The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1892-04-22
FULL TENT OF COL. SkINNER.>
LETTER..
Democratic Unity Must be Preserved.

to be longer deceived by the misrepresenis- |
tons of desi zning men. 1 have stood the fire |
as long as | can without making a plain sttte- |
meat relative to my advocacy of measures for |
financial reliet. so that the people may see |
how unfairly have been recently treated by !
the press, to whose good opinion am entitled
commenced to give thought to The fin,
cial problem in 1873 "A, while | WAS student
al TIansylvania University, Lexington, Ky
read the press of the day with interest and
had tbs pleasure of hearing such Democratic
lights Senators James b. Beck, j G.. Car
isle and j. o. s. Blackburn, make campaign
speeches on the line OF financial reform ana
denounciug especially the demonetization OF
silver. These led me TO investigate the sub
ject further, sni have tried since to read all
the current literature bearing upon the sub
ject that l could find. NV reading and study
have brought me to the sincere and decided
conclusion that the financial problem is OF the
trstimportance among the issues that must be
settled by the American people. In this view
find myself coincIdiug with Alliance and
non-Allisnce Democrats in the State.
In January, 1887, / attended the Agricultu
ral convention IN Raleigh, presided over by
Hon. Elias Carr, and introduced 3 resolution
looking to financial rehef. In March, the
same year, wrote an article entitled 'Land
Basis for our National Bank Issue" which ap
peared in the "Greenville Reflector" and
'News and Ob-erver" about the same time.
After this wrote an article dealing with the
cotton problem, entitled, 'The Hope of the
| II ahal in -l,a
gressive Farmer" and afterwards in an alb
breviated form in Frank Leslie's" Both OF
these articles were widely copied. followed
! this with Hope of the South No. 2" Subse-
quently have now and then contributed to
different papers on the line of financial re-
form, especially in advocacy of the sub-treasu-
ry plan. Thes, questions naturally brought
me to the notice of the Alliance, an organized
body working for Legislative reforms, and con
sequently l received many invitations from
different parts OF the State to address Alliance
gatherings Some few of these invitations
accepted In midsummer | received an in
vitation to join Col. Polk III series ofspeeche-
throughout the State. Betore consenting to
do so | consulted many prominent Democrats,
among them chairman Z. G. Smith, Hon. ,
II, Jernigan, then associate editor of the News
and Observer, Hon. T. J. Jarvis, who has al
WAYS shown himself wise and conservative
leader and others. They advised me that il
I, would do good tor me to accept the invita-
tons. Following the few speeches l made
was flooded with other invitations, and at
: sacrifice, with only the good of the people a
heart, have delivered speeches i'll twenty-five
= counties. Ileave the character and tendenc,
ofmy speeches to the people who heard then
! as well as to the teiegraphic reports of then
in different Democratic journals, invariably
reporting me as having done my party good
which could not have been otherwise, as
5 made the same class of speeches that wa
Il wont to do in the campaigns from 1876 to 1896
i and also the same kind OF speeches spoken b
J. Hon. Jesse j. Yates, Hon. i. Il. Jernigar
Hon. d. NJ Carter, Hon. l.. c. Latham an
Hon. Thomas G. skinner, in their respectiy
n canvasses of the First District, and til
n electors for the State-at-large, and as Senator
= Vance and Ransom have made throughoJ
North Carolina for the past twenty years. The
denounced the demonetization of silver. II
y resumption of specie payment and the cred
2 streng gthening act. They have held up. IL
,e tyranny of gold standard, promised the r
y mopetzation of silver and general fnanci
v relief through the Democratic party. /
q. have |.
h In the preeent hour we only differ as 10 Il
10 plan of relief. l believe in the sub-treasu
h plan. They do not. Is Democrats each
entitled to his individual opinion. As long
. freedom of speech is guaranteed in this cou
try we all have our individual right to expire
10 our own views and trust without having o
IN Democracy impugned OF ourselves pers ma
b. or politically prescribed. Mr.. Bland C
he favor free silver and be Democrat; Mir Hi
,a- ter can oppose free silver without having
!. Democracy que ticned Mr.. Randall wac
! protectionist and yet recognized leader
Democracy in Congress; Mr. Carlisle can
i0 verso himself OH silver, and all the wh
'ss fight against the abolition of internal reven
ry a permanent plank in our State platforms, a
ng yet Is to North Carolinians great leader
ro- Democracy.
he Bat Mr. skinner, it would seem, cannot
or vocate a measure which he sincerely belle
ds would re,ieve the people of their great a.
!; cultural stagnation and arm the fields v
the power to command higher prices Tor II
products, without having hi= political herit
'4u taken from him, ais past services cancel
ler and his future prescribed. Hence desir
Der say, a. much ar | may be mahgned, sharl
ers the criticisms may be made, nothing
aw cause me to waver or ialter in my polit
in faith, for L expect to follow the flag V
many who now judge me wrongly shall
;, deserted and joined with our common enc
"a NV advocacy OF the sub-treasury plan
always been in the pale Of the party. /
VI cuss it only in general way, trying 70
va press two pivotal thoughts-that Democl
)m- i the rule or strength Of the people, and
red a majority have the right to control:
less Democracy means lodging all power with
,ess people possible; that what We call mo
whether in the shape Of government cred
coin. i the most powerful controller of In
action and the great distributor Of the re;
, o OF labor: that as governmental credit has
!, invoked either in the form of treasury u
- certificates or guaranteed bank notes, Z
a'o' the business of the country, that II J.
e.or Democratic to put this power IN the han
tate or near the people at first cost than 70 dele
for II TO corporations with the power 70 crusl