The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-02-11
TWO OPINIONS ON FUSION.

part nor lot, and have an interest only
as Iookers-on at the movements on the
boards.
Rev. Il. w. Babb was an Assistant
Door Keeper of the last State Senate, IS
editor of the PerQuimans Record, and
the Fusionists thought enough of his
standing in the party to elect him
Trustee of the University. Rev. Babb
takes issue with Senator Butler, and
here is his editorial in full:
.sTbe address of Senator Butler,
chairman Of the Peoples Party State
Executive Committee, published in
this issue of the Record, and headed
square fight for principle, strikes US
with surprise We have read the adj
dress with care, and must confess to
orr surprise at discovering that the
chairman in his address had ignored
every principle and demand OF the
ponu1ist party save the free coinage
of silver Not once does he mention
the Omaha platform, or its demands.
Nor does he intimate that there are
other great fundamental principles
for which the Populist party contend,
and which are incorporated in their
nlatform. as of equal if not of greater
Importance than the free coinage OF
silver. The free coinage of silver is
segment. and only a segment, IN
the circle of that political reform
demanded by the Peoples party, and
the lamented Polk used to speak OF
II as the least of the benefits to be Sc
cured. This being so, is it loyal to
the Peoples party and its principles,
to abandon every other demand and
principle of the party for this? We
cannot think that it is, nor do we be-
lieve that the Populists III North Caro-
lima will 10 it. We are Populists, not
simply silverites, and it strikes us that
our chairman in his zeal for the white
metal should not overlook the fact
that he is chairman of the State tx
ecutive Committee of the People
Party. and not Of this free silver con-
tingency, which he seems to have done
ian his address TO the people. We can
not agree with Mr.. M. J.. Wood, who
seems to think that Chairman Butler
was irving to lead the Populist party
into the Republican camp; his address
POINTS I'm another direction wiz to
the forming of a new party. with
single silver plank platform. And this
leads us to enquire how Mr.. Butler.
who claims to be Populist, can make
what he calls a square fight for primer
Die by going into this free silver party,
when bv doing so he abandons every
principle and plank i'm his own party
save the free coinage OF silver Mr..
Butler may be able to answer this
question. But 10 our mind there is
as much principle in cooperating with
the Republicans as silverites, and as
much principle in cooperating with
the Republicans in 90 as there was IN
a.
Mr.. s. a. Edmund, Of Robson
county, is the editor Of The Populist,"
Peoples party paper published at
I.uInberton. Ills standing in the Peo-
PIES party is evidenced by his selec-
ton as Clerk Of the Court Of Robson
county, and chairman of the Populist
County Executive Committee. In
'The Popu1ist' last week, without
saying 50 in direct terms, Mr.. Edmunds
seems to stand by Senator Butler If
he continues to stand by the silver
declaration, he is the only Populist
county office-holder so far heard from
who gives a thought to any phase Of
the financial question except to keep
on drawing his salary. Mr. Edmunds
says:
eve notice that quite a number Of
Republicans are canyassing the State
H.
to be .fusionists.' They say they are
in favor Of free coinage Of silver and
financial reform. If this be true, they
will soon have an opportunity 10 show
their hand Actions speak louder than |
words If they are ia favor Of free |
coinage of silver and honestly SO, they |
cannot and will not vote for q gold bug
candidate for the Presidency, nor will |
they ask the Populists TO do it. VIII
they vote for q free silver candidate, |
regardless Of party label? Are they |
ready to sacrifice their party, If needs |
be, TO save the country? II So then |
we, as Populists. are ready and anxious |
to cooperate with them. But do the |
Republican leaders Of this State think |
more Of Federal patronage than they
10 Of the prosperity Of their constitu- !
y
courage to stand first, last and all the
time for free and unlimited coinage
Of silver? II so, their home is IN the
gold bug observation-disclosures camp
and we had as soon vote for Cleveland
and his henchmen as 10 vote for a Re
publican who endorses their policy.
'Some Republican papers are maxi
ing a good deal OF noise as 70 what
they can dc without the Populists, in
timating that they don't need Popn
list votes anyway If this kind Of
thing continues, they viii be given a
golden opportunity 10 show what they
can do single-handed.
I'VE would regret very much 70 see
the machine element Of the Democracy
enthroned i'm North Carolina We
would consider it a great calamity, but
we can conceive Of even q greater
calamity, and it is this: The confsca
a e IL a.