The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-07-30
IS JARVIS A PARTISAN OR
STATESMAN

which. after celebrating a good deal
about his friendship for silver. ne
branched off on the main issue. Like
a woman's postscript, the last part OF
his interview was the key note.
I gather from it that he loves the
party to which he belongs, or which
used to belong partly to him, more than
he does free silver or any other
political principle. The Governor
saws that the keynote OF the next
campaign isGhe mistakes OF the
Fusion Legislature. Everything must
be subordinated then to preventing b
election of Populists and Republicans
to the Offices of this State. 1 under
stand this TO mean. therefore, that the
Governor will drop the free silver ISSUE
whenever the party harmony" de-
mands it. This is all that Ransom did
when he forsook the people at Cleve-
lands command, by voting for the re-
peal of the purchasing clause Nobody
knows better than the Governor that
it is usual for politicians to give party
harmony" as their excuse for forsakiDg
principles which every party ought TO
| hold dear. The silver forces are divid-
ed now. Ali the weak, the igOOranr,
the partisan, as we'll as the ambitious
and the avariciOus advocates of silver
belong first to some party, and such
silverites will sacrifice the silver cause
for the interest of the party" CIV
ernor Jarvis who, I believe, is a late
and halting advocate of silver, will
start his campaign, then, by abusing
and denouncing cne-half OF those who
believe in silver, because they also hap
pened. at the last election, to have
voted for the CO operation candidates.
So this old political General starts out
in his campaign by publishing to the
world in the beginning that he is going
to divide its friends into two great
armies to fight each other, and he
starts the fight. Any cause under such
leadership Is foredoomed to defeat.
Does he really deceive himself by sup
posing that he is much of a friend of
silver7 1t may be that he does. But
he is fighting the fight Of the goldbugs
all the same. He is doing, through
sheer want of state s nanship and gen
eralship, we will suppose, out of charity,
all that Wall street could ask him to
to do. He will be doing. without Ran
SONS 81. 500 ear, more than Ransom
can now do to divide the silver forces
It is a little significant that both Jarvis
and Ransom. one a strong silverite and
the other e~stfong goldbug, should
have declared for the same slogan and
keynote / the next North Carolina
campaign. Ransom knows, though
Jarvis seems not to know, that the
effect of such a slogan will be to keep
the silver forces divided so that Wall
street can win the vic 7ory through one
or the other parties through which it
IS accustomed to win it. l cannot see
in Governor Jarvis. Gs photographed
by this interview, anything higher
than the ordinary partisan politician.
l think, however, it is an error of judg-
ment to suppose that the mistakes of
the fusion legislature have sunk as
deeply into the hearts of the State or
nation as the mistakes Of Grover Cleve
land, Of Hoke Smith, Of John G Car
Isle, of John Sherman, Of n. w. Ran
som, ct id Onpne genus
If Governor Jarvis remains true to
the cardinal doctrine of partisan poll
tics, ne is now obliged 10 stand forth
and declare in the face of this genera
ton and all coming generations that he
cannot consistently denounce the men
which | have named above, because
they are members of the same political
organization with himself. I heard
Governor Jarvis speak many years
ago. Regarded him then as a bitter
partisan, possiblya malignant partisan,
who hated his political enemies seeking
the same Office that he was seeking,
and by much the same methods. He
has not done much to change my opin-
ion Of him since. l do not believe you
4 put new wine into old bottles, or
teach old dogs new tricks The man
who In the broad light of this day and
! generation denounces the sins of trait
ors of his country less or NJ IRE because
they happen to belong or not to belong
to the same political organization with
hims If cannot pose al a Statesman
He Is a self confessed demagogue, and
history will so write him down, and
poSterlty will 50 remember him. God
ana Truth are no r~espectors of persor.
Il Governor Jarvis means to magnify
i MnE EnIEEn L. =