The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-28
PR|TCHARD FAILS
AS A STATE LEADER
Prominent Republican Warns
up the Ex-senator.
HIS WORDS ARE CAUSTIC
" lhe King is Dead" Says He and Then Does
Not Proceed to Weep Over the Demise
or Lay on Boquets of
Praise.

Several Republicans were yesterday
shown the expressions attributed to Col.
V S. Lusk. of Asheville, in yesterday S
papers in a telegram from Asheville, in
regard to Senator Pritchards being a
failure as a party leader, and in every
instance it was admitted to be true ex-
cept when the reporter struck a Federal
office holder and many of those admitted
the Senator had made many serious
mistakes, of course. it was on the quiet
that they said this.
The reporter asked one Republican
who keeps pretty well posted on his
party history and conditions: What rea-
sons do you have for saying Pritchard is
failure as a party leader?"
Because" he said, "a review of the
life and work of the dead king Pritchard
for the past eight years proves it. 1t is
admitted" he continued, that Pritchard
has been the Great 1 Am Big Boss since
his election as Senator in 1894 When
he assumed control, we had a majority
of both branches of the Legislature,
eight of the nine Congressman. and in
many county governments.
I'm six years, under his splendi lead
ership CD and supreme dictatorship, we
have lost the State, the Legislature.
every Congressional district and all but
twenty counties. That is a party record
any leader may well be proud of In
1894 and 1896, when we won, we had
living State issues. Since that time we
have only had Pritchard's personality
and greed the all overshadowing prin-
ciple involved, and all know now how
well the people responded. 1t is pitiful
spectacle to contemplate. A great party
butchered for the sake of one man.
What asked the reporter "is the
cause of these conditions?'
"Pritehard we'll knew his incapacity,
and his great fear of the approach and
association of men in the party whose
intellect and qualities of leadership so
far overshadowed his own that he
realized the situation hence the kind of
men who now occupy Federal offices in
the State and compose the factors of
party management. Look at the outfit
with few exceptions they are putty men,
with no higher aspirations than to serve
without question their maker and master
utterly regardless of the effect on the
party. What a laughable farce their
recent exhibition to the President a few
days ago, marching up with their boss.
saying behold, Mr.. President. we are
the creatures of his hands and yours to
command for delegates"
Where were such men as Iinney,
Russell. Bynum, Ewart, Lusk. Settle,
Blackburn. Cook, Sutton, Martin, Wal
ser. Grant and a host of other men of
brains and character of the party who
do not hold Federal jobs? The king"
is dead and the party in the State dead,
and will so remain under the present
management"
Then there is another cause for the
present conditions. No leader can long
hold the respect and confidence of his
party associates, whose political life is
filled with broken promises 1t is said
of Senator Quay that he never breaks a
promise How with our Senator? If
the Republican hosts of North Carolina
could be assembled in one grand con-
vention and the question asked: "All
have experienced broken promises with
Pritchard. hold up your hands?' one
thousand hands would go up; some even
put it at ten thousand King is
dead
Another cause against Prtchard's S
management: For six years under his
leadership we have been party OF
nepotism in North Carolina. From
Pritchard down, all have taken theiI
cue from him, and appointed all of our
brothers, sisters. cousins. aunts. and
every other relation to the exclusion OF
earnest party workers"
''What do you know about Pritchard's
endorsement for SENATOR" queried the
reporter.
Il know from what has been stated
TO me by a Republican Senator and by
a member OF the House. that Pritchard
wes not the unanimous choice of Re-
publican members OF the Legislature. and
his endorsement was secured as expressed
by Senator. by a trick When the
caucus was called to nominate a candi-
date for Speaker and other officers the
question of endorsing the Senator was
thrust in the caucus by outside friends
OF Pritchard and when a postponement
OF Pritchard's endorsement was suggest
ed by the opposing members. telegrams
and letters We're read whether bogus
or genuine) to the effect that Pritchard
was desperately i'll in a hospital and
might die. and appeals were made to
give him the unanimous endorsement or
it might result in his death or seriously
affect his condition. 1t was done. and
this is how it all came about"
What do you know of Senator Pritch-
ards future?"
And now the end cometh, the King
is dead and it is but the survival of
the fittest' that the Southern Railway