The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-10-26
But the great bulk of farmers, as

up the hands of your representative
who is in the midst of so much trouble
and trying to sustain your interests.
Private letters l would receive by the
hundreds encouraging me and endors-
ing my course, but nothing for the
public had l to offer. Now if the
farmers Of North Carolina had been
sufficiently organized, not as political
party, In secret meetings with closed
doors, but with open doors, meetings
of all the people of North Carolina in
which the farmers should participate,
and had made their voice heard every-
where, how much good it would have
done me, how much good it would have
done the cause 1 was trying to repre-
sent. You still lack the element of
unity, my fellow citizens. Don't let
anyone suppose that this indifference
OF the farmers to their interest can be
overcome and benefited by resolving
themselves into political party
instead of into farmers party. The
very moment you become a political
party you lose your character as
farmers, and you deprive yourselves of
that respect and sympathy from the
whole community, at least of men of
all classes of the community which
| attends you as farmers and cultivators
of the soil. So long as you act together
as farmers all political parties will seek
you and your influence. Whenever
you act as political party only, all
political parties will fight you, and you
hoonrno ntbor ,,o1;t;oo1 ,,ort;oo o~l
moreover, when you do that, as have
already intirnated, you deprive your
selves Of good men, the broad men
and the liberal men who are your
friends in all the other parties, and
you will not permit them to serve you
or to help you, but as political apos-
tates, and that men do not want to
become. Let me advise the people of
North Carolina, the agricultural people
Of North Carolina, those who have
already associated with political
party devoted to the farmers interests,
as we'll as those who have not, but
who have the farmers interests at
heart, let me advise you to make no
new political antagonists, but to hold
yourself ready as a class of men to
throw your whole weight in behalf of
any measure and of any man and of
any party that agrees with you as to
the issues which are to be decided by
the people. Whenever you do that, 1
have hope for the people of North
Carolina, l have hope for the great
issues which are before US.
The silver fight is now nearing its
completion. It is SO near that few
days ago 1 received belated petition
praying for the passage of the uncon-
ditional repeal Of the Sherman law,
and 1 refused to present it, on the
ground that belonged to a church
which does not believe it is lawful to
pray for the dead. We will get a
compromise, fellow citizens. We are
bound to have a compromise, and that
is being realized among all those who
favor unconditional repeal and the re-
turn to the gold standard. The con-
stitution itself is compromise of con-
tlicting interests. There is not a law
on the statute books Of our State
there is not a statute Of any State in
the American union, that is not the
result of a compromise. All human
institutions are the result of a compro-
mise. Even marriages are the result
Of compromise. If it had not been,
where would most of US have been !?
That compromise will embrace the
continuance of the coinage Of silver.
There are several of them offered. 1
do not know which one will be agreed
upon but it was we'll ascertained
when left Washington that there was
strength enough on the moderate side
Of the question to pass one or the
other Of them.
Probably the compromise introduced
by Senator Harris, of Tennessee, will
be adopted, which provides for the coin
age of all bullion which is now in the
Treasury and the continued purchase
Of silver at the rate of two millions
and half ounces per month for five
years during which time we can see
better what to do,) and that the small
bills of the National banks and the
greenbacks under ten dollars were to
be taken up and cancelled in the Treas
ury, in order to give silver chance to
supply its place as a money of the
people. Some compromise Of this kind
will be undoubtedly adopted, and that
is bound to be the result of the de-
termined efforts of men who profess
devotion to silver money as was done
and has been done at every convention
in the State Of North Carolina for
several years past and all over the
Union. say that is so, and it will
have been effected by the determina-
ton of those who were in dead earnest
when they said so. Men who did not
profess devotion to silver money in
order to secure an election, and then
went to Washington and denied before
the cock crew once.
I have had my share in this work,
fellow citizens. Although it is known
to you that my health has not been
strong for year past, yet thank God
I am improving. And l have taken
my full share in this excitement about
this contest going on in Washington
City, and but for the private letters
l have received from every part Of the
country 1 would not have known SO
far as any popular voice was concerned
whether l was serving you or not.
Now you should make yourselves
known. You ought to make yourselves
often heard, and rest assured that in
doing SO, and in my advising you to do
so l am not preaching anything like
class legislation, nor would you be
following anything that could be de-
nominated such.
All other classes are associated
together. Why should not you: Its
matter of self defence, and so 1 say
you should do so simply as farmers,
not as Democrats, not as Republicans,
not as Populists, but as the people of
North Carolina and when your voice
as such reaches Washington that voice
will be listened to. That voice is the
voice of God so far as the legislation of
this country is concerned, and you
should not fail to try it.
know there has been a great deal
of trOuble in this country fellow citi-