The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-25
Politics and Politicians.

Hon. Locke Craig, of Asheville, who has
been here for a few days, left for his
home yesterday. He is one of the Demo-
cratic candidates for the United States
Senate and the reporter who was talking
with him, asked: when will you open
headquarters for your campaign, Mr..
Craig?" To this question Mr.. Craig an
swered I'm not going to have any head
quarters, but L Will be in Raleigh dur
ing the coming session of the General
Assembly
Wick and talk of Wick even crowds in
upon Christmas. Mr.. Hildebrand sends
the Charlotte Observer the following,
which is the latest (unless Santa Claus
took hand last night in the Wilson
postoffice affair:
Washington, D. c. Dec. 23.-The par
Elephants to the Samuel f. Wick contro-
versy have been bestrred to renewed ac-
tivity, since it became known that Presi-
dent Roosevelt would not give attention
to appointments until after the holidays.
Not only will the government have a
special agent at Wilson during the week
to feel the public pulse, with a view to
determining the feeling of the business
men toward the colored postmaster, but
the faction headed by Senator Pritchard
will send another man there, and ex-
CONGRESSMAN George H. White, coloreo,
has declared it to be his intention to go
to Wilson the latter part of the week
TO make personally conducted" inves-
tigation from the point of view of his
race. The friends of Senator Pritchard
say Wick did not vote the Republican
State ticket, as he claimed in his open
letter to the President, and that the
only two votes cast in Vick's precinct,
those for Judges Hill and Timberlake,
| were placed in the ballot box by two white
men. They will go through Vicks pre-
cinct as with a fine-tooth comb in the
effort to locate these two white men,
| to establish the correctness of this con-
| tention. J. d. Meares, the Republican
county chairman, has written here to
say that it is his belief that the two
votes cast for the judges were cast by
white men. If the colored ex-Congress-
man White gets what he is going after
an extremely interesting situation will
be created He says that Senator Pritch-
ard prior to the Greensboro State Con-
vention, wrote the colored postmaster a
| letter, recognizing him as the chairman
| of the Republican county executive, OF
as the county leader of his party, and
| extending to the colored man an invita-
! ton to attend conference Of promi-
nent Republicans at Greensboro. This
letter, White declares, will forever ST.
lence all question of Vick's party fidelity
| In his letter to the President Senator
| Pritcnard called attention to the fact
that Wick had supported j. j. Martin
for Congress in the convention in 1900
when he the Senator thought it best to
nominate Daniel Patrick, and that since
| that time the colored postmaster had
done much to disrupt the Republican
party. The Senator's letter to Wick will
if found, prove to the satisfaction of the
administration, White says, that Senator
Pritchard did not himself question Wick
party loyalty only a few months ago.
The friends Of Senator Pritchard were
not alarmed, however, when they heard
of Whites proposed trip to Wilson and
the object thereof. The production o.
the letter which the colored eX-Congress.
man is in quest of will, they assert pro-
vide cumulative evidence that the North
Carolina Senator had dealt fairly with
the negroes by summoning prominent
representatives of the race to Greensboro
| where they could express their views
before the policy of the campaign was
publicly announced Moreover, it was
2ponted out to the President that VicF
and other negroes did attend the anti.
.s :. 3... 50 ,e 1s': !; ~ essss