The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-14
THE PASSING OF PRITCHARD.

On Saturday at Asheville the joint dis
cussion between Senator Pritchard and
Hon. Locke Craig came to a close. and
on the fourth of November Senator
Pritchard will pass out as an influential
factor in North Carolina politics. He
will, perhaps, be given a job by the Ma
tional Administration. If he gets such
position as he will naturally desire he
will be shelved. In any event, Senator
Pritchard has had his day in the politics
or his adopted State. Conditions ana
to make oil and water mix and so utilize
the mixture as to secure his election TO
the great office held by Vance. He has
demonstrated that he has the ability and
the political ingenuity to combine dis
cordant political factions when such fac
tons spring from the depressing condf-
lions existing in 1S90-'94, as he did in
welding together the Republican and Pop
ulist parties in 1894 The utter failure
of his recent attempt to divide the white
people of North Carolina has no doubt
convinced him that the new doctrine he
has been preaching is not popular in con-
servative old North Carolina, and has
demonstrated that his political success
in North Carolina is dependent upon the
distress growing out of the Harrison
10 nd hot hn M,
of the Peoples party. When calamity
howl is the winning card, and his oath;
II am fog silver, 16 to 1, so help me
Cod gives him Populists votes, and he
has 900 voting negroes at his back
IL is then and only then that Senator
Pritchard is a successful leader in North
Carolina When their labor and good
seasons have given the people breath of
prosperity, so that they can have time
to think correctly, and when the bulk
of the negroes have been DISTINGUISHED
it is then that Senator Pritchard passes
out as a political factor. He came in by
the big negro vote, plus the Populists,
in 1891 This year. for the first time,
the negro is disfranchised There is a
fitness OF things that the day that takes
the ballot from the negro witnesses the
departure of Pritchards political power
and shadows forth his retirement from
the Senate.
So far as realizing his hopes is con-
4
the joint debate was a failure for him
and his party. He went forth to the COM
bat with confidence and gladness; he re-
turns home in heaviness and sorrow
He thought the people had forgotten that
he put 1000 negroes in office, that ne
used every resource at his command to
keep the ballot in the hands of all his
negro political slaves, and that upon the
floor of the United States Senate he
slandered the brave men whose patriot
ism and courage eliminated the bulk of
the negtoes from politics. He has found
that the people have long memories and
believe in retribution. He began his
campaign III the CoAhu0h| 0NP0N'e''ioii
that he would make converts by the
score among business men who were sup
posed to favor protection and gold-mono-
metalism and imperialism. The debate
is ended and Pritchard can count his
converts on the fingers of his two hands
and have several fingers to spare. His
doctrine of high protection for creating
tariff barons has not appealed to the
followers of his immortal predecessor,
the lamented Vance. His appeal to the
people to surrender their manhood and
fall down and worship those who have
garnered great wealth by the Republican