The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-17
JETER {. ASKS EN-
To TURN THE CRANK
His New Organ is Short of
Music.
CAN'T RAISE A H0OT
LEADERS SHY or
COMMITTING TIIEAI SELVES.
LAWYERS AFRAID TO EXPRESS AN OPINION
That the Constitutional Amendment IS not Good
Law. Pritchard's Desperate Effort to
Put Spine in the Mousk
Hoton Till Whipred

Senator Pritchard has taken the cam
paign against the Constitutional Amend
ment into his own hands and is MAKING
Il desperate effort to put spirit in the
leaders and to get the disorganized fol
lowers into line. This and what follows
Il Republican told me yesterday.
Since the day after the election of
1898 when ne closed Republican head
quarters here, and fled the city, thor
oughly whipped and cowed man, Chair
man Holton has not been able to face TIC
music. sIIe is still as badly whipped and
as completely coWed as on November
9th, 1898. He only remembers how
things went to the denlnition boW-wowS
on his hands and turns his face to the
wall
Somebody had to take hold and pritch-
ard set himself the task of staying the
tidal wave of approval that swept the
State as the nature of the proposed
Constitutional Amendment became gen.
orally known to the people. He was too
shrewd politician not to see the effect
that was being produced by the almost
unanimous declaration of the bar of the
State that the amendment would stand
the test of the courts. 1t was necessary
to deceive the voters and 10 get some
body to do 1T.
The first thing the statesman from
Madison did was TO get himself IN or
gan. There was in Asheyille daily
newspaper that posed as independent,
as Democratic, as any old thing. 1t had
held aloof from the campaign of Us Of
mildly favored both sides. It hesltated
for Il while between Plitchard and pos
siiMe petition in Bankruptcy anu then
made the cpportume discovery that the
amendment was Il most iniqu.tous thing.
simultaneously with this discovery the
paper began to appear as by magic Gu
the desks of every omIloye 6Fl the rev,
enue service here, and | am informed
elsewhere The revenue raider carried
his go-devil and ratchet wrapped up n T.,
The Senator had his ''melodiun' and
it wheezed and droned fearfully for Il
while and the ''reyenuer" heard and was
happy. BUT the supply of music Vas
limited and when the performer lad
ground out each piece, forward anG
backward, half-dozen times or 50 Jeter
saw the necessity of adding few new
cadences to the grand sweet song.
lie acted promptly. / have it from a
reliable source THAT he called on the
Republican lawyers of the STATE TO write
communications to the organ ("that pa
per UP at Asheyille" as my informer call
ed it, declaring that the constitutional
Amendment would not stand the test
of the courts, THAT the 9th clause would
be cut out ard that white voters would
be disfranohised by the rest. But the
lawyers have been slow to respond. They
do not desire to run into the buzz saw.
Instead of responding to the Senator's
come ON with brief for the negro,
some Of those addressed got over ON the
other side and some of them remained
obstinately silent. DO what he will The
Senator can not put vim and go into
his campaign and his organ gets squeak
Ter and squeakier.
This has well NIGH spoiled Pr;tchard' S
plan of campaign which was to get a
series OF opinions from Repnb-
lioan lawyers all over the State
adverse to the amendment, print
these in the organ and circulate
them widely through adj the Western
counties which are supposed to be less
favorable to the amendment because less
well acquainted with the evils of negro
rule than the counties of the East.
The lawyers have thrown the Senator
down-hs only resort now is the store
keepers and gaugers from whom fine
assortment of opinions may be had Cor
IL it1ce