The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-12-03

| In view OF this unpstriotic con-
duct, 80 selfish that it defeats its
own mbition, is to be regretted ths.
the Populists at their national con-
vention did not nominate q straight
Populist ticket. Ny Judgment was
against the fusion movement at the
time, and subsequent events have
confirmed me II that opinion.
BY listening to the overtures of
Democratic managers, our party has
been torn into factions, our leaders
deceived and ensnared, and the
cause We represent permanently en-
dangered, if not lost. The labor of
many years is swept away, and the
hopes of thousands Of good people
are gone with it.
Instead of finding that our nomi-
nation Of Mr.. Bryan at ST.. Louis has
led to a compromise ticket, we see
that 1t has brought US to an uncon-
ditionel surrender, or q fight.
All Populists are expected to vote
for Mr.. Bryan, but no Democrat
feels bound to vote for Mr.. Watson.
Al! Populists are expected to vote
for Mr.. Bryan BECAUSE he is their
nominee, but they are not expected
to vote for Mr.. Watson. although he
Is likewise their nominee. The logic
which carries the Populist vote to
Mr.. Bryan seems toi exhaust it.
self before it reaches Watson. And
yet the Populist convention refused
to nominate Bryan until Watson had
been nominated. This would seem
to indicate that Watson was at least
as strong in the Populist convention
as Bryan was.
The Democratic managers how
ever. not only claim the Populist vote
for Mr.. Bryan, who is our nominee,
but they claim it, also, for Mr. Sew
all, who is not our nominee, and who
was overwhelmingly rejected when
offered to the st. Louis convention.
| Personally, there has been no dis
position to find fault with Mr.. Sewall,
but the issue at stake is n public one,
and we Populists have felt quite at
liberty to point out our obi jections to
Mr.. Sewall as a candidate for office.
81 Some of our fusion leaders have
developed great tenderness Of feel
ing on the subject of national bank
ers, bondholders, and millionaires.
This is something new. Pcpulism
had its birth in revolt against class
legislation, and nothing more fully
embodies the pernicious power of
special privilege than does the ma
tional banking system. For some
years we Populists have used unlim-
, tied ink and unmeasured eloquence
in denouncing the national bankers
privileges. According to the gospel
Of this "fusion" Populism, it seems
|, that we have been violating the pro-
, prleties. We are now told that we
must not say anything against Mr..
, Sewan. We must not explain to the
people wherein he is an objectiona-
BILE candidate, and we must not men
, tion the fact that he is a national
banker, a bondholder, railroad
, magnate, corporation millionaire,
, an enemy to organized labor, a ben
, efciary of trusts, a seeker after sub
sides for the merchant marine, and
a protectionist of the Mckinley w.
, riety.
| These things must be kept from
the people, l am told. Why SO?
. Haven't the voters right to know
, for whom they are voting7
Had, Populism always been so ex-
quisitely careful about giving Of
} fense to the favorites of class legis-
| lation, would there today have been
| any such thing as the Peoples
= Party7
Mr.. Sewall represents nothing
3 which Populism seeks. By his local
. environment, by his financial inter
: ests, and by his political principles
: he stands in com plete antagonism to
,, Populism. No: even upon the sllve,
o question has he the right to demand
S the support of the Peoples Party
t He has not been known as a cham
pion of the cause; he made no pro
J, test when Maine nominated a golc
v bug Democrat for Governor on 6
s gold bug platform, although he was
n q member of the State convention
@ He was not known publicly, as {
8 friend to silver until June 1895, ant
q the fact that he inserts "the golt
n clause" in his own contracts prove
b either want of the sincerity the oc
= casion demands, or lack of tha
is faith needful to the moving of noun
r tains.
r Mr.. Sewall, then, having been re
jected by the Peoples Party, an
d the compromise ticket having beel
d made up of Bryan and Watson, thi
ID compromise should have been &C
IT cepted in good faith and carried out
% Not only was the acceptance Q
"a the st. Louis compromise on tn
10 part of Mr.. Bryan's managers neces
lc sary to pacify the Populists who ha
bitterly opposed the fusion pre-
N gramme, but this compromise whicl
10 put a man from the West and on
d. from the South together on the Ns
,e tiona1 ticket was earnestly desire
ne by the great mass of the Souther
n and Western Democrats. Thes
K Democrats of the rank and file, VIII
ne were not seeking Office, realized tha
it a golden opportunity was offered
a. unite the South and West and thu
ct join in political alliance two gres
od sections whose interests and prime
he Piles were the same, and which,
It's united, could dominate the unio
he and redeem the Republic from tt
ruinious class legislation of tt
he East and the North.
y Not only did the Democrats rea
n, ize that loyal adherence to the S
ia Louis compromise was necessary
60 unite the South and West, but th'
OF saw that it was also necessary to Il
I'D combination which was expected
ng give all the silver votes to M
OF Bryan.
:. Hence, almost to man, the raj
TIC and file Democrats of the South q,
cd West said: "The Populists ha'
an gone far enough; we ought to me
le- them half WAY and thus unite O