The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-04-07
ON THE FUSION QUESTION
he Wanted to Bring the Repub-
licans to Terms.
AND FARM OUT -eovERNoRsHlP
He and Pritchard Have now MADE Up
and fusion Will continne N
the State as in Last
Election.
News and Observer Bureau,
Metronolitan Hotel,

r., his rooms last night az the E'plt i
Tronse / had talk of twoormore hours
bonse I had talk of two hours or more
evacntiye committee of the American
silver Party. Replying to questohs
the Doctor said many things, a hun,5ol
of which, however, he refused 70 allo"
me to use in this interview.
asked him specially touching His
views ON the now famous Butler clrcu-
lar the full text Of which was PRINT
"A exclusively first in the News ana
Observer only. -
senator Buffers letter to his county
ehairmen, as printed in the News ana
Observer. 1t is plain truth expressed
without any gliding. Why can we no'
have more plain speech by our puoilc
men? Nothing else is worth anything
with the people now
aft was Senator Buffers duty TO
speak. as he is chairman OF his state
committee, and, therefore, the of1ciai
head of his party.
ssThe course of certain Republican
leaders in the State who speak Tor
that party, in declaring for electoral
fusion as well as fusion on the state
and county offices, and at the same
time posing as free silver men while
they insisted on keeping in line with
their national organization, was mis-
leading and dangerous to the Populists.
IF allowed to continue It would have
DESTROYED the Populist organization as
an effective force, and consequently
would have side-tracked free silver in
4ba eon4ast in North Carolina.
ssThe Republican policy is to smother
the money question with the tariff. 1t
would not work III North Carolina, and
fusion for the offices is the bait held
out bv the Republican leaders then to
keep Populists in line with them.
"The money question, however, con-
Germs. the Peoples Party man most,
continued the Doctor, land he knows
that the re-opening of the minis to the
free coinage of silver is the quickest
remedy for reducing the value of gold,
and increasing the price of wheat, cot
ton and corn.
seThe free coinage of silver would
double the prices of these three pro-
ducts. and this would bring back pros
perity to agriculture. This is what
the Populists are fighting for Theirs
is a free silver party The claim by
Republicans, insisting on standing ~
full accord with the National organi-
cation, that the Populisits were to fuse
with them, was affecting the integrity
of the silver movement Senator But
ler's letter was, therefore, timely, i'm
deed, and will do the cause great good.
wherever, in any case near or re-
mote. fusion OF divergent forces has
been successfully accomplished it has
been done BY abating the differences
and uniting on the supreme and agreed
point Gold in the hands of the Repub-
lican party, and silver in the hands of
the Populist party are fnfusible. The fu-
sion in North Carolina which resulted
two years ago in the loss of the State
to the Democrats, was made simply on
a change of county government involv-
ing a change Of the election laws. The
two parties equally favored this
change, leaving everything else in
allegiance, and they co-operated and
effected it.
North Carolina Republican leaders,
with few exceptions, have claimed to
be free silver men. The people who
elected them to offfce want free silver.
These leaders know as veil as they
LS-raow they are living that it cannot
come through the Republican party.
Nevertheless they stick to the party
instead of fighting it In the interest
of the people, as they were expected
to do. and as the people elected them
to do. How unjust, therefore, to ac-
cuse the Populists Of bad faith, because
they will not fuse with these Repub-
loans simply to keep them in Office"
sWill there be other combinations
made between the Populist and Demo
cratic parties
ssNot unless the true silver Demo
Gratis take charge of their State con-
vention, as they can do, ana SEND q
conference committee to st. Louis ii
they should do this, it would be such
evidence Of good faith for free silver,
that they would be received with open
arms by the silver forces assembled
there. and could aid in shaping the
National ticket"
Probably this may all mean an at
tack upon Pritchard from another
quarter. and does it not mean, more
over. the largest bid of the good, willy
doctor for Pritchard's place?
1t beats John Gilpin, to-day's deyel-
opments To say it quick and short
Butler has accidentally won. Walser
has been sent here as a flag of truce.
The Republicans are shouting TO But
Ter. hold, enough, and have laid down
their arms Pritchard and Butler have
been practically brought together
again and the fusion viii prevail and
poor DIR. Motifs remains viii be picked
up from the wreck charred and un.
recognizable.
Nalser arrived early at the capital
this morning, was in close conference
as he told me, with Pritchard for two
hours and with Butler for two. He
tried TO bring Pritehard and Butler
personally together and Pritcharo
stubbornly refused. Then Walser went
to Pearson and incidentally telling hin
that he had been too. fresh in his de
q lanA In