-timers have been itching fol
it these many months, and they have
literally paved up the earth in Their
unrest and eagerness. To them tAt
campaign will be as meat and drink
To the observation of the uninitiated i
will be sight worthy to behold.
AS farmers study the fight and re-
turn of birds. watch the movements o1
wild geese. acquaint themselves with
the appearance and disappearance 81
The hedgehog. observe the bark oil
trees and nuts. calculate the velocity Of
the wind. and examine the position OF
the stars, as indications of a coming
season: so people experienced in political
campaigns learn TO recognize in adj
vance the signs Indicative of an cleo
ton: whether it is 10 be interesting and
exciting, or quiet and ordinary i'll IL
course.
To such it has for some time been
evident that the political strife in North
Carolina this summer and fall is TO bt
an historic one. 1t will rival if moi
surpass, in bitterness and intensity. tho
memorable campaign of 1876.
4 few Of the preliminary signals OF
the character of this coming poli;ica
battle are:
First and surest of them all-the in
evitablc certain and positive sign of "a
warm fights the call for early con.
vent;ons. Already the Democrats have
named May Goth as the day for their
meeting in State convention, and the
PopuEsts, not to be outdone will. it is
said. go them one better and when their
State committee meets here tomorrow,
select May Goth. When there is little
at stake or little doubt about who will
get the stakes, the politician IS not
TO be seen or heard. But when there
is n great battle for offices of honor
or emolument or the question of supre-
macy is to be tested he rises up early,
calls conventions and mass meetings,
issues manifestoes and admonishes Inose
who love their native land TO arouse ere
it be too late. All these symptoms are
present. therefore, i say there will be
a hot fever raging in the body polite
this summer and fall. The first and
surest indication of a busy canvass of
the State is this early starting Of the
machinery. Within the next three
months it will be humming away at a
fearful rate.
A second and equally certain, and no
less conspicuous prognoSticatiOn of q
hard fight is the conferences that have
been and are being held, the manufac-
turing and issuing of manifetoes and
the continued talk of cooperation with
this party Or that party by the Populists
who claim to hold the balance of power
When there is to be "a great battle for
offices these really non-partisan, disin-
terested, patriotic citizens are all asti1
and alive to the main chance. When
there is little at stake they let the fight
pass by without their interference
This year the Populist is unquestion
ably the early bird. In fact before tht
year was ended they started into hectic
political activity by holding a confer
ence here i'm the court house and fling
ing a long declaration to the breezes
But there were then some differences o
opinion in the party. Some unhealet
wounds that must he cured. SO Will
the coming spring. two weeks ago, an
other conference was held in the capitol
1T was a love-feast and the minority an'
majority men, like twin buds on the samt
stem. bloomed forth beautifully. as SOM
plants in the natural kingdom do. bi
ennially. They began TO sprout i'll Sep
fember, bud in March, but May vii
be the month in which they will be il
full flower and decide whether they vii
be crab or pippin.
June rs the month for the Republicans
They are already planted. and begai
TO sprout about two weeks ago. but tin
awful frost they got from the Pomlist
has set them back at least n month
Then the bitter wind blowing from Cox
Russell's administration makes the crol
prospects anything but promising. Tn
only hope now for the G. o. =. is tn
warm sunshine of Populist cooperation
and some gentle showers of Fedora
patronage by repeal of the civil seryic
laws.
Already 'harmonizing clements ar
at work. They are composed Of sue
impartial, disinterested. self-sacri6cin.
patriotic and intrepid citizens as Ma,
Hypha Lutin Grant, Rev. Righteous A
together Cobb, Col Claudio Melton Be-
nard, Hon. barry Skinner. the Duke g
Richmond Hill and Maj. Walter i
Henry. These leading statesmen an
philosophers having banded themselve