The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-03-15

WHICH We Snal COnquef---Ihe Key
Note Sounded by the Charlotte OBJ
server.
LumbertOn RobeSOnian.I
Under the heading of "Let us have
a North Carolina campaign" last
Sundays Charlotte Observer copies
recent paragraph from the Wilmington
Messenger, part of which is:
The way to victory in North Carolina,
does not lie in endorsing Cleve-
lands many nominations that were so
grievous to all good Democrats nor in
obeying his mandate to wipe out silver.
but the way to victory in this State and
in the South is to sustain the law of the
party, and to make the fight ON the
chicago deliverance. In that sign, if
any, we shall conquer. No man can lead
victory in 1894, who kicks the Chicago
platform from under his feet, leans to a
hig IN protective tariff as the final out
come of Democratic revision, opposes an
income tax-of all taxes the most just
and equal-and aatagonizes the repeal
OF the 10 per cent. tax on State banks
We use this extract because it is
nearly complete statement of the
opposition to the President within the
party, and because it affords the occa-
sion for the Observer to outline, as it
promised some weeks ago to do, what
seems to it the proper line of policy
for the Democratic party of North
Carolina this year. 1t is obvious that
that party in this State can not be Or
ganized for battle On line of endorse
ment or the Cleveland administration.
The fact with which we have
to deal is that the Democracy of the
State is not united in support OF the
President-an endorsement of him
could not, probably, be secured from
a State convention. But while this is
the case, he has many and strong ad-
herents in North Carolina who would
not suffer convention to repudiate
him if they could help it. This being
the relation of the party in the State
toward the head of the party and his
administration at Washington-some
men opposing him violently, some
endorsing himquali6edly and others
unreservedly-what then? This Let
us take care Of North Carolina. Mr..
Cleveland is perhaps serving his last
term. y * Let US make this a
North Carolina campaign. 1t is to
be such, in fact. 1t is true that mem
bers of Congress are to be elected, but
what is of infinitely more consequence,
a Legislature is to be elected !; num-
Der Of judges Of both the Supreme and
Superior Courts are to be elected
county officers are to be elected; and
in the Legislature the magistrates and
school commissioners of the State are
involved. 1t is to be an election which
will reach right down to the home
governments of the people, govern
ment in their counties. The public
officers at the court house, the only
officers with whom the masses Of the
people have much dealing, are to be
chosen, and over above all the matter
of the administration of" justice from
the bench is involved. These are the
people and the things that effect the
great public most nearly in govern
nent and it is upon these that we
need to rivet their attention. The
Democratic party needs to nominate
its very best men, for the bench, for
the Legislature and for the county
Offices. That done, it can 60 conf
IDENTITY to the people upon the charac-
ters and capacity of its nominees and
upon its record in the administration
of the government Of North Carolina
for twenty years. 1t has been faithful
to their interests they will not be un-
true to it. The candidates for Con-
gress can take care of themselves and
the national party upon national ques-
tions-members of the Legislature,
judges and county officers are not
called upon to deal with these. Let
us nominate men for Congress with
reference to their sympathy with the
national platform and with reference
to their characters, ability and general
acceptabllity to the people and with
out reference to whether or not they
have been unauthorizedly branded as
administration or anti-administration
men. We would keep Mr.. Cleveland's
personality out of the congressional
campaign, as properly having no place
in it, and would keep the senatorial
succession out of it as matter not to
be wrangled over and to cause further
division in the campaign but TO be
decided among ourselves when it can
only be decided by US, to-wit: after
we have carried the State. To inject
this issue into the campaign will only
be tofoment strife and, possibly, result
in the loss of the State. We copied
recently from the .Stany Nezos an
editorial paragraph which touched
upon the prime importance of the
North Carolina Democracy taking
care Of the State. The Raleigh NeWs
and three or four other papers have
recently written to the same effect.
The indications from the press Of the
State are that public opinion is, OF
its own good sense, crystalizing upon
the idea that this must be a North
Carolina campaign. Let US make it
so let US keep outside in dividuals
and issues out of it and We shall do
what it is of the very highest impor,
tance that We should do: we will save
the State.