The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-01
Republican Committee
Can't Pick Candidate.
CUTE QUORUM WORK
How Secretary Green, Pulling for
Bernard, Made Dockery Majority An
mucous Element by" Sitting Out
the Game"---State Committee
to Choose Pou's Apponent.

w ShOSSS "" " -
The Republican Executive Commit
tee of the Sixth District having failed
to name a Congressional candidate
yesterday, the Republican State Exec
utive Committee will be called upon TO
fix upon the lamb for the slaughter IN
the November barbecue in this ulS-
trict.
After an enthusiastic convention or
fifteen government employees hatt
met in Wake county court house ana
Tom Bailey had nominated w. Z.
Pearson for Congress, the people OF
the district shuf1ied about prepared
to be amused at least. Mr.. PEARSON,
said the convention, was the real
thing-the hot-stuff, the Pure-Pou-
ompadour-PompoSo.
Recognizing the impending and IN
evitable slaughter, the bakers dozen
of the convention scrambled as it were
for gallery seats to see the fight. MI.
Pearson was an orator who Would
crate in words of fire; from his tor
rid tongue came elOquence that burnt.
Mr.. Pearson was touted as pin, d
cyclone, a tamale all in one-a propo-
sition that could be chawed but not
digeSted-a man who dearly loved
fight and who eft to a finish"
But when the convention had ad-
journed, even before the notification
committee had time to act there came
a soft and sickly voice from Chatham.
Instead of a roar, the message was
bleat:
Mr.. Pearson was sorry, but he could
not run; his business would not let
him off; he was anchored at home.
Whereupon, under the organization
OF the party, it devolVed upon the eX-
ecutive committee of the district to Sc
lect the candidate. The meeting was
set for a day certain at Raleigh and
it was promised that another hot
thing would be Forthcoming. There
were fifteen at the convention and sew
Ell on the executive committee, so
that it was a gala day when they ar
rived-almost the day of young con-
vention.
Although modest was the rule-a
shrinking Discrimination for public life
the anomalous condition of the quail
flied of the ranks, it was mooted that
there were candidates in the field.
There were ClaudiuS Bernard and
Claudius Dockery, both shy but wait
ing to be urged. And in the inner cir
cles, the wheels revolved with INDUS
try untlring.
The committee, however, did not
come to meeting. Some say that one
member was asleep in a goods box
back of Giersch's, where he could not
be found until too late by Postmaster
Bailey, who was much in evidence in
the search; others that Mr.. Bailey
hunted too oStentatiouSly and that if
was even he who had provided the
goods box retreat for the man whose
absence broke the quorum.
AT any rate the committee didn't
''gee," and the nomination was post
poned until a meeting set yesterday
for Smithfield, which it was figured
was too small to permit of the men,
bers missing their way and getting lost.
But yesterday afternoon, when the
committee, or part of it, came to Raj
eigh to report, they brought with
them the old tale of "no selection"
Committeeman Gen. Greene, of
Franklin. when seen yesterday, stated
at first that The committee had gone
over routine matters but had not
thought wise to make any selection of
a Congressional candidate at this
time, but had decided to leave the
matter to the decision of the State
Committee which meets at Green's
boro on SATURDAY. next
Later however, Mr.. Greene became
more loquaciOuS and mentioned some
details:
"There wasn't any meeting said
he, because there was no quorum
present and there was nothing we
could do.
How many members of the COM
mittee are there Mr.. Greene?"
'SeVen-Jones of Chatham, Cooper
of Nash, Currin of Vance, Adams of
Wake. Giles of Chatham, Goodwin of
Johnston, and myself
Which of these were present?"
They were there except Goodwin
of Johnston"
Then why wasn't there quorum ?''
~ L.,
wasn't a member and didn't sit--you
see I'm just the secretary and Frank
Jones didn't sit, SO that left only three
present for business and there wasn't
a quorum"
why isn't Giles a member?"
"He has just been acting as a MEM
Der and we decided he didn't have a
right to VOTE
What were the preferences of the
members present Mr.. Green?"
why. 1 can hardly say, except that
Cooper and Currin and Adams are for
Claude Dockery-as for myself" said
Mr.. Green moment later, 81 am just
the secretary and / never spoke ten
words to Claude Bernard in my life"
From all of which it would appear
that Secretary Green is both STRAIT
egist and man of humour. He left
the situation very clear. Of the seven
committeeman, of whom it is said that
Giles is really not legally member,
three are for Dockery, and, presum-
ably the remaining three who had
right to vote are for Bernard, to-wit:
Green. Jones and Goodwin. The latter
not being present at Smithfield yester-
day, Mr.. Green does not sit and
neither does Mr.. Jones. Hence the
meeting and voting force was reduced
to the three Dockery men, who evil
IDENTIFY, somehow and in some way,
were "euchred' by the astute Mr.
Green, although in what way reg
ularly called meeting, with six of sew
EN- prima facie members on the
ground, could fail for want of a quo
rum, constitutes trick which is past
understanding by any but the insiders
of a party that numbers fifteen men to
a district convention.
Claudius Bernard waved hiA hand
towards the affable Mr.. Green, as one
would say, my adjutant, sir.' and
protested ignorance.
And Claudius Dockery, wnen told
the details of the meeting as narrated