The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-09-02
THE PIE EATING BRIGADE.
NO Federal Office Holder:a ole to Pay His Way
to Greensboro Absent,

Especial to News and Observer.)
greensboro, N. c., Aug. 2S.-The Re
publican convention at Greensboro was
the biggest of all the Semi-annuaI gath
erlngs of the Federal pie brigade. They
We're here in throngs. They We're head
ed, of course, by United States Senator,
Jeter &. Pritchard, the great distributor
of Federal pie. They We're augmented
by not exceeding a bakers dozen of for
mer Democrats who have for one rea-
son or another dropped off the Demo-
cratic band wagon.
The negro was not in it in person, but
he was here all the same. Cuffy knows
his business and he knows that he can
afford to risk his white allies. He knows
full we'll that an anti-Democratic vic
tory in North Carolina means his resto-
ration TO the privilege of voting and of
flee holding. He knows, too. because
his allies have told him, that the best
thing he can do at this stage of the pro-
ceeding is to saw wood and keep quiet.
so he has consented to stay at home and
let the old moss backs come and fix mat
ters, if they can, in such a way as to
fool the people and bring back the days
of '95 and 81. For these reasons the
coon, except in a very few instances, was
conspicuous by his absence.
But he was in the fight from start to
finish and he came out winner. There
! were il few new recruits and others who
favored a positive declaration by the
convention that would put the brother
in black out of the contest entirely, but
it was no go. Cuffy had too many
friends among the old moss backs. He
had stood With them for 10 these many
years and they know that whether he
was at the convention or whether he was
not he was yearning for an opportunity
to vote the Republican ticket. SO these
old moss backs, these old leaders of fus-
ion in '95 and 81, these postmasters,
revenue doodles and bung smellers, head
ed by Pritchard himself, stood up and
again between negro elimination and
negro rule by their refusal to accept
the suffrage amendment as a part OF our
organic law made the negro a factor
once more in the politics of the State.
saw many Republicans and hosts of
Democrats who were earnestly and con-
sciCntiOusly hoping that the convention
would do otherwise; that it would de-
clare itself in emphatic terms in favor
of our political battle between white
men and white men alone, and | nave
heard many say since the action Of the
convention that the party is in a thous-
and atoms. Many declare that they Will
not upport Hill, or any other but a
straight Republican.
I said yesterday that it was the same
old pie brigade. I don't believe there
is a Federal office holder in the State
whose salary is sufficient to pay railroad
fare and hotel bill that is not here.
Among those who are most in evidence
are Duncan and DOckery and Harry
skinner the eastern pie eating triumvi-
rate Then comes HarkinS, HOltOn and
Millikan, the western big three, and they
nave with them hundreds of their sub
ordinateS, Store-keeperS, deputy mar
shals, revenue doodles and bung smell
ers from every smutty corner. lhen
there are Lusk and Ryams, the two
Prices from Salisbury, Ramsey, Fat
terson, Mullen, Bailey, Glenn, ReynoidS'
Rollins. Pearson, and a hundred other
postmasters, and these are backed up
by Starkay Hare. Warren Hall, A. II.
Mashburn, Mcneil, Hamrick, the Longs
of Rockingham; Geo. Pritchard, Cowles,
of S~tatesville: Moody, Alex
anier and Morris. and the old sage OF
Davie. w. j. Ellis, with a half a dozen
Baileys from the moOnShlne dlstlllerS
district. and the east side of the Yadkin-
IlnnoN Is or course mere, anu 81 Il iN"hu
leman. the young Prltchardite, from
Salisbury and old Capt. JnO. Ramsey,
who never misses a convention and VINO
gets but little. CLYDE Cheek. OF Hills
boro. and Seawell and Sutton and Slo-
cumb apd A. NJ. Clarke, of the Plney
Woods section. Meekins IS mere, meek
and lowly, bowling the knee to the
Camaliel of the hilltops of Madison.
Satterfeld and JOIN Smith ana
Buchanan, Walser, Wallace. Sattertleld,
] M Smith. Masten, Benbow and Lit
Teton and TWO hunderd others whose
names and offices are familiar to every
locker on upon a Radical or fusion con-
yention that has been held IN twenty
wears. The only negro who clrculateS
among them is Henry Plummer Cheat-
ham. about the best of the race the par
~ ever elevated, but who bit the dust
perhaps because Of this fact. He comes
as a regularly appointed delegate ana
he had something to say, but he was
| not allowed to say it. Dave Lane, the
Wake county delegate must have gotten
lost on the way as he has not put IN an
appearance. Loge Harris is about the
onlv prominent one of the old crowd VINO
is not here.
ANDREW JOINER and
F. B. ARENDELL.