FUSION In 1894, the Republicans and Populists negotiated an agreement in which, instead of running competing candidates for statewide offices, they would divide the ticket between the two parties. This cooperative arrangement was known as "fusion." It worked. The fusion candidates defeated the Democrats throughout the state, winning a majority in the legislature.

Fusion Once in control, the fusion government made it easier for North Carolinians to vote In 1896 the parties fused again, retaining control of the legislature and electing Republican Daniel L. Russell governor. While other states experimented with fusion arrangements, nowhere was it as successful as in North Carolina. Democrats began using fear and racism to gain control.

1898 The Democrats said only white men were fit to hold political office. the fusionists, especially the Republicans, of supporting "negro domination" in the state. They were the "white man's party" and appealed to white North Carolinians to restore them to power. Black men and white women were having relations all over the place, appealing to a fear of black men.

Wilmington Race Riots

News and Observer August 13, 1898 1. What’s the main message of this cartoon? 2. Who do you think was its intended audience? 3. What does it tell you about the Democrats’ strategy for the 1898 election?