The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-10-01

virtually unrepresented, and which
was composed mainly Of the most
radical elements of the North. Is such
a body fit midwife to usher in scheme
affecting our we'll being through all
time 20 come? What was proposed /?
To formulate on the instant a substi-
tute for all antecedent ideas on gov
eminent, and to require all men and
all parties under penalty of boycott
and anathema to fall down and wor-
ship their Fetch, this modest assump-
ton might well appall congress Of
Platos, Aristotles or Bacons backed by
all the political acumen of a thousand
centuries. Sound political thought is
rarely spasmodic or Of sudden devel-
opment.
Admitted for argument, that neither
Of the two existing parties has reached
that state of absolute purity and per-
lection which dreamers and visionaries
see, or affect to see, in the near future;
does it not, nevertheless, behoove pa
triots to pin their faith to that one
which nearest approaches that beatific
but unattainable state by man or party,
and to shun the one whose nearest ap-
proach thereto is in empty promise or
blatant profession? 1t were an insult
to your intelligence to enter upon
proof which is which, except to chal-
lenge proof that the one has ever en-
croached upon the rights of person or
of property and to challenge refutation
that the other has repeatedly done it
and tried to do it from its i'll starred
birth to the immediate present. The
first is coeval with the century, the last
with civil strife. Choose ye between
the two. AS you choose, SO will prob
ably follow white or negro supremacy.
Which will you have?
You have tried both. Which is most
conducive to your self respect, your
manhood and material progress? Of
course no good Allianceman or good
citizen would deliberately and with
open eyes vote Africa. If done indi-
rectly and by roundabout process the
responsibility is none the less. 1t is
safe to assume that none of the new
party syndicate anticipate the posi-
bility of its success in the next recur-
ring election. Why, then, their effort
to make it a factor?
The conclusion is irresistible, to
pull down the white man and rehabili
tate the negro in political sway for
purposes of their own. With the pro-
verbal unity of the last on voting day,
it requires no skilled mathematician
to foretell the result, if twenty, or five
and twenty thousand Alliancemen can
be induced to stultify themselves by
going awry on wild cat side issues and
acting with a so-called Third party,
but potential for mischief. Brothers,
will you be party to such a transparent
trick
If so, "God save the old Common
wealth, for if He don't, God knows
who will much longer" On, COM
rades, let it not be said that the chief
est champions of liberty from "the
grand old gardener" down, those iden
tilted with the soil, shall be the first to
strike the matricidal blow against a
State consecrated to freedom. Perish
rather thousand, or thousand thous-
and political Jeremy Diddlers and
false teachers before such dread calam-
ity shall befall. Brothers, we are on
the brink, a fatal brink. Do you pro-
pose to be taken by the nose and led
and led~over? fso, again count me
out. For one, Pm no candidate for
suicide. For one, my back is no fit
springboard for the foot of vaulting
ambition. The primal injunction Of
England's grandest sea king to his
middies was: "Hate a Frenchman
like you do the devil" To plagiarize
without profanity, hate the man or
men who would fain strike blow, di-
rect or covert, against the party
begotten of Jefferson and born to be
immortal for being most rational in
the sight of Deity and most consider
ate of the rights of man, hate him |
say, and a thousand fold hate him,
whether he be in or out the Alliance,
as honest old Nelson did his Gallo
neighbor across the channel. Even
without Scriptural permit positive or
l can but believe God help
me if l disbelieve) that there are times
and occasions when hate comes in as an
imperative duty.
And now in conclusion, Brothers, to
escape the suspicion Of selfish prompt
ing in this, my puny appeal for civil
liberty, permit me to say that crave
nothing that you have to give except
the heritance Of freedom unimpaired.
Be true to yourselves if subjected to the
crucial test, and you have my quit
tance of all scores past and prospective.
Official station have never much crav-
ed, and now with advancing years am
learning to despise. Hence, should
my name, perchance, ever be present.
ed for your suffrage, whether in con-
vention or at the polls, you stand alb
solved beforehand and exonerate in
opposition. In true Alliance and Dem
ocratic faith, which l hold to be synon-
ymous, am,
Yours fraternally,
WHARTON ]. GREEN.
The cause of prohibition is spread
Ca-A Ia af South Car