The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-17
PARTY SPLIT IN TWAIN
LIE BEST CLASS OF POPULISTS
HAVE CALLED \ MASS
MEETING.
WILL NOT BE SOLD OUT TO RADICALS
The Populists Who do Withdraw have the
People Behind them. The Republican
Delegates Carried Fusion.

Pittshoro, n c., Sept. 16.-(Special.) -
The Populist County Convention was
held here to-day, and resulted in the
Populist party in Chatham county split
ting half in two. The majority of the
Populists declare they will not submit
to the fusion which Everett Bryan, the
court house ring and other McINinleyites
have forced on the party.
The fusionists and Republicans had
an inking Of the determination of the
silver Populists not to agree to the trade
by which the Republicans are given the
Senator and one member of the House,
and they procured DIR. Cyrus Thompson,
State chairman, to come here to whip
those who are opposed to ring rule into
line. He came and before the conven-
ton was held he spoke, and he reared
and pitched for two and half mortal
hours, abusing Democrats right and
left and never saying anything against
the Republicans. 1t was not very diff
ferent from his speech which the Re
pubicans are using as Il campaign doct-
ment The court house ring thought his
speech would quiet the storm and induce
the Populists to consent to sell out to-
. the Republicans. They were sadly dis
appointed and the speech completely fail
ed of its purpose.
After Thompson had finished the con-
vention met, and the fight soon began.
The ring had arranged fusion with the
Republicans, and when they tried to car
ry it through the convention they met
with stern resistance on the part of Ate
water, Wilkie, Spence and others. They
spoke strongly against any fusion with
the party that was nothing but gold
party, and declared they would not SUBJ
init TO the degradation of a fusion after
the Republicans in all their conventions
had declared for the gold standard, and
shown that the party is owned by the
monopolists. The fight for fusion was
led by Everett Bryan, who voted for
Pritehard in the last Legislature and
who now holds an Office under McKin-
ley. Wicker and the court house county
officers.
When the vote was finally taken, it
stood for fusion, So; against fusion, 81.
The fifty-one anti-fusionists then with
drew from the convention. The solid
delegations from Williams and Bald
wins township, part of Cape Fear, and
scattering delegates from other town
ships Withdrew. Williams township,
which is unanimous against fusion, poll
ed at the last election over 300 Populist
votes. The 81 Populist delegates who
withdrew, represented over 500 votes.
Several of the townships which voted
for fusion were represented by Republic
cans who have been life long members
Of the G. o. +. Their votes carried the
Convention for fusion. But for their
votes, fusion could not have won.
= After the Populists had withdrawn, the
Re-popli-cans proceeded to nominate
their ticket. as follows, leaving places
open to the Republicans who will fill in
the balance: For the House, Sandy
Wicker; for sheriff. Joseph Johnson: for
Register. John Paschal; for clerk, Robt.
Dixon; and they also nominated two
commissioners.
The Populists who withdrew have call
ed a mass meeting to be held on the
27th Of September. The men who re-
fused to be made tools of the Republi-
cans are the best class of Populists in
the State. They embrace nearly all the
men of sense and character. who or
ganized the party in 1892, and have car
ried it to victory in the past. Among
them is the brother-in-law Of Sheriff
Jenkins, whose nomination for Congress
was dictated by the Republicans last
.week The Populists of the county who
joined the party for financial reform are
outraged at the infamous methods, and
the treachery used to defeat Mr.. Strowd
and to nominate jenkins, and indignant
because the court house ring has sold
out the party to the goldbugs.
You viii hear something drop in
Chatham on election day.