The news & observer., 1898-09-22
FUSION IN EDGECOMBE
P0PuLlSTS NOW SUPPORT A NEGRO FOR
SENATOR.
Lee Person, who Says he will Help Lynch any
Negro who Votes the Democratic Tick
ct, Nominated for Senator.
(Cor. Charlotte Observer.

Newbern, n. c.. Sept. 15.-(Special.)- -
This has been negro week i'll Edgecombe
county. 1t has also been a week of poll
tics Every night meetings have beer
held among the negroes in the rural dis
tricts All work has been preparatory
to the Republican convention that was
held here today. 1t was in the court
house at Tarboro that they assembled
to nominate candidates and make speech
es. The town has been full of negro
politicians for several days. Clan has
been plotting against clan. A great fight
was on between Lee Person, the negro
who was State Senator from Edgecombe
two years ago, and Bill Watson. the as
sistant postmaster at Rocky Mount They
are bitter foes. Watson got the drop
on Person in the primaries and packed
the convention here today, as he thought
with anti-Person delegates.
Edgecombe is justly termed the negro
county of the State. The Smartest negro
politicians of North Carolina live here
And, though the county is full of as good
white men as the State affords. the negro
politician wire-pulers name the officers
of the county. AS they are in the NIT
jority they dictate to their Populist allies
in all political arrangements. Indeed,
they make the white men who vote with
them bend their knees in submission.
If the people of the western part Of
the State could have seen the conven-
tion here today as l saw it, and could
have witnessed the caucusing on the
streets for the past week, | am quite
sure they would be surprised that such
state. of affairs exists in North Caro-
lina Still it is true that this very crowd
name every county officer in Edgecombe
county. Read how they conducted their
convention and notice who were the dele
gates. To start with there was not a
white man in the convention.
At 1870 Congressman White, who
had just driven up in his top buggy, call
ed the delegates together in a caucus. 1t
was evident that there were two factions
on hand-the regulars and the anti-fu-
sionistS While the caucus was in session
Frank Dancy, one of the antis made a
rousing speech in one wing of the court
house to quite an assemblage. Dancy
was candidate for sheriff But his
crowd was soon hushed by the regulars
when they returned from the caucus
Nevertheless part of the crowd had bad
blood in their eyes for the fusionists.
This was Lee Persons faction He, it
seemed, had been squelched.
FREE FIGHTS IN ONE PLACE AND
ANOTHER.
There was grumbling and quarreling
in all parts of the convention hall. A
rough and tumble fight broke out in front
of the court house. 1t was soon stopped
by the police officers. But there was n
more serious affair in the main part of
the court house. Billy Ward, Person
heeler, made some remark about the con-
duct of the convention, which brought
some of the regulars to their feet. A
hand-to-hand. fight ensued, which result.
ed in the hurting of Ward down three
flights of steps, out the court house door
and into the street At least dozen ne
groes had hold of him. He was treated
like a brute. But it had the desired
effect. There was no more complaint.
A deputy sheriff was sent for and as he
pranced to and fro about the bar the
convention proceeded.
Dred Wimberly, an ex-State Senator
from Edgecombe. seemed to be master
of ceremonies. He was candidate for
the Senate. But much to the surprise of
all the spectators Lee Person was nomi-
mated. Orren James, one of Lee
Persons candidates. was nominated for
register of deeds. The convention turn
ed from Watson to a Person victory.