The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-09-12
WHAT WILL HONEST POPULISIs
DO ABOUT TT?


with the Republican managers the
Populist politicians repudiated tnelF
political principles, and nave maue
themselves co-workers with Mark
Hanna to carry out the gold standard
A fact so patent to the most ignorant
does not need proof. In its early
DAYS. the Populist party took strong
Ground against party worship, and de-
clared that no man ought TO remain
in a party that was not true TO the
principles i'm which be believed. For
several years the leaders of that party
have been helping to teach the people
that the free coinage of silver was the
supreme question before the American
people. and pledging themselves to CO
onerate with any party that would
help to open the mints to both metals
az the ratio of t6 to /.
BY attacks on the partisanship OF
"the old parties" the new party drew
to 1t many men who put financial re-
form above party. In North Carolina,
particularly, the populists have spoken
uniformly against any afliliation with
the gold standard men of both parties
and declared it to he the mission of
the ropulist party to fight gold bugs
and monopolists wherever intrenched.
And yet on Wednesday, the Populists
i'm order as they say to preserve the
existence of the party made a fusion
with the Republicans which, If success
full will send four gold men to Congress,
put a gold bug in the United States
Senate, put a gold bug on the Supreme
court bench. and intrench the gold
Republican party in power. What do
the Populists get out of the deal? Five
members of the party get $4,000 a year
in Congress, two or three of them get
a State Office, and hundred or so more
get county offices. But where do the
people come in? What "@1ancial re-
FORM is effected? What monopoly is
dethroned? What has been done to Sc
cure the opening of the minis to the
free coinage of silver? Not one of these
matters was so much as considered.
The Flannagans, of Texas, were the
legitimate ancestors of the politicians
who made the deal. "What are we here
for except for offices?' expresses the
creed of both.
Win the rank and file of the Populist
party approve and ratify the trade by
voting for gold bugs direct or putting
up sham candidates, as per agreement,
in order to make certain the election
of gold bugs? This is the question
that is giving the manipulators loTs of
trouble. The men who really believe
in the free coinage of silver will repu-
diate the whole business, and refuse to
vote for any gold man, and in regard
to candidates for the Legislature win
take Major Guthrie's advice:
do not vote for any candidate
for the Legislature unless he
pledges himself not to vote for
Pritcherd or any other gold man
for United States Senator"
We printed yesterday few extracts
from the Caucasian, in which that pa
per told its readers that mongrel
ticket, such as was put up on We'd
nesday, would be absurd" would
fall of it's own weight" The Progress
sive Farmer, the organ of the Alliance,
has been equally pronounced against
having anything to do with gold bugs.
Last spring, when the Republicans
made a proposition to fuse on almost
the same terms as were accepted on
Wednesday, to-wit, on the basis of pre-
serving the present election law and
county government system, the Pro-
gressive Farmer was very severe in its
structures upon those Populists who
advocated acceptance of the PROPOSE
ton. From an editorial of May 10th,
1896, the Progressive Farmer says, we
quote:
Speaking of the 'sanctity of the
ballot we just wish Senator
Mewborne could have been here to
see Republican State convention
count out it's strongest candi-
date, Col. Dockery, using the most
improved Democratic methods
known. IF any one thinks he can
have honest elections by fusing
with gold bug Democrats or Re
publicans, he will surely get left"
Having fused with gold bug Re
publicans, the Populists are ''left."
Again on May Goth, the Progressive
Farmer says:
Senator Mewborne was in the
city Saturday. He says it looks
like the no-fusion idea will pre-
vail; but he fears mistake has
been made. We trust that the Sen
ator is. the wrong guesser this
time and we believe he is"
The Progressive Farmer thus ex-
presses its opinion about the platform
of Senator Pritchard (the fusion can
didate for the Senate):