The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-10-28
WHICH CALL WILL THEY HEED?
THE ONE OF PRINCIPLE OR
POWER?

| State. one from Senator Butler and
the other from Maj. Guthrie, the chos-
| en- leader of the Populist party, its
| candidate for Governor. In both there
| is held up to the Populist voter the
duty of fighting Mark Hanna, vot-
ing for William J Bryan for President,
| and standing squarely for carrying
out the principles for which they de-
clare the Peoples party was organized.
Senator Butler does not go into de
tails, but points out that his hands
will be tied for his whole term if Nc
Kinlev is elected President, and begs
his party "to go to work as you have
never done before" to prevent that
calamity. Maj. Guthrie writes along
the same line, showing that no true
Populist can support a gold-bug for Of
fee. If Senator Butler pleads against
putting a man in the White House
who would veto a free coinage bill,
is it not quite as bad for North Caro-
lima Populists to help to elect four
gold-bugs to Congress who might pre-
vent it's passage in the House, and
thereby cut off all financial reform,
even if Bryan should be elected? Maj.
Guthrie's questions show how indie
fensible is the trade" to elect four
gold-bug's to Congress from North
Carolina. The trade" if it succeeds,
gives North Carolina only one vote
for silver, four gold-bugs killing the
votes of the four silver men. If the
Populists heed these two appeals,
there will be funeral of gold-bugs
in North Carolina next Tuesday.
But, turning from these appeals
to Populists to remain true to their
principles, what discordant voices do
we hear in control of the Populist ma
chime here in Raleigh? The chairman
of the Peoples party has made trade
with the Republican gold-bugs, the
effect of which, if successful, will
give this result:
/. The election of himself as State
Auditor, sacrificing the Populist can
didates for Governor and Lieutenant
Governor in order to elect himself. He
will get $4,000 by this trade-perhaps
more, as there may be perquisites.
2. The election of five silver men
and four gold men Gncluding one
negro) to Congress.
3. The election of a gold-bug Repub-
lican to the United States Senate,
gold-b as Railroad Commissioner,
and the turning over of the Eastern
towns and cities to negro rule.
4. The election of Republican gold
bugs as Governor, Lieutenant Govern
or, Superintendent of Public Instruc-
tons, Attorney General, and Superior
Court Judge.
5. The reputation of the Populist
demand for non-partisan Judiciary,
by the election of Col. Douglas, a
gold-bug Republican, to the bench.
thus giving the Republicans three of
the five judges.
6. The surrender to corrupt men of
the election machinery in some pre-
cincts, and the active efforts of parti-
san judges to increase the vote of two
joint parties by "the enormous regis
tration of unqualified negro voters"
There is not Populist in the State
who does not know he has denounced
these things an hundred times, and
sworn never to do anything to bring
about these disasters which trading
machine makes imminent. Many of
them have repudiated the scandalous
traffic, many more will quietly do so
next Tuesday.
Not to be outdone by Senator Butler
and Maj, Guthrie, the trafficing Pop
ulist chairman, too, has issued an adj
dress "to the members of the peoples
party" 1t is pitiful appeal to the
voters to sacrifice principle to secure
power" He says that when he ac-
cepted the craftsmanship 81 BECAME
A PARTY MAN. and lit became my
duty and my business to gain and
secure for the party the greatest pos
sible power and influence" which
means the office of State Auditor. He
also says: while have never lost
sight of the principles which the par
ty advocated, it was not my province,
as chairman, to pay minute attention
to them" OF course not. Tt was his
duty, it seems, to elect himself State
Auditor, and give the Republican
gold-bugs most everything else!
This chairman proceeds to say that
he has effected an arrangement which
twill give to the Peoples party five of
the nine congressman to be elected
from this State" The Populist voters
will ask: What about the other four?
He says not word. The arrange