The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-27


Among Democrats yesterday there
was much quiet amusement over the
predicament in which the attempt to
dodge the negro has left the Wake coun-
ty Republicans.
The negroes are mad and swearing
that the white Republicans have sold
them out. The white Republicans are
almost worried to death. Not knowing
what to do they shake their fists at the
negroes and declare if they'd kept quiet
and not made such d. asses of them
selves over that little deal" things
would have been all right.
1t was very funny yesterday TO hear
them talk and ''explanify" and try to
find a way out of the trap in which
they've been caught.
The negroes, throwing the fat in the
fire in the manner in which they did,
and the consequent wrath of the white
leaders reminds one very forcibly of a
story which John s. Wise used to tell.
There was a man fell dead In New
York one day. The body was carted to
the Morgue. No one identified it until
man said he thought the deceased was
a man named Jones from Troy.
The officials wired to Jones' family at
Troy. The Jones' family wired back:
"Embalm father and put him in a
rosewood casket. We will be in New
York tomorrow
Next day two of Jones' sons showed
up at the undertakers. The sons shook
hands with the man of caslkets, weeping
silently the while
Would you like to take a look at the
body before box it up to go back to
Vsro,, ocI-oJ tho Y,t11arfa Dor
Yes, the Jones sons thought they
would. The undertaken removed the
bandages from the face of the departed,
showing the mouth slightly open.
The younger son started convulsively
and. pointing at the teeth of the dead
man, said:
Brother, look here. That's not faith
er. That's somebody else. Father new
er had false teeth"
1T certainly is not father" said the
elder of the two "and of course as it
isn't father father must be alive and
well. This is joyful hour, brother;
let's celebrate"
But, hold on" shouted the undertaken
as the two Joneses were going, 'who's
going to pay me for all this embalming
fluid and this excellent rosewood cas-
ket?''
Surely not we,'' responded the
Joneses. 1--WE wired to embalm
father and confer on him coffin But
this is not father. We owe you moth
ing. SO long"
After the Joneses left the undertaken
turned to the deceased and addressed
him. s'Now see what you've DONE"
said the undertaken indignantly as he
shook reproachful forehnger at the
silent clay before him. NOW see what
you've up and done. AS the game stood
you were about to have swell funeral
with a grave in a high-priced lot. You
were to have a rosewood casket as your
last envelope, and your last resting
place would have been adorned with a
monument that would have been out of
sight. And you up and spoil it all. Now
you're going to get a pine box instead
of rosewood and be carried away to a
grave in the Potter's Field. And why?
Because you couldn't keep your blamed
mouth shut"
As one looks at Loge Harris, Alphaber
Adams, Hambone Jones and Danhell
Young and thinks how one short week
ago they were the pets of their party
with fair prospects for election before
them-as you see them now, orphans of
politics, fusion foundlings whom every
body is trying to leave on everybody
. else's doOrstep-as you remember how
all this came about by the negroes expos
ing that deal' i'll open convention,
you cannot but think of that individual
who dropped dead in New York.
OF course no effort will he spared to
mollify the ''brother in black" All
sorts of things will be promised him and
all manner of patronizing things will be
done. Those that cannot be cajoled will
be driven to support OF the ticket And
those that can neither be cajOled or dPiY
en- will be given something, first to shut
their mouth, then to hurrah for the
ticket
Already the work of bolstering up the
supporters of the ticket and stopping
the mouths of the boilers has begun
Buck" Adams spent all day yesterday
going about the streets doing missionary
work of this kind among the negroes
From early morn till dewy eve he wrest-
led with them. He had IA good oppor-
tunity, court being in session, and ar
almost any hour of the day he could be
seen on some street corner, with three
or four negroes backed mp III the shade,
telling them what q good thing they
had done to allow themselves to be sold
out.
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