The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-03-27
IN THE NEXT CAMPAIGN
And Fight For Free Silver ana
Free Trade.
AGAINST GOLD AND HIGH TARIFF
And n is Not al All improbable That
Stevenson viii be the Man Who
viii Lead This New
Movement.
News and Observer Bureau,
Metropolitan Hotel,

allistS in the House. said i'll a private
conversation yesterday, as told to me
to-day. that what he chiefly feared was
that the Republicans would put UP Nc.
Kinlev, and that the Democrats would
nut up a ire silver man. If this were to
be done, said Mr.. Bell, the Western Pop
ulists would not hesitate to join the
Democrats against high tariff, and the
money feature having been made satls-
factory, there would be no doubt that
the same victory would in this election
be achieved over protection as there
was last time. The aspect feared by
Mr.. Bell was that the challenge of pro-
lection would set the Western free
trade Pepulists by the ears, and that
free silver Democratic avenue being
open to them, they would desert the
Populist party, as they did the last
time. My informant, who was the
gentleman 10 whom Mr.. Bell was talk
ing, remarked that this might be true
of the Western Populists, and that he
thought under such circumstances
there might be addiction on their part,
but not on the part of Southern Popu-
lists, who, he said, would remain loyal
to the party in spite of any allurements
of silver from the Democrats. Follow
ing along this line, / had talk with
other Democratic congressman, who
went so far as to say that if Stevenson
were to come out unequivocally now
for free silver at the ratio of 10 to /, he
would be nominated by reclamation,
and exactly the status of affairs would
be brought about that seemed to put
fear into the breast of the Colorado
leader. Tt was further suggested that,
though Mr.. Stevenson had maintained
an unbroken silence up to this time,
it was not among the improbabilities
that some early letter would call forth
a response from him which would give
new meaning to the political situation.
1T would then be free silver and free
trade against protection and straddle.
However, very wise heads begin to
doubt whether the Republicans are GO
ing to let their chances of success be
endangered by the infusion into the
campaign of so dangerous an element
as Mckinley and his protection, which
has been already so signally decided
upon by the people. ! do not gather
from the concensus of opinion here
among the politicians that the hith-
erto onward march of Mckinley means
gnything like assured success for him.
The leaders are gathering against him,
full of the idea that the silver issue will
not down, and the break of the fight
must be made upon the money
question, instead of being semi
hidden by Mckinley and his
tariff as announced by Sherman
several months ago to be his plan.
Looking in all fairness upon the theory
of Bell and the claims of the Stevenson
men, it must be said that new color
is put in the air by this and kindred
talk which seems somehow to be the
vogue within the last twenty-four
hours. These Democrats are calling
for Mckinley as an opponent and for
free silver free trade Democrat to fight
him with, and this about sums up the
opinion to date as far as it can be thus
briefly summed up.
Yesterday there appeared in the
Baltimore Sun q special despatch from
Raleigh as follows:
Raleigh, n. G., March 24-It is stat
ed that Senator and Populist Chairman
Marion Butler has sent a circular let
ter TO all Populist county chairmen and
to influential Populists, the letter being
an Endorsement of his policy and adj
vising Populists to fuse with neither
Republicans nor Democrats, but to
stand firmly by the free silver coinage
plan. The Farmers Alliances, whose
members are practically all Populists,
arc having the circular letter read. 1t
is claimed that the Populists are sid
ing with Butler, though the Republi-
cans are declaring that Butler has lost
influence with and can no longer con-
troll the Populists."
This despatch created some little
comment here, specially among North
Carolinians, and | asked a gentleman
quite close to Mr. Butler, about it. He
said Mr.. Butler had not sent out any
circular to North Carolina for a month.
But there were some who comment
ed on the alleged contents of the all
legged circular. They construed it to
mean land one Of the gentlemen was
one Of the shreWdest of North Carolina
Democrats) that Butler simply wanted
to keep the Populists well away from
the Republicans for the time, until, in
the next few weeks, he should be ready
TO announce his determination to join
with the Democrats on the question of
silver. The man speaking is regarded
as a good Democrat, and said, more
over, that it was Buffers desire to
he with the Democrats again. 1t is
idle to discuss the pros or cons Of this
theory
AS to the talk about fusion be-
tween Democrats and Populists there
came a letter to Washington last night,
seemingly from an indignant Demo
crat, who wrote from Arson county,
saying that be did not believe a getting
together would be effected in Arson
on the basis Of the county reciprocity
idea heretofore exploited in this col
umn. He said, however that he be-
lieyed more Democrats would favor il
than Populists IN the county. | saw
Congressman Ioclfhart later and ask
Cd him, touching this letter, what he
thought of the prospects between Pop.
uists and Democrats of county give and
take in Arson. He said he had no rea-
son to think that there was any such
movement contemplated. All this is
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