The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-03-03
THR POLITICAL Rem

NO4AES 10 Tic Dat LII Cl4S AAaI 4
Thinks Ought to Be Done.
Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer.
To Ny Comrades Of the Peoples Party
OF North Carolina:
My recent letter to the Charlotte
Observer, in which l advocated com
plete cooperation this year between
the Populists and the Republicans as
the wises course, seems to have met
popular favor all over the State, not
for anything that l said, but because
of the fact that the people had already
decided the matter And no cunning
however artful, and no domineering
however patent, and no il fl fence how
eve powerful car change the heart
felt wishes of the great masses of the
people. l have felt the pulses of the
toilers of our Safe, who above all else
are entitled to a hearing on this mat
ter, and l am sure they will be salts
ded with nothing else, and they love
their principles no less and their party
no more by it either.
The point of difference between Sen
atOr Butler and other so called non
partisans and my self and all true blue
POpulists is this: The former believes
IN running a no~n-partison ticket upon
the silver idea alone and running it,
too, outside u party organization;
the latter believe in mailing silver at
the head OF our POpulist banner and
mailing our other great demands just
below it and going to the people aud
asking for their support and demand
ing their support by the justice of
our demands and in the name Of the
great Populist party of America. Mr..
Buffers plan is to catch Republicans,
Democrats and Populists and win on a
partisan line and divide the spOlls
Irrespective of party. The result
would be, in case his plan was not sue
c9ssful, that the two old parties, hav-
ing a stronger hold, would, eventually,
absorb the weaker party and it would
be blotted from the face of the earth.
But there is no earthly chance of it
being successful; there never was a vic
tory won on such a basis We true Popu
lists -true in sympathy, in princi
pie, in common interests expect to
gain Democrats and Republicans to
party by honorable means and i'll
the end be the only great party in the
country. We can do il. We have
done it. We are doing it. All we ask
Is for all to stand true to our princi
pies and to cur party. The Peoples
party will declare for free silver; the
other parties will not; then if the sill
yer men in the other parties are honest
they OF necessity must come to US
Then why should we, Mr.. Populist,
throw our party away when its hopes
are so bright and when it is the only
+rue exponent Of the peoples interests
I will never agree to throw this splCn.
did organization away, a party we
love so much, that we have t0Iled and
suffered so much for, just TO please a
few men ID our party and everybody
out of it. Mr.. Butler says we cannot
afford to vote a partial Republican eltc
toral ticket this year. If not, then We
cannot afford to vote any kind Of a
fusion vote. If he could consistently
vote for Republican in "a to go to
Congress to make laws, and if he
could consistently vote for RepublI
cans for the legislature, VINO were SO
generous as to elect him to the highest
office In their gift unto the dignity and
height of fortune, the highest imperial
type Of their earthly glory, then surely
he can vote their yeas upon the same
premises. l say we can. We will
we must preserve intact the friendly
relations that now exist between our
Two parties. We must do it in self
defence. If we P0pulists had a ma
jority in the State, it might be foolish
50 fuse with any party, but as we have
not, it is foolish not to fuse, for by il
we greatly stre1gthen and perpetuate
the principles we hold dear. 1t pains
me to see u bravest champions in cur
last fight so careless of the results Of
the campaign this year. They seem
to be stumbling blocks in our way in.
stead Of being aggressive leaders, try:
ing to carry our cause to victory.
According to Mr.. Buffers plan the
protesting silver Democrats Populists
add Republicans would try to elect II
silver electors to 60 we know not
where, to do we know % what, and
shat would be the only thing done.
That seems to be ell he wants done.