The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-07-05
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD
Editor Ramsay, Of the Pro-
gressive Farmer, Talks.
NO COMBINING OF FORCES
And No Getting Together OF Sill
yer Men Will Suit Him.
SAYS He WANTS FREE SILVER
But Would Rather Wait twenty Years
and Get it Through the Pop
uIist Party.

Editor Ramsey, of the Progressive
Farmer, is the most rampant middle
of-the-road advocate that we have seen.
NO, SIR" said Editor Ramsey, yes
terday, Il will not vote for the Chicago
nominee, even if he is endorsed by the
Populist convention at st. Louis.
who would you vote for, then,
was asked.
Il would vote for Southgate, of Dur
ham, he replied.
why, that would simply be throw
ing your vote away was suggested.
Il CAN'T help it, said Ramsey. Il
would vote for him all the same"
Don't you know that division
among the silver men would mean the
defeat of silver and the election of
McKinley?'
Il can't help that, either he replied.
81 would not vote for Senator Alien OF
Nebraska, if he was nominated at Chi
cago, and accepted the nomination,
even if the ST. Louis convention should
unanimously endorse him.
We'll, then, are you in favor of sill
ver?'' the editor was asked.
'sOh, yes" he replied, ''but L don't
want it through the Democratic party,
because l have got NO confidence IN
that party
But don't you know that the Popu-
lists have not enough votes to elect a
free silver man? was asked.
81 know that, but we can keep fight
ing until we get enough. | had rather
wait twenty years for silver than TO
get it except through the Populist
party, and | am not going ITO vote for
Bland, Boies, Teller, Bryan, Blackburn
or anybody else who may be nominal
ed ait Chicago
Don't you regard Bland good sill
yer man"
I've got no confidence in him"
Don't you regard Teller an earnest,
honest and able advocate of silver?'
NO. He stayed in his party too long.
He ought to have left it in 1892, when
the rest of us left the old parties, and L
would have less confidence still in Tel
Ter, if he accepted the nomination at
Chicago"
Suppose the Chicago convention
should nominate Senator Allen, of Ne
braska, for President, and another
Popplist for Vice-President, and they
were to accept, and then the st. Louis
convention should endorse them, what
would you do?"
Il would not support them if they
accepted the Chicago nomination,
even if they We're both Populists.
Suppose Judge Clark is placed on
the ticket, and then the ticket is en-
dorsed at st. Louis, would you still
refuse to support it?''
Yes, | should still refuse to support
it, if it was IN anyway mixed up with
the Chicago convention
Then YOU are certainly not firm
and substantial friend of silver
s.Oh, yes / am, but want silver only
through the Peoples party, and | am
in favor of waiting till we get it
through that party, if we have to wait
twenty years longer"
1T is perfectly clear from the above
that it is something else Editor Ram
sey wants besides silver. He has been
among the loudest and most uncompro-
missing advocates of free coinage until
now he sees it almost In sight. He will
only have it his own way. He prefers
that the people should suffer along for
twenty years more under the curse of
a ruinous and poverty breeding gold
standard, rather than have money re-
form-free and unlimited silver coin
age-unless he can dictate precisely
the method of securing it. These
kind of leaders may continue to hold
the confidence of the masses of their
party, but if they do, it will demon
strabe one thing, and demonstrate it
clearly, and that is that extreme, sell
fish and unwise leadership in this day
and time is more dangerous than il
has ever been before.