Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-24
WILD FOR SILVER.
North Carolina Enthusiastic for the
White Metal
PREPARING FOR TEE NEXT CONVENTION
It VIII Be Attended by Members
Of All Parties.
PLANS OF FUSIONISTS

T L A N 8 OF Flu 8 I o N SITS
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
RALEIGH. N c.. September %. 1895.
North Carolina is wildly enthusiastic for
silver. In the eastern and central portions
1t amounts to a positive craze. and has ell
bowed ordinary politics out Of the way In
a most astonishing manner. It has abso-
| lutely run away with the democrats, and
has dsorganized any plan their leaders
may have made or had in view. 1t has
practically effaced the party. OF course,
the populists are like a machine, as they
all move one way. They are all silverites
of the most extreme type, yet there are
democrats who are fully as extreme. In
fact, 1t Is difficult now to distinguish a
country democrat from a populist, since
both of them have dropped other issues and
are Tor silver, while both. with equal bit
terness, denounce the administration and
the present financial system.
The Silver Convention.
The silver convention. non-partisan, Is
called to be held here September Is. The
call for it was drafted by Spier Whitaker,
who is an ex-chairman Of the democratic
state committee, but who Is himself nom
partisan, and who was one Of the chief ad-
visers Of the fusionists during the last ses-
sion Of the legislature. The call was sent
out under the auspices of Ed Chambers
Smith, also an ex-chairman Of the demo-
cratic committee. Whitaker Is quite ready
to leave his old party and join the silver
party, which he hopes to see organized or
|'set on its feet September Is.
His idea as to the convention was to form
such party, to be composed of all friends
of silver. With great adroitness he did not
sign the CALL Democrats signed it exclu-
Carr and Charles M. Cooke. the newly ap-
pointed secretary Of state; S. A. Ashe, also
an ex-chairman, and Smith himself.
Endorsed by Senator Butler.
Now. after this call appeared, Senator
Marion Butler, who no doubt knew well In
advance about the movement and the plan,
came out and Endorsed the plan and called
on all silver men to come. The call, which
Smith issued, invited all friends of silver.
The definition given is that there are men
who favor free and unlimited coinage Of
silver: that any who favor 1t with limita-
tions sre not its real friends.
At the same time that Butler, speaking
as representative of the Memphis free
center OF the populist party in North Caro-
lima, called on silver men to come, the
populists extended a similar call. State
Treasurer Worth and other populists signed
ed by John J. Mott. ex-state chairman.
issued similar call to the friends of silver
in their party. So all the silverites are
b:dden to the feast
arrived at the conclusion that as there
were three factions among the democrats
1t might happen that the populists would
outnumber them at this silver conclave>
want silver. but will not consent to leave
their party to work for 1t, and third, those
who are ready to put party aside and go
boldly in as silver men alone. Smith went
to work to urge all democratic friends of
silver to be here without fail. -'' ~
Fears of the Populists.
There were quite plain intimations in the
newspapers that the populists. who always
act as a unit and follow directions, would
control the convention by reason of their
superior numbers and perfect organization.
Smith contends that the democrats can
control and that no new letters will be
forged or old ones broken.
But, say the populists and not few
democrats also: eff this be true what is
the purpose of the convention" The DEM
ocratic convention last year Endorsed silver
This spring the democratic state committee
Endorsed it. But, say the extreme silver
men, the democrats can do nothing alone
They must needs cooperate with all the
friends Of silver without the least regard
to party. The extreme silverites among
the democrats say further that they have
men; that this convention is a declaration
of independence, and that no one ever saw
time when party letters we're so loose
as at present 1t is claimed that the signers
of the call thereby declared their inde-
pendence of party restraints.
1.-THE silver baby Is born in North Caro-
lina," said one enthusiast
A Non-Partfs,.n Scheme.
It is one of the plans to have a democrat
who Is not strong partisan preside at the
silver convention, and to have as vice presi-
dents populist and a republican, all this
teing to secure harmony. 1t is declared that
nobody will be pledged at the convention, as
it is not like regular political convention,
which alone has authority to pledge dele
gates. 1t has been asked what would be the
effect Of a resolution pledging all delegates
to abide by the action of the convention,
this to be followed by another resolution
pledging those present to vote only for a
silver man. 1t Is the assertion of some that
this Is the best way to test the sincerity of
the convention.
Senator Butler calls on the silver clubs to
come here to this convention. These are
said to be nothing more or less than the sub
alliances of the Farmers Alliance. This or
lima populism. The alliance Is secret or
der, and this 1t is which gives Senator But
Ter. who is one of the most able politicians
In that state. his power Of organization and
control; power many times greater than
that of any state chairman.
Republicans Hanging Back.
The republicans will not attend the con-
vention In any large numbers The mass of
that party Is inimical to the conventions
ideas and purposes Even some silver re-
publicans will keep aloof, because they de-
sire to see what their own party will do
Yet some will come, their real purpose be-
ing to show the populists their desire for a
renewal of fusion with them, certainly on
state issues. Butler and Matt see in this