The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-09-27
CONGRESSMAN sTROWD.


from this district, as shown by the
Joint debate with Mr.. Pou in this city
is humiliating indeed. Two years ago
the Republicans of the district nom
mated Mr.. AIilliken, of Randolph, for
Congress. Shortly before the election
he withdrew from the race in behalf
of Mr.. Strowd, advising all Republicans
to vote for him. They did and Mr.,
Strowd was elected over Capt. Cooke.
1t was charged in that campaign that
a secret bargain had been made by
which Mr.. Milliken was induced to
withdraw The friends of Mr.. Strowd
denied this all over the district, stat
ing that Millilen's withdrawal was
simply part of the general scheme of
State fusion.
1t now appears that Mr.. Strowd
wrote letter to Mr.. Milliken in which
he promised that if the election for
President in 1896 should be thrown
in the House of Representatives he
would vote for the Republican candi-
date.
Upon the faith of that promise the
Republicans of the district voted for
him and elected him to Congress. He
now declares ON every stump that il
the election is thrown in the House
he will vote for Mr.. Bryan, and not for
the Republican as he promised to do.
While admitting that he wrote the let
ter he stated in his speech here that
there were conditions attached to the
promise-that as between a gold bug
Democrat and a gold bug Republican
he would vote for the Republican, and
that he would now as between the two
gold candidates vote for Mckinley a.
gainst Palmer.
Mr. Pou in his rejoinder stated that
a prominent Republican, whose name
he had promised not to use, told him
the night of the Bryan speaking at
Raleigh that he read the letter and
there were absolutely no conditions
attached, but a square promise to vote
for the Republican Presidential candi-
date.
1t also appeared in the debate that
Mr.. Strowd had written a letter to Mr..
T. p. Devereux, a prominent Republi-
can of this city, promising under GER
tain conditions to vote with the Re
publicans for speaker in the organiza-
ton of the House of Representatives.
AS it turned out the Republicans had
sufficient majority to elect their own
speaker, so Mr. Strowd had this vote
recorded for Populist for speaker.
Mr.. Strowd's excuse for that promise
was that Mr.. Crisp was not true
friend of silver, and not being a true
friend of silver he would vote for Mr..
Reed who stands in the forefront of
the gold canvass.
There was not man in the audience
who did not at once recall the memoir
able debate in the State of Georgia in
which Mr.. Crisp was the chosen advo-
cate of silver while Secretary Hoke
Smith advocated the policy of Reed.
Yet Mr.. Strowd still posing as the ex-
ponent of silver, declared that as be-
tween Reed and Crisp he would vote
for Reed.
Mr.. Strowd is now seeking the votes
of Republicans and Populists again.
Mr.. Pou read a resolution of the recent
Chatham county Populist convention
declaring that they would vote for no
gold bug for office. Mr.. Strowd stated
that he stood by that platform, but in
less than minute declared that he
would vote for Douglass and Walser,
two gold bugs, and was in favor of car
rying out the fusion arrangement with
the Republicans by which the gold men,
if successful, secure four gold members
of Congress from this State.
Such inconsistencies of statement
and failure to abide by any promise
were never before heard by any au-
dience in this city.
His excuse for this was that the Dem
ocrats had refused to fuse with the
Populists, thereby as he said, rendering
it certain that unless the Populist
made this arrangement the gold Re
publicans would carry eight of the
nine Congressional districts.
Mr.. Pou's answer to this fimsy ex-
cuse was that if the Republicans had
a certainty of eight Congressman why
did they consent to fuse with the Pop
ulist for only four?