The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-07
SILVER is THE ISSUE
Democrats of North Carolina
Must Recognize 1t.
AND ACT ACCORDINGLY
Entire Silver Sentiment Must
Be Conciliated.
REGARDLESS OF PARTY TIES
nDuty of Patriots Now to Accept the
Necessary Aid and Discuss Nice
Points of Political
Ethics Later

men concede that the silver
convention, yet the goldites hope to
control the policy of the Democratic
organization in North Carolina, even
if they cannot write the State plat
form or name the candidate for Gov
ernor. Such a thing is by no means a
remote possibility, even tho silver has
the greater numerical strength. Wit
ness the recent deliyerance in the plat
form of the Michigan convention, tho
the gold men freely admit that the sill
yer sentiment predominates in that
State. Look how for thirty years the
East, tho the South has furnished the
electoral votes that made Democratic
Presidents, has been giving us all our
candidates, writing our platforms and
controlling Congressional legislation.
Massachusetts never has and never
will, give an electoral vote to Democ-
racy, but she has only recently writ
ten for us, as she supposed ard hopes,
the next Democratic platform and
named her own son as the man who
should carry the Democratic banner
to victory (?) this fall Tho the gold
ties in North Carolina are but hand
full, they will doubtless attempt to
control the convention and to defeat
the wishes of an admitted majority
against them.
They should go with the majority
of their party on this vital question,
or join with those who oppose Democ-
racy for having done all that has been
done for silver for the last thirty
years.
Tt is true that the Congress before
the last, under the delusive and as yet
nnfulflled promise of the gold men to
do something for silver, if the Sher-
man law was repealed, disappointed
the country. and the great mass OF
Democratic voters; but it is also true
that 90 per cent of Democratic Repre-
sentatives and Senators in Congress
have voted for silver every chance they
got for the past dozen Congresses,
while the Republicans have voted al
most solidly against it. In view OF
this record of our party, is it not more
proper. and to the point, to call
North Carolina gold Democrat a Re-
publican. than a silver Democrat
Populist, as some of the gold men are
pleased to call them?
PRACTICAL POLITICS.
The gold handful, from the towns,
composed ALMOST entirely of bankers
substitutes or representatives, cor
poration attorneys and members OF
Boards of Trade, viii control if they
can. but / expect to see the silver ma
iority run the approaching convention,
and the coming campaign to suit them
selves. 1t is TO be hoped that kindly
disposition to eonciliate silver Repub-
licans (who are numerous and grow
ing more numerous) and Popullsts
where it does not involve a destruction
of party organization, viii be manlfes-
ted to the end that all tbs ranks OPP
posed to high protective tariff en-
frenched, and dishonest approaching
gold standard. South-hating, force
bill-loving and centralizing Republl-
canism, can advance on the common
enemy in an unbroken line and charge
as one man.
In practical politics the talk OF how
glorious il is to 60 down IN defeat, II
YOUR "colors" are only still hy1ng,
and all such splutter, is schooi-boy
chat.
What we want to do in North Caro-
lima this year is to win, and get the
legislature just one more time, ana
the way to win is to poll and count the
necessary votes. There is no necessity
or possibility of Democracy being de-
feafed in North Carolina this year, un-
less the Democratic convention, or Tx
ecutive committee create one or the
other, or both
If we wisely confer with silver Re
publicans and populists, and thus
avoid putting any man on the ticket
who may be offensive to them, we can
win, but not otherwise.
Which is better: to have an hours
conference with leaders of silver men
of all parties, unite the silver forces
and have a Democratic Governor, Leg
;slature (which is the most important
of ALI judiciary and Congressional
delegation. or ignore or rebuff them,
and have years Of Republican misruie,
and, a little later, negro officers over
as. when the party of New England
Abolitionists, to whom the memory Oh
Fred Douglass is SO dear that they ad.
iourned the Legislature in honor OF
him. dares show the cloyen hand? In
ali arguments and high-sounding
pleas for party Integrity" "princi-
ple," and Organization" It y Wen LOT
Democrats, all, to remember just TWO
things: We have a new election law,
and there are one hundred thousand
negro voters. 1t is not "a theory but
a condition that confronts us"
There is but one sensible, practical,
patriotic course, under existing con-
ditions. and that is satisfy and unity
the whole silver strength, and not a
part only. This must be done, or you
must take your black medicine.
BrTLER'S LEADERSHIP FEARED.
An talk of Senator Buffers taking
charge of the Democratic party, bag
and baggage, in case an understands
ing can be had with the Popuiists, is