The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-08-12
A Patriotic Letter.

a Patriotic Letter.
ATLANTA, Ga, Aug. Ex-senator
Marion Butler, chairman of the Pop
ulist national committee. telRgraphed
to the Atlanta Journal this morning
the following signed statement in re-
gard to Senator Jones interview criti
cising the Southern Populists, in which
it is claimed Jones said the Southern
populists should 60 with the negroes
where they belong:
You wire me purporting to The in
terview with Chairman Jones AS 1t ap-
pears in Mondays World and ask me
for q statement with reference to the
same. / am not prepared to believe
Senator Jones was quoted correctly.
The election of Mckinley would mean
not oily four years more OF Sherman
ism and CIevelandism but also many
additional and culminative resulting
evils.
mo intelligent, patriotic voter, no
true American citizen, can by his &C
ton or inaction, be responsible direct
ly or indirectly for such a threatened
calamity. The only possible way
that it can be averted is by u complete.
harmonious and enthusiastic union Of
all parties opposed to the destructive
rule or corporate greed and British gold
upon the candidate for President and
Vice President that represent Just the
opposite of what Mckinley and Ho-
bart represent.
"Those upon whom is the great re-
sponsibility of the consummation OF
this end should not do or say anything
that would produce friction, but
should, on the other hand, subordi.
nate all minor differences and bend
every energy for harmonious union
and victory when the cause OF outrag-
ed and suffering humanity is trem-
bling in the balance, when victory for
American independence and prosperl-
ty is in sight.
"What a humiliating and sickening
spectacle it would be should the folly
of personal ambition and the demon
of party spirit step into, confuse and
divide the allied majority and deliver
our people into the hands of the enc
mics of republican institutions But
this cannot, this will not happen.
1.-The American people are not now
in any humor to be triHed with, They
realize the cause of our evils; they
fully appreciate the threatened dan
ger. They will this yeaar drive the
British money changers and their
American Tory allies from the tenn
pie of liberty and take charge OF their
own affairs. -,
"It would be better fer candidates
and chairman to do less talking for the
present. But in spite of the indiscre'
lions of individual and so-called lead
ers the American people have deter
mined to win the ght and they will do
it. "(Signed MARION BUTLER.
WHAT JONES DID SAY.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6.-Senator
Jones. chairman Of the Democratic
national campaign committee, dictat,
ed the following statement IN regard
to his alleged utterance concernlg the
Ponulists: With reference to the
New York World story, 1 simply
want to say that I had conversation
with two newspaper men, which l re-
parded in the light Of a private con-
yersarion, in which l said something
of what appears in The World inter
view. There are however a number
of inaccuracies. If it was the lnten-
ton to make me say that Mr.. Bryan
would not accept the Populist nomlna,
ton. that was unauthorized. l had
no authority, did not intend to make
any such expression, and dld not MAKE
| it. I stand In substance that the Fop'
ulists from the north and west at st.
Louis were, as far as l observed them,
seemingly a more Conscientious ooay
of men ihan those from the south,
though there were, of course, mum
ber OF strong and able men from the
south who seemed to be animated Dy
the HIGHEST motives OF patriotism:
said in substance that the Popullsts
were divided into TWO classes In the
southern states, one class, in my opln'
ion. men who were Populists for the
chance of personal advancement OF
promotion with little regard TO puollc
inte ,ests; that the other, the larger
class of southern PopulIsts, were pa
triotic citizens, unselish in their poilt'
ical wishes. and expressed the Idea
that this latter class would, in all hu'
man probability, vote with the Demo
cratic party, while the others, from
the fact that their selfish ends could
more easily obtain, would vote with
the Republicans. You may state posi-
lively that I used no s1ch expression
as "Going to The negroes Wnere lucy
belone". There are anumber OF othe!
inaccuracies in the report, which
suppose were not Intentional, as nc
attempt attempt was made to take notes of ou'
conversation. In fact, | had lie
thought of there being such d + repnr
of the conversation as the one l lind ID
The World