The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-08-02
CONDITION THAT CoNFr0NTs Us

/ The Silver convention at st. Louis
asst week endorsed the National ticket
of the Democratic party. i he Popu
j list convention. which met in the same
city, nominated Mr.. Bryan, me Demo
cratic candidate for President, but re-
fused to accept his running mate, Mr..
Sewall. Thos +. Watson, o. Georgia,
was nominated for Yice-President
We regret that the Populists did
not follow the example of the Silver
convention and refuse to introduce an
element of discord the ranks of the
silver army; but, taking everything
into consideration, they did the best
they could To have endorsed Bryan ana
SewalI both would have caused a split,
and to have nominated a straight Pop
uist ticket would have had the same
effect. The only course left open for
the Populists, as a party, to save their
organization, was to recognize both
elements, the Western and the South
ern. The Western Populists, who We're
originally Republicans, were willing
to vote for Bryan and Sewall both,
while the Southern Populists, who
were formerly Democrats, insisted that
a Southern Populist should have a
place on the ticket. They said they
were HOL WILLIE ~ CDHCGtlt ever y tllihis1
and the Democrats yield nothing
We repeat, il is to be regretted that
they looked at the matter in that
light, but it is a condition with which
we have to deal and not a theory. We
regret that all silver men are not Demo
Gratis, but the cold fact remains that
they are not The only way silver can
be restored to free coinage is for all
L -
Benjamin Franklin told our reyolu-
tionary fathers, if we do not stand to-
gether, we shall hang separately, poll
tically speaking.
Democrats, Populists and silver Re
publicans rise up with one accord and
say that Bryan meets their wants as 4
leader He is able, fearless and true.
There is not money enough in the
world to buy him, nor force enough
to drive him from his honest con
victions. The Populists of his State
have supported him in three campaigns
and they fairly idolize him He is to
the plain people Of the West what
Vance was to the people of North
Carolina.
Unfortunately, however, the people
do not vote for President directly
They vote for electors and the electors
receiving the highest vote elect the
President and Nice-President. So if
three sets of electors are put in the
field in North Carolina, Democratic
Populist and Republican, the McKin-
ley electors might win. though the
great majority of the people wanted
Bryan elected. We do not know the
exact figures, but for illustration say
the Bryan and Sewall electors receive
125,000 votes, the Mckinley electors
$4,000 and the Bryan and Watson
electors (Populist) $4,000. Mckinley
carries the State by plurality of 10000
though the silver vote is 175, 900. Cast
for one set Of electors, it would beat
Mckinley 10000. This is the compIi-
cation that has grown out of the pacu-
liar condition of affairs that the P0pu-
list convention at st. Louis had to deal
with.
Now the question to deal with is,
will Democrats flock by themselves and
refuse to divide the electoral ticket
with the Populists, thus insuring the
election of Mckinley and The triumph
of the gold standard, or will they deal
with the situation as sensible men
ought and win this great battle for
humanity? Shall twenty years hard
work be thrown away because we can't
have every thing just exactly after our
pattern?
Viewed from the standpoint Of the
partisan, Eothing would be conceded
but when we see party lines ,!iss.,iving
on the other side and all the oppres-
sors Of the people marshalIing under
McKinle>'s hammer, we feel that the
fight of the century is on and it be-
hooyes all patriots to rise above petty
considerations and strike a mighty
blow for freedom. Let us think upon
these things calmly. North Carolina
must be saved from the curse O. Nc
Kinleyism and Russellism.-W ebster's