The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-09
A LARGE AUDIENCE OUT
Craig Keeps after Pritchard With His
C0rkscrew.
BUT he BoREs 70 LITTLE PURPOSE
The Senator Refuses Him Any Satisfaction as 10
Where He Stands on the Amendment,
Proving Himself Pfinca
of Dodgers.
Especial to News and Observer.)

Especial to News and Observer
Statesville, N. c., Oct. 8.-This has
been a field day for Iredell Democracy,
which has thoroughly enjoyed the victory
of Hon. Locke Craig in his joint discus
sion with Senator Pritchard. The court
house was full. number of ladies being
present. Two thirds of the crowd were
Democrats, and while they gave Senator
Pritchard a courteous hearing, it was
evident that they were glad when his
time was up.
The Senator, who was introduced by
Col. H. C. Cowles, spoke first, and in an
hour made a plausible argument for Re-
publican policies, rehearsing to great
extent the same argument he has made
elsewhere, declaring that the country
was prosperous under Republican rule in
1892; that the Democratic victory and
the passage of the Wilson-Gorman tariff
bill demoralized business and wrought
havoc and ruin; that just soon as the
Republicans came back into power and
passed the Dingley bill prosperity re-
turned and has continued with us.
Then came his stock arguments as to
lumber, mica and wool and the increase
of the circulating medium. He defended
his deserter bill, apologized for the trusts
by saying there were some good and some
bad He advocated a duty on raw ma
terial and stated the tariff was not the
mother of trusts. In State affairs he
lodged a definite statement of his po-
sition on the amendment question by
stating that when it was adopted it
passed out of the realm of politics; that
as neither he nor Mr.. Craig had any
negro blood in their veins they could not
test it; that hO was not only a cancer
doctor, but all sorts of a doctor: that
he would cure Craig of negrophobia
first
He defended himself on his Confederate
pension vote in 1885 by saying that he
afterwards voted for pensions to them in
'87 and 81.
The Senator's speech was slow and did
not provoke any great amount of ap-
plause from his followers. who were
gathered from far and near to hear him.
Hon Locke Craig was introduced by
Lieutenant Governor Turner in hand
some terms and was greeted by round
of applause, which was repeated again
and again as he scored his adversary or
made a telling point for Democracy.
Mr.. Craig began by saying that he de-
MED the facts on which Senator Pritch-
ard based his entire argument, that the
country was prosperous in '92 and that
hard times came in 93. because of the
passage of the Wilson German bill and
prosperity again when the Dingley bill
was passed. He showed from affidavits
from Messrs. James H. and l..
Banks Holt; that 1901 was
disastrous year to the cotton
mill industry; that the panic of '93 and
'94 was worldwide. He scored on Pritch-
ard by showing that although the Demo-
Gratis borrowed money the bonds were
actually printed on plates prepared by
Foster, Secretary of the Treasury under
Harrison. He secuted the idea that the
present high price OF lumber was due to
the tariff, and showed that instead of
the tarif on wool helping the sheep in
dustry, there were thousands less sheep
than years ago.
On the trust question Mr.. Craig handled
the Senator without gloves, and many
think his argument for control of the
trusts was as fine as ever heard here,
and completely demolished the Senator.
In his reference to State issues, Mr..
Craig was very fortunate, and the "boys'
warmed uD to him. He said that al
though he had been after the Senator
with a cork screw he had not vet been
able to pull out of him his position on
the amendment; that the nigger was not
an issue. but that the party that tried
to block the amendment was an issue
and that the boy had not yet been born
who would live to see the return of the
Republican party to power; that the
boys of the State would all be educated.
because the Democrats were going to
handle the school fund; that if the Re-
publicans were allowed to handle it no
one would know what became Of the
money
'Pritchard's fifteen minutes rejoinder
was livelier than his first speech, but the
day had been won for Democracy and the
people were leaving. Mr.. Craig was given
number of handsome boquets by the
ladies.
Mr.. Craig and Mr.. Pritchard speak at
Charlotte today, at Hickory tomorrow
and close at Asheville on Saturday.