The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-10
CRAIG PRITCHARD
Democratic Charlotte Turns
Out in Full and AppIauds
the Debators.
Especial to News and Observer)


Charlotte, N. c., Oct. 9.-Tonight was
Craig and Pritchard night in Charlotte,
and the joint debate held in the opera
house brought together a large and rep
resentative gathering. 1t is said that
Charlotte is the storm centre of inde-
pendent political thinking. Perhaps that
is true There is surely variety of
political ideas in Charlotte, and there
are seeming aggressive factions behind
each idea, but to a passer-by it would
seem to be all Democratic. Every man
you meet, except few postmasters, etc,
pronounce themselves Democratic, and
little more Democratic than the last
fellow you met, and yet Senator Pritch-
ard, who handed out nothing but the
straightest Republican goods, met with
hearty reception in the Queen city He
was vociferously cheered in the begin
ming, and his positive and aggressive
plea for protection for projections sake
met with hearty applause.
Mr.. Craig likewise met with most
hearty welcome He measurer off the
real unfaded and unfading Democratic
goods Preached the old-fashioned doc
trine of equal rights to all men, and
special privilege to none, and his every
round up along this line awakened ex-
cited enthusiasm from these men of
Mecklenburg. AS l stated in my first
report of the joint debate, both Mr..
Craig and Senator Pritchard are geniuses
on the political hustings. They are each
perhaps more so now than when the de-
bate began. Senator Pritchard is more
intreped and even bolder than formerly.
Few men could face lost cause and
know it was lost as he unquestionably
does and yet fight with such continued
vehemence and such unfailing vigor. And
think of his strenuous defence of the
Republican party in North Carolina in
the wake of which lie horrid wrecks OF
incompetent and scandalous control. He
proclaims himself and his party better
| friends of education than the Democrats,
and vet history not yet ancient teaches
even him that during their first lease OF
power after the war not a school house
/ was built, and cows instead Of students
were turSed on the green lawns that sur
frcltnded the university.
He thanked the Lord again for the era
of peace that reigns over the State with
out seeming to remember the fact that
i his own party, under his own leadership.
did everything in its power to stem the
tide of this ear of peace He says the
negro is out of politics, and yet
and haws and hedges every time he is
asked the question. as to whether or nor
he is willing that he should remain out.
| He kicked the negro out of his conven-
.tion at Greensboro and reiterates in his
speeches the stale radical claim that the
[ ~. hn
and seems to forget that all the victories
that have been attained in North Caro-
lima. either by himself or his party, have
been with the necessary aid of an almost
unbroken phalanx of illiterate negro bal
lots. He breaches with characteristic
force and f1uency the doctrine of high
protection without even remembering
that neither in theory or in practice does
| the doctrine he breaches directly affect
the interest of single man who listens
On the other hand, Mr.. Craig, with
force and power and soul-stirring elo-
ouence. points with pride and pleasure
to every footprint made by the Demo
cratic rarity IN all the years of it's lease
of power in North Carolina. He passes
along in view of the audience the char
liable, educational, and other great 1nsti-
tutions the party has built and main
tanned in the State. He follows these
with the thousands of school houses
that dot every hilltop and valley. He
lines up the hundreds of thousands OF
happy school children, who, under the
training of competent teachers, are being
prepared for useful, intelligent, and
happy citizens. He proclaims without
| fear of contradiction even from Senator
Pritchard that during all its years of
control his party, the Democratic party,
has managed the affairs of State econom-
| ically, honestly, fairly and without 4
breath Of scandal or suspicion. He stirs
his audience to uncomfortable enthus-
iasm as he tells of his party's kindness
| to old heroes of the storm cradled IA
tion by giving them pensions despite the
opposition of Senator Pritchard and his
legislative colleagues. He lines UP the
tottering men who wore the gray and
then points to the covering deserters
and asks which should be pensioned. The
| Democratic party says keep the wolf
from the door of the battle-scarred vet
eran in gray Senator Pritchard says
give billions to the descrting traitors
!, Then he brings into the discussion the
tariff f-fostered trusts, the cancers on the
body polite, the Republican special
privileged barons of protection, the
bleeders of the masses, the illegal and
unlawful combines and aggregations. all
special features on Republican control
of the nation. and with force and power
he tears away the Senator'S totteTing
ediflce of high tariff tax.
These are the lines upon which the
| joint discussion has turned, and they
were not departed from to any extent
at Charlotte tonight. 1t was magnifi-
cent audience that greeted the two
speakers in the opera house at o'clock
and there were many who could not get
even standing room in the large and com.
modious hall The manager of the hall
estimaccd the crowd inside the hall at
1900.
Postmasters and other Federal officers
from Concord Statesville. Monroe, Gas
tonia and other adjacent towns were OF
course present. There was a goodly
number Of ladies present. The Mount