The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-10-11
He Will Not Stand by the Con-
.,v.., gressional Fusion.
THE HAL AVER CIRCULARS
The Populist Secretary Says
Such Action Would be Fraud
coMMENDs ELECTORAL FUSION
Together on a Principle, and That
Republican GoId-bugs Have
NO Part I'm IL.

NO Part In 1t.
Hillsboro, n. c., Oct 10.-(SpeciaD -
Judge Spier Whitaker spoke here this
afternoon at 2 O'Clock.
He spoke from the court house porch
and his crowd stood out in the chilly
courtyard, but they stood there all the
same until Judge Whitaker had finish
ed, which was for about one hour and
half.
The Judge had been billed to appear
here to-day and it was generally rec
ognized that he had the right of way,
and would of course, occupy the court
room. But just here came the rub.
The Republicans. as always, stood
ready to do the shabby thing. They
went to work and settled upon to-day
for their Senatorial convention, and
they met in the courtroom. Judge
Whitaker told them he would make his
speech before the convention, if they
chose, but they said no; so he waited
At the conclusion of their business, it
was half past twelve, and Judge Whit
aker, followed by his crowd, proceed
ed to the court room. No sooner had
he entered, than the convention about
to adjourn, took fresh breath. Some
leather-lung was introduced to beat
him out of the room, and he was fol-
lowed by another leather-lung and so
on.
All this Judge Whitaker explained in
the introduction of his remarks, and
even while he explained and later dur
ing his speech, cheers were heard
from the negroes up stairs which had
tendency to rattle" the shivering pa
triOts down on the grass. That it was
"snide" trick no one, of course, will
deny, but Jim Cheek, of Orange, had
been nominated for the Senate; so he,
at least, was happy.
Judge Whitaker began by saying
that the first and best friend of silver
was the Peoples party of which he was
one. He compared the 1892 platforms
of the Populists, Republicans and Dem
ocrats, saying that the Populists were
the only party that had come out
squarely and unequivocally for the
free and unlimited coinage of silver,
without waiting upon any other
nation. Following the policies Of
the parties, he traced the Repub-
licans to their present gold-bug
4 DOSl llOll. rlttA SttiN Id1dU LAlG DCiiiOCI utS
had cleared up the ambiguity of their
platform of 1892, by adopting precisely
the financial plank of the Populists.
Having done this, Judge Whitaker said
ne believed the Democrats were sincere
now for silver, and sincere in a way
| which could not, as in 1892, be con-
| strued one way in North Carolina and
| another way in New York. The speak
| er said if the Democrats had not been
sincere they would not have nominal
| ed a man who had been twice sent to
Congress 10y Populists, and he contin-
| ued, man who had declared in pub
lie speech in Louisiana that if the
Democratic party declared for gold,
he would quit the party.
This being the case, argued the
| speaker, there is nothing else patriotic
and sensible to do, except for those who
are sincerely for the same thing, to get
together and vote for men who stand
for the silver policies of both parties He
took up the Watson and Sewall ques-
| ton, saying that the leaders of the par
| ty had acted patriotically for the best
interests of the country and State as
| they saw it, and he thought it was the
duty of IAopulsts and Democrats alike
to hold up their hands. He said the
| fusion electoral ticket was a fact, and
should be accepted as one.
With these views, Judge Whitaker
said he had followed the campaign and
had intended going before this to the
people, but he had been so confounded
by the recent action of the PopuliSts
in going into a deal by which gold
bug Republican Congressman would be
elected, that ne had not been able to
make up his mind what to say when he
did ge5 before the people. Here Judge
Whitaker gave Otho Wilson a scorch-
ing. describing him as running around
the State for the purpose of forwarding
the interests of men in whose convic-
tions there was nothing in common
with the Populist party.
Judge Whitaker said he Thought he
could not be called an inconsitent Pop
ulist in talking as he was talking, and
urged all men to stand first and all
the time by the principle in which
they believed.
AS foundation for his belief in
his consistency, he would read some
extracts from circulars sent out recent
~ by Secretary Hal Aver of the Popu-
list party. He said these circulars hav-
ing been sent out to all good Populists,
of course he got one.
Taking up first Mr.. Ayers circular
of September 5, he read as follows
Letters have come to this office stat
ing that our Republican friends are
still driving for fusion, and that they
are making unusual efforts to com
pletely control the Legislature. 1t they
should do This, a goldbug United States
Senator will be elected from North
Carolina. If the Populists should help
the Repnblicans to get this control.