The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-04
A RIDE FOR A FALL

for Congress by Repub-
Iicans of 18th District.
The Republican Congressional Con-
vention for the Fourth district of
North Carolina met yesterday at noon,
and as per program, nominated w. e.
Pearson, of Chatham, as the man to
take the medicine from Congressman
e. w. Pou.
r. r. Hicks, the "meat chopping
Republican convert of Henderson, was
named as the candidate for elector.
SO quietly were the proceedings CON
Quoted, and so small was the crowd IN
attendance that few people in the city
were aware of a convention BENG
held, and even in the court house
building itself there was not even the
suggestion of the unusual. Some TWEEN
ty-five or thirty office-holders and rev.
enue men simply walked quietly up the
stairs, tarried for little space ana,
the slate having been written, slipped
out as quietly as they came.
A Ia mode of the past few years,
there were no negroes among either
hall. A few of the brothers in black"
grouped themselves in front of the
court house with II kind of idle inter
est in the doings within, but none
dared to attempt to enter the conVen-
ton.
The meeting was presided over by
Assistant District Attorney Giles and
Postmaster G. II. Bailey was as usual
a prominent figure.
Mr.. Pearson was put in nomination
by Frank ID. Jones, who was lavish
with the adjectives of praise. He
spoke of the nominee as a man of elo-
uuence. power and fearlessneSS ana
plead for the nomination.
There was a scattering Volley of
hand claps and Mr.. Jones sat down.
Then came the one thing that was
not cut and dried when eX-SheriH }.
Rowan Rogers rose to nominate
Claudius Dockery, Esq, of Wake. MI
Rogers is a man with notions OF his
own and a Willingness to express them
He roasted Chatham county and It's
greed for offices, and roasted Pearson
as not q safe man, nor one VINO had
been long enough with the party to be
taken from the ranks at this time
Forgetting, i'm his enthusiasm, the in
eyitable cold douche of the election
Mr.. Rogers took the nomination quite
seriously. Mr.. Dockery, said he, was
the one man who could lead the par
ty to victory and if nominated, he
predicted confidently success for his
man.
Here Postmaster c. r. Bailey took a
hand in the convention. stating that
Mr. Dockery did not want and would
not take the nomination. Therefore,
said he, having talked with Mr.. Dock
erv he seconded the nomination of
Mr.. Pearson.
Mr.. Rogers speech had, however,
seemed to create an impression, for
despite the authoritative tone of Mr..
Bailey's announcement, MI. Lonnle
Green arose and seconded Mr.. Dock
ery'S nomination.
All this while it had been evident
that Mr.. Giles was finding the life and
duties Of a chairman mouotonous in
the extreme, and after Mr. Green had
concluded, he motioned to Mr.. Bailey,
who proceeded to the chair, while Mr..
Giles let forth in eloquent praise of
NJ. Pearson's capacity to make the
WOOL fly" Mr.. Giles also went so far
as to say that Mr.. Pearson was not
afraid of Mr.. Pou or anybody else, and
that he was ready and waiting for a
chance to campaign jointly with Mr..
Pou, and if the canvass was arranged,
he would simply wipe up the earth, "
etc, etc.
At this ringing declaration, there
came again patter of applause that
sounded shrilly in the hollow empti-
ness of the room.
Upon Mr.. Giles conclusion Mr.. Rog-
ers was again heard on behalf of Mr..
Dockery and then Col" Jakey Z. II.
Adams took his courage in his hands
and rose to an echo that was a Sc
cond" to the Pearson nomination.
Col. Adams is himself a revenuer in
the field and his action did him no
harm with the judicial department of
the service.
After a short caucus the convention
again got down to business, and Mr.
Rogers and Mr.. Green having been
pacified Mr.. Pearson was unanimous
ly nominated.
The meeting having lost the little
spice injected by ex-Sheriff Rogers,
Mr.. II. II. Hicks-he who is known as
the "meat chopping" orator of the
Fourth was nominated elector-also
unanimously. Mr. Hicks, it will be re-
membered, was offered the nomination
but declined, fearing, perhaps, that
his choppinG reputation might suffer if
he barred his meat axe in the neigh
brhood of ED" Pou.
The counties in the Fourth district
are wake, tHdtudHl, vance, L Tallkllll,
Nash and Johnson.
The average attendance was from
two to three delegates from county,
SO that the voting strength of the con-
vention -possibly-fifteen men.
The few local Republicans who
strolled in swelled the crowd to some
thing like twenty-five or thirty people.
The whole performance was per-
functory, taking its cue from the
canned goods" flag waving perform
ance at Chicago-with the flags and
the bands, and strangely enough, the
"coons" left out. With or without
curls, the "cullud brother" was per-
soma non grata.