The news & observer., 1897-01-29
Try to D fand Their Action in
Voting For Pritchard.
BITTERLY ATTACK BUTLER
DENoUNCE HIS ACTION AND
CALI. HIM BAD NAMES.
eur rHEY DEFEND PRlTcHARD
Says They Are Anxious to Continue
Cooperation With All True Popu
lists ard With the Re
publican Parry.

caucus held last night, the following ad-
dress was issued;
'"rhe Populist caucus of the Peoples
party Of this General Assembly desires 50
present to the popufsts Of the State some
facts and sentiments that are of great
Importance to cur party. Our position
on the Senatorial question is justified by
every reasonable Populist, by every pre-
cedent in the party's past history, and
the very existence of the party, we think,
depends upon the policies and principles
and persons We have the honor to repre-
sent.
we have been so unjustly misrepre-
sented and so basely villifed our mo-
tiyes and our actions have been 50 vilely
miscoRswued, by INSCRIPTIONS Demo
Gratis, and by the Butler popuists, other
wise known as the majority, that we
deem few words necessary in order to
allow the truth TO prevail. We are
pioneer populists. and we allow no man
to misinterpret our loyalty to our party,
our principles aad our State. When we
became populists, we expected 'equal
rights to all and special privileges to
none" but we regret to be compelled to
say that some of our leaders are practic-
ing the worst species of b0ssism that
ever disgraced any party, and we think
it our duty to protest against such
tryanny.
I'VE. as popuiist members of the Gen
eral Assembly. aided in the organization
of the populist caucus, believing that
each member was entitled TO all the
rights and privileges of every other mem
Der. Scarcely had we organized the eau
Gus when Senator Utley, of Wake, intro
duced the following resolution:
Resolved. by the Peoples party mem
bers of the General Assembly in caucus
assembled. That we abide by the decision
of the majority in all our deliberations. !"
This iron-clad resolution, intended to
bind the opinions, eonsclenees and man
hood of every member The aim was TO
deny to the minority the right of repre-
sentati0n, TO deny them the right TO vote
for men and measures that they desired
to vote for, and for which many Of them
were pledged TO their constituents.
This rule bound them to Legislative acts
which they had pledged themselves for
and gafnst before the people, and in fact
destroyed every vestage of personal opin-
ion on any gentleman and we deem such
1 policy detrimental TO the interest of
the party.
Such high handed bossism did not suit
men of independence and men who for
years have opposed such things in the
Democratic party. So dntolerent We're
those OF the majority that in discussing
the Senatorial question they allowed their
speakers almost unlimited time to argue
their side of the matter, while they al-
lowed us very little time, and the chair
man even so prostituted his office as to
seldom recognize any but those who be-
lieved with him.
'sTlo further gag the minority and bind
them like slaves, they passed this reso-
luton:
':Resolved, That it Is the determination
of this caucus never to endorse Senator
Pritchard for the United States Senate"
'fWhereupon nineteen men, unwilling To
be seryile tools of a boss, walked out Of
the caucus and organized another one,
where freedom of speech and thought
and action was tolerated and where men
could vote according to the dictates Of
their own consciences. They resolved as
follows:
Here follows the resolutions passed by
the minority after they walked out Of
the caucus and the resolutions subse-
quently passed by the majority inviting
them back. Both of these have already
been published in this paper
The address then goes on to say that
the majority showed themselves false
Populists and boss ridden tools who cared
nothing for tine Populist party and who
would wreck it in order to vent their
personal hatred. Not stopping at these
outrages they next proceeded TO the
most diaboliual edict that ever disgraced
q body of Populi9ts. Senator Butler is
the author and a majority of the ma
iorlty, the endorseFs of this article. 1t is
due quite Il number of honorable gentle
men who voted for MIR. Thompson 10 say
that they did mot endorse this diabolical
scheme of Senator Butler to drive out
the best and brainiest Populists in the
State from the party, nor do they sub
scribe to his efforts to hand the Populists
.n the Democratic party.
Referring to Buffers denunciation of
those who voted for Pritchard as arch
tradtors," and as being influenced by
direct propositions and oVeT'tures, cou-
pied with consideration" and other simi-
lar charges, they say:
Search the record of Ransom ring rule,
Tom Platt's trickery and Tweed rascali-
ty and you cannot find such enfamous
Misrepresentation, such bare ipgratitude,
such low-down public deIbaudheTy as Sen
ator Butler here finds himself guilty of
in the name of principle, In the name of
religion In the name of IL. l..
Polk he tries to brand as
bo0dlers, black-legs, traitors and
things tIhe noblest and truest and ablest
Populists in North Carolina and in the
United States.
I'm his attempt to kill the Peoples
party and carry the thoughtless portion
Of it into the Democratic party he has
displayed the littleness OF a child, the
falsehoods OF the tricksters and proven
himself unworthy the notice OF honest
men in any PARTY. 1t was these very same
traitors" agents" etc, who elected
Dir. Butler as Senator and who elected
the majority to the Legislature. 1t was
these same men who stood with Tom
Watson and saw the National chairman
sell out to the Democra Is and we see him
to-day branded as the chief traitor of the
ia pvQTy State IN thu TTy;ce. Gunh