The Charlotte Democrat., 1896-08-13
Marian Butter Achieves His Prominence
Through q single Speech.
From the atlanta JdurnaL.

4AAV0hA . SAohAo Sp00VA'
From the atlanta JdurnaL.
SIX years ago United States Senator
Marian Butler, who is perhaps the most
prominent figure in st. Louis today, was
an obscure country editor, taking cord
wood for subscription and making an oc-
casional trip to Raleigh, North Carroll
mas capital, to secure the requisite a.
mount Of Advertising to keep the "deviI's"
tongue silenced To-day be is u nation oil
character. What q revolution q few brief
years have wrought-not 10 the sense of
Darwin's organic theory, but in the ex-
ternSl order of things. However. Butler
10 smart and not little foxy He took
the tide at Its flood and it led on to fame
and probably fortune.
At that time the Farmers' Alliance
was in the zenith of it's glory. The Pres
ident of the national organization was
Col. L. l. Polk of North Carolina, who
| was President also of his State organiEa-
tion. Col. Polk was q graceful speaker
| and by his eloQuence had set the river on
fire. He travllsd through the Western
States, and thou lands of people foeked
speeches usually closed in . rhetorical
| ukub Lu0b pluuECO ouuIOuCOB IuGO u
stampede something akin TO the effect of
Bryau's speech at Chicago the other day.
If remember correctly that climax s,n'
tencs was something like this:
It am standing now in the full glow oi
the coming sunset. Behind me are the
shadows on the track; before me lies the
dark valley and the river. When
mingle with its dark waters wal to
cast one lingering look upon q country
whose Government is Of the people, fol
the people, and by the people,"
| Unexpectedly Col. Polk mingled with
the clark waters" in the earlier d ys o
bis Administration, and b,s death was G
national sorrow. A hurried meeting Of
the Mr. h Carolina State Alliance wal
held In Raleigh to take appropriate ac.
ton. Marion Butl, r, then an Alliance.
Dsm0crat, WAS one of the first of the
members to appear st the hall. H't
speech in eu!ogy Of Leondas Polk thai
day was the most brilliant effort of bis
young life. 1t was the sensation of the
time, and his name was on every tongue
in the State. When q successor was sp-
pointed to the State Alliance Presidency
No one was surprised whom it was an
nounced that Marian Butler hae
been chosen. He succeeded naturally, o
course, TO the national Presidency. Their
Butler was in the saddle.
The Populist party was born ia the
meaD time, and in North Carolina young
Butler held the reins by virtue of Office.
He has held them since. The campaign
of two years ago in that State, in which
ths Populists and Republicans fused and
secured control of the State Legislature
10 we'll remembered. It was desperate
fight for spoils, and Butler managed i
we'll. Senator Zebulon B Vance had diet
and his unsxpirsd term of two years was
to be filled: Senator Matt W. Rlnsom'G
term expired and . successor was to b.
appointed.
The patronage of the Legislature un
der the new regime was TO be equal,
divided, and it only showed Buffers in'
Italian hand when be WAS elected to tn
United States Senate for six years an
Jeter Pritchard, the Republican, was e.
lscted for the short term. The balance
is present day history.
Butler is only 30 years old. The sam
little Weekly CGuc asian that paolished q
Clinton, . country town, IN 1890, is pub
!ished yet. 1t is now issued from Rsleig
and has q large circulation And Hal. W
Aver, who was private secretary to Col
Polk, is the associate editor.