The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1884-05-24
OUR LYNN CRITIC.
WHAT HE THINKS OF THE n. C..
COALITION CAMPAIGN.
How Our Politics as shown In Our
Newspapers impress a Friendly Re.
publican in New England.

Special Correspondence of The Chronicle.
LYNN, Mass May 2O-I have read with
very great interest the North Carolina
papers you sent me, which contained re-
ports and criticisms of the Republican
Convention at Raleigh, and l take pleas
ure in writing for you the impression they
have made on my mind.
confess that | do not find any of the
reports oP criticisms satisfactory | know
nothing about Mr.. York. or any of the
others, and | was anxious TO learn what
kind of men they are. But the descrip
tions of them are predictions on the one
hand that they will all be elected, and on
the other hand that they will all most
surely be defeated. Yet | have read no
sufficient reasons in any of the papers to
cause me to make up my mind about the
chances at all. If you will allow me to
say SO, all your papers are too strongly
partisan.
Ibid not at first like the Liberal move
ment. 1t seemed to me that Republicans
ought to have Republican candidates but
logic is laid aside by all parties in times
of extremity, and they all make alliances
to win. 1t is pardonable, / suppose. But
! cannot decide why man should be a
Liberal. The Liberal platform is not es-
sentially different from the Republican
platform, and l fail to see any good reason
why the Liberals do not at once call them
selves Republicans.
To be entirely candid, | cannot get a
very good idea of the situation from the
papers, and to save my life l can't take
any very lively interest in it. l have al
ways thought that it would be we'll for the
South if the ''solid South were broken /;
but even in that case it is of more conse-
quence that the State should cast its cleo
toral vote for the Republican candidate
than that it should merely elect Repub-
lican Governor. There is something hid
den in your politics. [ see no sufficient
reason given in platforms to be so bitterly
partisan. The real point both sides seem
to leave unsaid. ! was told by hundred
men last year that the chief local differ
ence between the parties in all the South
ern States was the question of the Negro.
The Negro is not spoken of directly in the
whole discussion | read in your news
papers. | was told that the Democratic
system of county rule was devised to pre-
vent incompetent blacks from managing
the finances of the counties. But there
is nothing about all this in any one of the
dozen papers you sent me.
As willing as | am to write you my i'm
pressions, / have very much fear that l
have written too indefinitely to interest
your readers. But this reminds me of one
thing, and because you allow me to write
anonymously, l will be frank to tell it.
l have always been a Republican.
thought when l was in North Carroll IA that
perhaps should vote for Democratic State
officers there, if all that heard was true.
Certainly l think l should vote for a man
who pushes things forward as Governor
tfHsN6Si haffa htfat Ruutt Ut GQms to the SOP,
your local problems of politics to be as
| wise as l once thought l was. l would
advise all Northern men to go South be-
fore they are so sure how they would vote.
Yet l think that your party lines are
drawn yet more strictly than in Massa-
chusetts. Your papers seem to take it for
granted fhe Democratic ones) that it is
enough to say simply that candidate is
Republican to make sure that all the Dem
ocratic votes are cast against him and
for the Republican editors to say that he
is Republican to make sure that all the
Republicans will vote for him. I should
like to see a freer discussion. | think We
have freer and more generous discussions
in the North. Am Imistakenl To judge
from your papers, you are all mad will
one another.
But 1 confess I feel more interested il
the Exposition than in your politics.
believe it is better thing. W.