The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-11-17
ELLIOTT. N. G, Nov. IA 1895.

ing whether or not | favored your eiec
ton to the Senate received. Who shall
be Senator is a matter to be determined
by a majority Of the members Of the
next legislature, but if I were a mem
Der of that body I would not vote for
any man for Senator who favored the
gold standard, or whose position on
the financial question 90 vital to the
welfare of u paoplO vas uncortain or
equivocal.
"When you we're elected to the Senate
two years ago you were as outspoken
and as strong for the free and uniimit
ed coinage of silver at the ratio Of Is
to 1 as [ or any one else. You con
demned the gold standard as one of the
greatest curses to our people and III
country, you condemned Cloveland's
financial policy aud especially Car
isles policy in redeeming Treasury
notes in gold alone. But to-day Sen
ator John Sherman, the arch leader of
the British gold conspiracy, says that
their hope Of capturing the next U. S
Senate for the gold standard depends
upon getting a Senator OF their way Of
thinking from both K 4ntucky and
North Carolina. It is understood that
they want to elect CARL lie from Ken
lucky and elect you from North Caro-
lima. Therefore I take it that you are
no longer for the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at the ratio OF 16 to 1,
but if you are then Sherman and
Mark Hanna must be deceived as to
your position.
Besides if you have been correctly
reported by the he wspapers, you have
in some of your speeches admitted that
you have radically changed your views
on the financial question, which ques
ton is at all times the most important
and vital one in this or any other gov
eminent, and which is especially so at
this time in the United States. Again,
you had published in the Winston RI
publican a few months ago a state ment
of your gr3at change on the money
question That article, which the
editor said he was authorizes to pub
Iish, and which you have never cor
rected, stated that you would vote for
free coinage until March Ali, next, be
cause you were pledged TO do SO, but
that efter then you would be a sound
money man.
Thus it seems clear that you have
decided to desert the p9ople in this
great struggle against the money
power, and have gone over to the side
of the money changers, who bleed and
Cypress the people.
There is no longer any half way or
%straddliDg ground in this contest
Every nan in Congress will have to
vote for the free coinage Of silver and
more full legal tender money for the
people, or he will vote with the bank
ers, bondholders, spectators and gold
gamblers who live and grow rich by
making money dearer and scarcer. If
this ls your position, then no member
of the legislature, who is not himself a
goldbug, can vote to send you to the
Senate. You certainly cannot expect
the vote Of any Populist, neither can
you expect the vote of any silver Re-
publican, for when your State Conven-
ton passed a resolution approving
your course, you had not given public
notice that you had changed your
views.
Every man has a right to change
his views on the money question or
other question whenever he has rea
sons suR ;ient for doing 80, but he has
no right to complain if the people of
his State refuse to change their views
because he changes his.
"Havingradically changed your posi-
ton on the most vital issue before the
country today and now holding new
views in conformity with those of
Sherman and Mark Hanna, you would
not represent the sentiments and inter .
est OF the people Of North Carolina in
the United Senate any more than did !
Senator r Ansom after he changed his /
views on the money question to con.
form with the views of Cleveland and |
Carlisle.
Zone vote may determine the posi-
tion of the next United Senate on the
money question. In fact, if you are
elected, or any man holding the new
and foreign views you have adopted, it |
will almost surely give the bankers, !
bondholders and gold trust one major,
ity in that body, and complete control