The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-05
THE COOK MEN ARE MAD
THEY WANT A DARK-HORSE
DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
FIRST DISTRICT HAS BECOME HoGGISH
Already Has the Lions Snare of the State ard
Federal Patrcnage--Republicans Say
Skinner is Not the Only Hot
Pebble on the Coast.

One of the ablest criminal lawyers il
North Carolina is COL Thomas M. Argo
of this city.
He is a Republican in politics, though
not politician. Frank, candid, despis
ing hypocrisy and saying what he thinks
Of public men and public questions, re.
CARELESS of party, he is not the sort OF
man one would expect to succeed best il
the mad scramble for place.
Time and again he has declared that
he cared for no public office, unless il
be something in the line of his chosen
PROFESSIONALISM and even for that he
would engage in no unseemly contest
His course has proved his sincerity in
this statement.
That he would have liked the Federal
iudgeship, of course, everybody knew.
Also, he would not be slow to accept the
District Attorneyship- he has not
hesitated to say so. Yet he has not con.
sidered it worth fighting for, and has
made no effort to get it. But it begins
to look as if he will have it offered tC
him unasked.
A week ago Claudio Bernard was ceG
tain of it. He and his friends could
hardly have been more certain of an
there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and
the lip, and Claudio seems to be rapidly
losing his sop.
The news that comes from Washing
ton is certainly anything but cheering
for the Little Man from Pitt. Since il
was reported that the President was
about to appoint him, the greatest pres
sure has been brought to bear against
him.
All sorts of objections are urged, but
lack of ability is the greatest. Then
it is charged that the First district is
trying to gobble up everything and rule
the roost completely. 1t is pointed out
that the First district already has the
Collector and Railroad Commissions
er, with that beautiful pair of political
orphans, John r. Smith and ]. M. New
booorne living just over the line.
1t is Ceek's friends who are kicking
up all this racket. But in doing so they
don't urge the appointment of their man
any longer. They acknowledge that he
is done for, and think that Bernard
ought to be in the same boat. The feud
has become so great and the feeling so
intense, they say, that the President can
afford to appoint neither.
Give us a dark horse, Third man
some man Of recognized ability, and we
can unite on shim and pull together"
This man, prominent Republican yes
terday told me, would probably be Tom
Argo.
10 be sure, Bernard's friends are not
tamely submitting to the roasting he is
getting, but in trying to hold up his end
Of the log they are not fighting Argo.
Heretofore, they have been on the of
fensive; now they are on the defensive.
Touching Bernard's ability, they point
to his record as solicitor, and say that
he made a good one. AS to the First
districts getting the lions snare of the
patronage. they reply that the returns
from the last election show that it is
clearly entitled to it. Not only have
they Pritchard-P opulist Congressman,
but the Fusionists sent p out of the =
members of the Legislature here-Gal-
lup, of Currituck, being the only Demo
GRAFT. The others were composed of IL
Republicans and 10 Populists, to say
nothing of two Senators that were partly
elected by votes from the First district
Cooks friends admit all these things
| but reply that one swallow doesn't make
a summer, and even if they did, they say
| that it's no use to surrender the rest o.
| the State to the Democrats because thu
| First district showed itself so Strongl!
| anti-Democratic. There are some veal
| places, they say, to strengthen; and tn
| way to build 'em up is to give EN- pap.
OF course, as for the Democrats, the.
| don't care how the thing goes, excep