The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-04-26
OUR RALEIGH LETTER.
AND GOSSIP FROM THE STATE
CAPITAL.


PJpulist State Conventional Was With |
out Enthusiasm or Life and SHINY At |
tended-Skinner Put Butler in Hole
Wouldn't Endorse Democratic Bryan
Electors and Why-The Ticket Named
Cut-and-Dried Affair-Butler Means to
"Trade" the Ticket and Electoral Can
diiates, Ohio Wilson Says-Republican
Convention Nay 2nd-G0Od News From
all Over the State-NumerOus Items of
Interesting News-Minor Mention, Etc.
(From Our Regular Ccrre>pondent.)
RALEIGH \. C.. April 23, 1900.
The State convention OF the Populist
party. which assembled in this city last
Wednesday, was in marked contrast to
that which packed to overlooking the
same hall a week previousy .
Not only was the contrast remarkable
in the point OF numbers. but the utter
absence OF enthusiasm and the forlorn
and hopeless expression OF cOuntenance
worn by the delegates furnished material
for even more conspicuous comparison.
Again. the dearth OF prominent or
hrainy men-amOunting to almost
''famine in that reSpect-WaS painfully
noticeable. Marion Butler. Cy. Thomp-
son, Harry Skinner and a very few Others
OF some note and ability made up the
'.aggrpgation OF TALENT home talent.
which was supplemented by the presence
Uf q Nebraska Congressman, who came
down from Washington to help Butler
out. Neithe:. Senator Alien nor Senator
p"ttlgreW were present. however, after
all the ant"-cOnyrntiOn heralding they
had received through the Popuist papers
and politicians. Both had excuses,
which We're more. or less plausible.
Looking over the hotel registers or in
the Hobbies one would not have suspected
that Il State convention was in session or
about to assemble in Raleigh.
With one or two exceptions all the
nominations We're made by ''acclama-
ton.
Chairman Cy. Thompson. of the State
Committee, called the convention to
order and named H. s. SeawelI as tenn
porary chairman.
There We're about $50 delegates. filling
| only one-hHlf the lower floor of the same
| hail which could not hold. galleries in
| cludrd. bat few more than the delegates
and alternates to the Democratic cOnven-
| ton a week previously. Less than fifty
Raleigh people. and many OF them Federal
| Oifca-holders. turned out to witness the
| proceedings. and about 100 negroes lined
! the gallery ratings.
| CHARACTERISTIC ''ORATIONs BY BUTLER
| AND OTHERS.
Speeches We're made by Congressman
| sutherland. OF Nebraska. Cy. Thompson,
Butler. ScaWei!. s5chulken Aver and Il
| few lesser lights
1t is very evident that the l'opulists. as
y party. are but Il shadow of what it
once was, bat it was clearly demonstrated
that fully 80 per cent. of them left III the
| organization are Butterflies. The dele
| gates on this occasion fell down and wOr-
| SHIPPED him on every available occasion.
His speeches Che made three or four) We're
| the old familiar Butler harangues.
| Cy. Thompson (who is a sharp and
| slreWd politician and much better speaker
than Butler, and probably an ADLER man
that's easily said) seemed to hold next
| place i'll the "hearts OF his cOuntrymen,
| as represented on this OCCASION But this
was largely due to the patent fact that
| he was ''for' everything Butler desired
and was actively at work carrying out
| the Senator S orders.
| When Col Harry Skinner made a prOpO-
| sltion to endorse the Democratic electors
! at-larsp. a large proportion of the dele
| gates, probably half OF them, at once fell
| III with the idea-tO the CONSERVATION of
| Butler-and they We're demanding a roll
call when Butler and Cy. Thompson made
it known that this was against the Sen
ator's wishes (and plans" it should
have been added), and at once the entire
body OF delegates. with less than a half
dozen exceptions, howled the Skinner idea
| down, and by Il rising vote''-killed it
| unanimously.
| WHY THEY WOULDN'T ENDORSE MCLEAN
AND OvERMAN.
Col. Harry Skinner, while the platform
was up for adoption, made the sensible
suggestion that if Butler was really in
earnest in his professions to help elect
| Bryan by sending Il Bryan delegation to
| the National Populst convention, then
| Overnian and Mclean, the Bryan Demo-
cratic eiectors-at-large, should also be
endorsed and voted for by the Populists.
| But the convention was dead against
| him. especially after Butler and Cy.
| Thompson had informed it of their OPP
position. and they voted SINNERS propo-
sltlon down with mighty wave of
| noes.
lieutenant, Ohio Wilson
skinner was right" he replied. But
ii his proposition had gone through. it
would not have afforded Butler the OPP
| pOrtunty to trade that he desires. That
is why he had it defeated"
REPUBLICAN CONVENTION NEXT WEEK.
Senator Pritchard, "Jedge" Linney
| (nOW classically termed the Bull of the
| Il; A.,
mouth negro mistit of the Second Dis
tricD, will come down from Washington
next week and hold a convention' OF
some sort, commencing on Wednesday
| May Ind
| The revenue dOOdles and post official
| brigade will also be on hand differed bv
little Claudio Bernard the hero of the
recent Greenyille ''revOiutiOn" whose ex-
pertnesS as Il sprinter and dodger of ps
toll balls is said to have made him a great
| reputation ut his old home and there
ahoutS). and Mr.. Cheerman Holton. OF
Steptoe Halifax fame and general dispen-
ser OF uniforms to the Pops now linopr-
| ing III the ranks OF the erst While fusion
| army.
They say they will nominate" 1--WE
| VIII cali 1t that. Tor form ) sake) Lnnev
for Governor, and then fix up a sort O,
| straw llchet TO Ifade on to Butler later
| on i'll the campaign
They II nominate" also two electors
| at-large-certain to do that-for whom
the supporters OF Mckinley will be asked
| to vote. in order To give the President :,
| second term.
Prltchard declared in Washington last
week that the Republicans would carry
| North Carolina for the national ticket
this year. Part of the scheme was I'M
| folded last Wednesday when Butler made
| his convention nominate separate BRYAN
electors, instead of endorsing Mclean
| and Overman.
| CAN THEY KEEP THE ''MGGER IN THE
| BACKGROTNDo
| 1t Is no secret that Pritchard Holton
ana other republican managers are very
anxious to keep the negro in the back
| lrrIAll,ll = .i1rl,t i