The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-08-05
THEY LOVE GOLD MORE THAN
THEIR PARTY.

| State were chosen TO compose the
State Executive Committee. On Thurs
day night of last week they met III
| Raleigh to elect chairman and or
| ganize the work of the campaign. At
ter mature consideration these pa
triotic and unselfish Democrats, actu-
ated by no Interior purpose, passed a
| resolution rendering ITO the Popullst
party. which has joined with the
Democrats in the support of Bryan,
| a fairand equitable division OF cleo
| tors. 1t is well known that II the
| Democrats and Populists, both favor
| ing silver, run separate electoral tick
cts. 1T gives a chance for the gold men
to carry the State for Mckinley.
| In order to make sure of the electoral
ticket for the only silver candidate in
the field. a Joint ticket with the Popu-
lists was proposed. Nothing was done
in secret or in corner. The resolu-
tions were published to the world on
the very next morning, and Chairman
Manly made the tender to Chairman
Butler in the spirit in which the
| resolutions were adopted. We hope
the Populists will meet the Democrats
half way, and that, whatever may be
the political warfare along other lines,
the silver men will stand together
along the only line that makes a silver
victory absolutely certain in North
Carolina.
We thought it possible that some
silver Democrats, upon first blush
would doubt the wisdom of the action,
and we expected the gold men to crltl-
cize what had been done. We knew the
great body of the party would approve
and applaud. But we did not believe
any man, calling himself a Democrat,
would impugn the motives of the
members of the committee, or de-
nounce them as TRAITORS to their
trust. We reckoned without knowl-
edge of the venom of some gold Demo
Gratis. From several quarters in gold
buodom have come harsh criticisms,
but it remained for the nameless de
fender of corporate greed, one
"Junius," to write a whole column in
the Charlotte Observer to advocate the
calling of a new State convention ITO
elect a new State Executive Commit
tee. and organize the party along lines
more in keeping with the plans and
purposes of the gold minority in the
State.
Our readers are familiar with
"Junius.'' He has been the brains and
the brass of the gold crusade in the
State. He sought with much plausl-
bility to seduce the Democratic party
away from its fundamental principles
and to have it become the per-
manent annex of the Repub-
lican party. His articles made
many conversion silver. His ward,
county, district, State and nation de-
cIared against his views. Such una
nimity in repudiating anonymous lead
ership has rarely been known. But
two courses remained for Junius and
his disciples:
/. To submit to the arbitrament OF
his party, and go to work to elect
the ticket named;
2. To openly and boldly bolt the
ticket, and fight it on fair field.
Neither of these courses did Jul
MUS" and his handful of followers
choose to adopt, but announced, with
wry faces, that they would support the
ticket as one takes bad medicine. Not
content with giving this half-hearted
support, damning the candidates with
faint praise, and contemptuously
referring to the platform, these gold
men rush into print to defame the
character of men who are giving their
time and thought, without reward or
hope of reward, to the service of their
party and State.
The intolerance and bigotry Of these
gold men before the party had spoken
was we'll nigh unbearable. To-day it
is nothing less than reasonable. 1t IS
better, thousand times, that they
should go into the Mckinley camp
than to stab the party while proclaim
ing that they will regretfully support
its nominees. These men are like the
men described by Mr.. Bryan in his
speech, who wait most patiently
for an international agreement be-
cause they do not want it at all. They
give Mr. Bryan thelSind ofsupport that
shows they do not want him elected
at ALL
The duty of the gold men who are
going to honestly support the ticket, is
to support it. They ought not to eX-
pect to run the campaign or to "call
out the fggers." They ought to sub
init to the legally constituted party