The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-01-05
TUESDAY, January 5, 1887.
THE SENATORSHIP FROM A POI
ULIST STANDPOINT.

The Progressive Farmer this week
rings out clearly and strongly on the
senatorial situation. 1t declares plain
" that the duty of the Populists is to
elect a silver man to the Senate. In It's
first editorial column, the Progressive
Farmer uses these words:
MARX Hanna & Co. may be able
to buy few Populist members OF
the present legislature, but we don't
think many of them are for sale.
But Hanna can't buy the great COM
mon people. and we are here to state
that if any buying is done, or any
efforts made in that direction, the
.'middle-of-the-road' Populists IN
this State will never cooperate
again with the Republicans and will
see to it that the Republican party
will be wiped out in the State as COM
pletely as it was over twenty years
ago and as surely as was Cleveland
ism in the last election. A word to
the wise ought to be sufficient"
The truth, as intimated in the above
short editorial, is that Pritchard cannot
be elected unless the money Of Mark
Hanna & Co, can buy few Populist
members The Progressive Farmer
sums up the whole question in that ex-
preston, and in another editorial says:
I'VE have no personal feeling
against Senator Pritchard. We
have no objections to the election of
silver Republican. Indeed it is but
natural and fair that the Republic
cans have a Senator from the State.
But we want it distinctly understood
that Mr.. Pritchard cannot be push
ed down the throat of the middle-of-
the-road Populists, and we also want
it generally understood in advance
that this paper knows the sentiments
of the Populists Of the State, and if
Mr.. Pritchard, who is not q silver
man, is reelected it will be done by
dishonest methods, and the moment
it is done a chasm will be created
and no bridge can be built across it.
The Populists did not go into this
fight to defeat such men as Senator
Ransom and Congressman Settle
and then turn around and re-elect
Pritchard-one of the same kind.
IF the chasm is made the result
will be that the Republican party
will be thrown back where it was
prior to 1S94-an absolute helpless
condition.
But if the leaders want to wreck
the party on the Pritchard shoals,
that is their business. The Populist
members of the legislature who ia
yor Pritchard, if there be such, will
go down in the general wreck when
the craft strikes the shoals, and their
names viii be written beside that OF
Cleveland, Sherman, Ransom and
other enemies Of the people"
There is no mistaking this language.
1t is to the point. Senator Pritchard
and his henchmen (most of whom traV-
elled to Raleigh on free passes), who
are trying to get Populists to repudiate
their principles by voting for a McKin-
leyite, will not read these expressions in
the Progressive Farmer with any pleas
ure. They see that at least one Populist
paper understands the methods they en-
ploy to destroy the cause of silver, and
to strengthen the hands of the Mckinley
administration.
If Mr.. Pritchard, who is not silver
man, is reelected" says the Progressive
Farmer, 1T will be done by dishonest
methods" That is u correct diagnosis
of the situation.