The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-07-07
Mr.. GAI
Dear Brother Meuboorne:

sess, that I feel compelled to say as
much to you. The bare idea that you
should allow some of u Republican
friends to furnish you a copy of the
~"5peculum" and suggest that you at
tribute the editorial you copied from
that to be written by me, and if not,
that I ''at that time endorsed it, is of
itself evidence conclusive to my mind
that your memory, if not your posi-
ton, is indeed "ghosty." The facts are
these, and many of them you are per-
sonally aware Of: That I as Chairman
of the Executive Committee of the PEG.
pie g party for Wayne county In 1892,
and my name on the county ticket for
Register of Deeds, to which eff 20 | was
duly elected, though robbed Of it by
Democratic returnere, 8 God in the
front ranks and faced the dastardly
foe of the enemies of our III In 1892,
refusing all propositions looking to
fusion; did in the fall OF 1898 agree
with one or two Republicans that if we
would agree to CO operate In the county,
that l was willing to allow them the
privilege of naming the man on cur
ticket for Clerk from the Republican
party. This was the Republicans prop
ositiop it was all they asked then but
after / had got Our POpulist folks 10
agree to this much, they, like you, I'm
der the benigning influence OF Republic
cans promises. etc, come to the idea
they would give to the Republicans
more; the Republicans soon found this
out-that our folks would agree to any
thing they asked-broached me on the
subject. l told them and l told our
people, that l was willing to stand by
my promise to them, but that under no
circum stances would l consent to give
them anything but Clerk--what they
first asked, and what l had agreed with
them upon. Finding me determined
on this, they set about to down me as
Chairman of the County Executive
Committee by telling Populists 1 was
too stubborn and unpopular for Chair,
man of their County Executive Com
mittee.
In March, 1894, when, under call of
the State Executive Committee, the
county convention was had for organ
i~z4tion, the invention re elected me
as County Chairman over all other
candidates by IS to II votes, Between
March and July Ali the plan of organ
ization for the State was changed, and
the State Executive Committee called
the counties to meet July 4 h., 1894
and organize according to the neH
plan. When this convention met, so
successful had been the Republican in
trigue with Populists, that when under
the new plan organization the election
of County Chairman was taken from
the convention and placed with the
Chairman Of each township Executive
Committee, l was downed and Mr..
VIM G Hollowell elected in my stead,
even though l had been elected in
March by the County Convention for
two years.
When approached by my friends
about going on the ticket in 1894 III the
county, 1 told them under no circum
stances would l, after being treated as
I had by POpulIst at the bidding of Re
publican cOalitionists, allow my name
to so go. When the regular County
Convention met in 1894, and the com
mittee'5 report recommending that we
| give Republicans the Sheriff, Register
| of Daeds and member Of the House
wes read, got up and offered an amend
ment, in which 1 proposed to only give
the Republicans the Gle K. IgIve the
convention some of my reasons for
this they voted my amendment down
and adopted the committees recon-
mendations. I took up my hat and
walked out Of the convention. I took
no part in the nominating of any fusion
ticket in 1894, and although l had been
elected as delegate to the State Con
vention, Congressional and Judicial, |
sent my res gnation and refused to at
tend any convention as a delegate, rep
resenting Or endorsing any such fusion.
lst work. And no man outside of
Wayne county at that time, knows
these facts better than you DO, Bro.
M9wboorne, for when you and Dr.. Cy.
Thompson spoke at Salem Church,
Wayne county, in September, 1894,
took you of and told you these circum.
stances, and that I did not think
would vote for a single Republican on
our ticket. But you then, as now, en-
dorsing fusion with the Republicans
advised me to go on and vote the ticker