The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-12-03

and unselfish. We know liz be-
cause the Democrats, In 0se in
ieIests they went, tell Us
They proved their loftine o.)f aim
ard consistency Of purpos Soy not
only demanding that the pulists
nominate Mr.. Bryan, but : t they
nominate Mr.. Sewall also.
The other faction in the owen
toe was known as "Mid of-the-
Road.' The men who co ,sed it
had the brazeu effrontery claim
PoDulism should adhere to the priu-
cipies upon which the party had
been founded and TO the policy
which had given it growth. They
c"ntended that our party had been
born of deep distrust of BOTH
tho old parties, and that q compro-
misc with either meant surrender
and death. They claimed that the
silver movement was q South and
West movement. and believed that
the best way to unite South and
West was to nominate a Southern
mar TO run with the Western man.
They likewise said that the best way
TO unite Populists and Democrats
was TO nominate a Populist to run
with the Democrat. These middle-of-
the-road men said that it would be
silly to allow our party to bs SCOOP
ed of the face of the earth by q
mere political trick. The party had
been built up under many trials,
difficulties and discouragements. 1t
had worked its way onward through
abuse, ridicule, Misrepresentation
and electoral frauds. In the South
the Democrats had said we were in
the pay of tho Republicans. In the
West the Republicans had said we
were hired by the Democrats. We
had grown steadily in spite of all
slanders and rascallties, and now
at length we were masters of the sit
uation. 1t seemed a pity to let our
enemies snare US and destroy US.
The Middle Of the Road men said
that ours was the only silver party,
and that all patriots who really
wanted silver coinage, could afford
to join US. Four years of fidelity,
under the most trying circumstances
had shown that we could be trusted
as champions of silver. Not a man
in our party was against it. On the
other hand, the Middle of-the-Roa
men said they could not uncondi-
tionally trust the Democrats. They
had too recently slaughtered silver.
They were too fresh from the de-
bauch of broken pledges. They
were still reeling from their mad
carOusal of class legislation. They
could not be accepted as our politi.
cal masters, when SO powerful mi.
nority, opposed to silver, still re-
mained in their ranks;-a minority
which remains with Bryan because
it can better assassinate silver from
the inside ef the Democratic party
than from without.
1t was Populist pressure which had
forced Democracy to quit straddline
and get down on the silver side OF
the fonce. To remove the pressure
by disbanding the Peoples Party
was to invite the Democrats to renew
III cir straddling.
These Middle, of-the-Road men said
that they were willing to help the
Democrats open the mints to silver,
but that the Chicago platform was,
after all, nothing but another Dem
ocratic pledge, and that Democratic
| pledges were at dismal discount
in the market.
They insisted that the Peoples
Party ought not to disband unit
their principles had been enacted
into law. Getting them incorpor
porated into the Democratic platform
was not quite equivalent to the force
and blessing of remedial legislation
Between the broadminded Popu
lists who were clamo1ing for uncon
ditional surrender to Democracy
and the middle-of-the-roaders VIII
wanted Populism to be true to it
mission, quite a wrangle ensued a
st. Louis.
| You were present at ST. Louis
Senator, and you therefore kno1
that after Senator Allen made hi
public statement that the Wester
Populists were going to support tn
Democratic ticket, whether it wa
endorsed by the Populists or not, tn
middle-of-the-road faction met i
caucus and determined to put fort
straight Populist ticket. Twenty
) one States were represented in thi
, caucus. 1t selected Hon. s. F. Mo-
/ ton of Illinois and Hon. Frank Bul
} kilt of Mississippi as the middle .o
the-road nominees for President an
Vice President respectively. Ha
, these gentlemen been nominate
by the middle of-the-road men {
| the convention, do not hesitate
say that they.would have receive
r my hearty support as against tt
r Chicago ticket of the Democrat
party.
: But I was ignorant of the actio
3 of the caucus, and did not learn tt
;, facts till after the convention q,
: journed. was asked to allow IL
j. use of my name to harmonic all Il
differences which existed in the CO.
y vention and consented upon that e
e press condition. Thereupon, Il
/. names of Messrs. Norton and Burki
n were not presented and the nomin
II tion of the Bryan-Watson tick
a then followed;-it being understo'
i that if the Populists accepted Il
l. Democratic nominee, the Democra
n would accept the nominee of t
> Populists.
l., There is no doubt that among Il
q voters of the Democratic part
r South and West, there was an ear
IS est desire that the Populists shou
l. be met half way. The people wish
u for a union among the advocates
le silver, and they felt that union cou
d not be accomplished by demandil
ID an abject surrender at the hands
the Populists.
D. The leaders of the Democra
al party, however, having secur
Populist endorsement of Mr.. Bry
d. by>direct vote in the convention, {