The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-02-13
LETTER FROM
nR. n. l. WOOD.

R. n. l.. WOOD.
MS METHOD OF EXPLAINING NOV
AND why ne WROTE A CIR
cUlAR LETTER
He Ciai1s ths Right - ~ Ksprsssiss 81
ODiaton-Dseisrss Himself - He tbs
Winter sf the LStsss-AnA That Oar
Banner Must Bet He 1rsiisa In the
Dust.
For The Caucasian.i
In An editorial in the last CAUcA
SIAN you undertake to avoid the
Of my letter to Senator
Butler by saying that it seems to be
very clear that some one with =
more cunning hand than Mr.. Woods"
worded my letter to him in part At
least, and that person is very anx-
ious to be Governor; and by saying
that it might be properly urged that
the abuse Of confidence reposed in
me is . sufficient answer to anything
l may say.
The great mistake made by some
people is the assumption that their
followers have no mental ability, ed
ucation or independence. have no
quarrel with Chairman" Butler
personally, and do not intend to be
drawn away from my subject by be-
ing laughed at by him, as being un-
able to put my ideas into decent
language without the aid of some
one.
Let me say again, as l did before
by signing my name to it, that nei-
Their any "person who is very anx-
ious to be Governor" nor any other
person than NJ. L. Wood, Populist,
of Berthe county, is at all RESPONSE
BILE for that letter or this one.
Have l been guilty of q breach Of
confdencei Can a circular sent to
"county chairman and some individ-
ual members of the party" discuss
ing q question involving the very
life Of the party be so "confidential''
as to make it a breach of honor for a
person receiving it to protest to
other members of the party against
the propositions therein contained?
This is absurd upon its face, and
only made use of to avoid answer
ing the matters discussed in his and
my letter.
Now with the distinct understand
ing that l alone am in any way re-
sponsible for my letters, let US get
at once to the question at hand. In
Chairman" Buffers "Circular," OF
3Oth December, he says: "a great
deal is being said about co-opera.
ton for the next campaign and the
lines on which it should be made
One wing of the Republican party is
understood to claim that they want
cooperation on the State ticket PRO
vIDED TREY CAN HAVE THE CANDI
DATE FOR GOVERNOR, but that they
want three electoral tickets. An
other wing of the party is under
stood to want fusion on the electora
ticket, that is that one-half of thu
electoral ticket shall be Republican.
and pledged to vote for the nominee
of the Republican party whoever b,
may be, and the other half Populist
This WING IS ALSO UNDERSTOOD tt
CLAIM THAT THEY WANT THE NOMI
NEE FOR GOVERNOR. Your Stat,
committee is not ready to conced,
the nominee for Governor. Blu.
THERE Is NOT so MUCH A PRINCIPLE
INVOLVED IN WHO SHALL BE TIL
NOMINEE FOR GOVERNOR az there il
with reference to the electora
ticket"
His circular then goes on to advo
cate full electoral ticket pledge,
to vote for the silver or Populis
candidate for President, and says
"Our committee wants to know i
you endorse this plan for a non-par
tisan electoral ticket, pledged agains
any goldbug candidate for Presi
dent. The committee would also b,
glad of any suggestion you cal
make for better plan"
AND YET he HAD NOT WORD n
SAY AS TO THE CLAIM OF BOTH WING
OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AS T,
THE GOVERNOR.
Now submit to any candid per
son if l did not have q right to as
sumo that in the opinion of eth
committee" the claim of the Repub
licans for the nominee for Governo
was not yet conceded by ''the com
mittee," because they (the Republi
cans) had not yielded as to the cleo
toral ticket, and that as there wa
mot so MUCH PRINCIPLE INVOLVED
IN WHO SHALL BE THE NOMINEE FOL
GOVERNOR" it would be conceded i,
case of cooperation, especially q
his letter did not ask for the expires
sion of any opinion as to this.
Now Mr.. Chairman, in view, of tn,
very large influence you have owe
your people, and the great and dig
nltied office you hold, I must will
great respect humbly submit that il
your editorial in the last CAUCASIAN
1t would have been much better t.
have frankly stated the opinion o.
1.-THE committee" as to the advisa
oility of cooperating with the Re
publicans in the election of Stat,
offices, and if desirable, upon wha
terms, than to undertake to degrade
me IN the eyes of my Populis
friends, especially, and the publ,
generally, by accusing me Of helms
an ignoramus and an instrument. o.
tool, in the hands of some mythica
designing person who had so IA
forgotten the prophecies as TO dare
to: be very anxious to be Governor.
u am no orator as Brutus is" bu
all the intellect, learning and integ
rity of purpose is not to be fount
alone in the United States Senate
nor all the "cunning hands, out
side of that august chamber.
| would like very much to know
If you can afford to tell me- what !;