The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-08-04
DEMOCRACY.

Senator Butler of North Carolina,
has been elected Chairman of the Ma
tional Committee of the P pulicrat
party, and we trust That he will realize
the great responsibility of the position,
and not do anything to retard reform.
The brilliant young Senator has had
a mania for capturing the Democratic
party, and though he may have cap
tured a good portion of the rank and
file, we have failed to notice any dimi-
mutton of the leaders of that party.
Hence we advise him to dev to his time
this year to more important work. The
need of reform is so urgent that he will
have no time to spare in these North
Pole expeditions after the Democratic
party.
We believe the first little chase he
gave the party was in 1892. His plan
then was to beard the party right in
it's den, in other words to get control of
the conventions, township, county and
State. He probably captured it, but
turned it loose to spit or his hands and
get a fresh hold, end it got away.
He captured it again in 1894 with the
noDp artisan judiciary but the courts
are still Democratic enough to suit the
most fastidious, and if the co operative
movement got a half dozen more votes
from the ranks of the captured Demo
cracy than it would have gotten other,
wise, we have failtd to hear of the
fact
The last and most ~stupendous cap
ture was made this year before the
campaign began. Senator Butler vas
a member Of the Populist National
Committe and determined to scoop in
the whole Democratic party from
Maine to California, leaving out moth
ing but Cleveland and Wall street. TIE
story goes that he secured some twenty
five proxies from the National Com
mlttee who could not attend the early
spring meeting of the committee, held
in St.. Louis, and armed with
twenty-five votes and loaded with a
thrilling plan to capture the Demo
cratic party, he simply knocked the
balance of the committee silly, and the
late convention idea was adopted. 1t
looked as easy as falling eff a log. With
twenty five proxies in one hand and
his life in the other, the brave Senator
n. al a~oH %hO% both old o0~+f0I uTa~0 0o
ing to play the fool and both putHp
gold men on gold platforms, or at least
straddle the whole business. Then he
painted an eloquent picuture Of how
the rank and file and all the honest
leaders would bolt and conn rushing
and painting into the Populist party.
Then a dramatic second declaration
of independence" was to be the grand
finale at st. Louis on July 22nd. Those
present agreed to it, but fortunately
they didn't place any orders for fire
works.
Many protesting letters we're sent to
the Committee. The writer saw the
mistake at once, and wrote an earnest
letter to Senator Butler, entreatiDg him
to get the National Committee together
again and find some excuse to change
the date and have an early convention.
We argued that the action Of the Re-
publican National Convention was
doubtful, but that the Democratic
party would be smart enough to eejz5
the opportunity and supplant the PEG
ple's party with a platform and can
dIdate that would not be Objectionable,
even if it did not inspire confidence;
that the party was In a desperate con.
dltion, and rather than be aUnihilated
it would promise anything in it's plat
form and fool the people again, if pos,
sible. We pointed out the past record
of the party, the counter move to de
stroy the Greenback party. We re-
freshed his memory with the truth
that the Democratic party had never
gone into a campaign as a gold party;
assured him that everything pointed
to a silver platform if the Populiets sat