The news & observer., 1897-08-27
REAL REP-POP FUSION
A REPUBLICAN OFFICE HOLDER SAYS BUT
LER MUST CHANGE HIS TACTICS.
"The Minority PopuIists Are Patriots and the
Only True Populists in North Carolina"
C,vn L,,ur prt,,e Eort,,a
Says Junius Brutus Fortune.

Pritchard appointed Mr.. Purnell as Fed
leral Judge on the ground that the place
belonged to an Eastern man. He made
lit condition that Purnell should ap-
point a Western politician, j. B. For
tune, of Cleveland county, as clerk, IN
place of Judge Riddick. Ordinary people
couldn't see why it was so important to
get an Eastern man for Judge and then
Import a Western man for Clerk. But
that is a sample of Republican consist
'eIcy.
Fortune is Pritchard's close friend and
striker and had to be given relief, no
matter at what cost. Now the aforesaid
Fortune is rot so much judicial politi-
clan as a political striker" from far
back. He has been giving out his views
this week, and to Col. Olds talked in the
Following strain:
"Dr. Junius Brutus Fortune, Republ-
can. remarked. when interviewed as TO
the meeting of the Populist committee
and the opening Of the campaign by
Senator Butler: We'll, you know that
i'm 1894 was so strong for fusion with
the Populists to beat you Democrats.
that l was elected to the Senate, and
said you might call me a cooperation
list, instead of Republican. OF course
this means so far as North Carolina
politics was concerned. / am as strong
for fusion with the Populists today as
was in 1894, il you give me the same
kind of fusion we had then. That KIND
OF fusion was like the fellow said about
old-time religion, TT is good enough for
me.' But this new kind of fusion that
we had in 1896 is not so wholesome. l
know counties where Republicans and
Populists were run for county offices
on the same ticket. and the Populists
were elected and the Republicans were
defeated. The Republicans did their
duty at the polls; the Pepulists failed
to vote for the Republicans. Now. for
harmony and successful fusion, we
must get back to the old landmarks
of 1894. Senator Butler and his element
of Populists must tone down, and de-
eide that they are willing to do unto
others as they would have others do
Iunto them. Senator Butler will never
! be reelected to the United States Sen
ate by abusing Republicans through
his paper or on the stump, or by de-
nouncing the Populists, who. as honest
men. believe in acting as honestly In
politics as in anything else, as traitors
and black sheep because they and their
friends voted for Senator Pritchard's
recollection. 1t seems that Senator But
ller's plan is to have his element OF the
Populsts nominated next year for all
the offices, if reports be true; have Col.
Harry Skinner turned down and State
Senator Moye nominated in has place.
and so on. where a Skinner Populst
shows his head. Now, understand, Col.
lOlds, | am only speaking my own SEN
! timents. and not for the Republlcan
party of North Carolina. If Senator
Butler thinks he can proceed and sue
ceed on this line, he takes us Republi-
cans and the true Populists of the
State to be a bigger set of fools than
do. Senator Pritchard and the whole
Republican party have treated the Pop-
+ ulists fair and endeavored to carry out
fusion as we had it in 1S0i-fair i'll
division of offices and eva 'vttln, else.
But when a Popuist OF the Butter clc-
ment gets in a position where he has
lany patronage to give out, another
Populist of the same element always
gets ii. He never sees a hungry Repub-
lcan and says: Come up here, you
Iare entitled to one-half of these places.
II do not like a Republican who goes
back on his friends after he gets in of
flee. And when a Populist goes back
lon the Republicans who helped to put
him in office, he does not increase my
love for him. If you remember, l wrote
la communication from Washington to
1.-THE Charlotte Observer in the winter of
1884, when l was there trying to get
Senator Butler to vote for Maj. Grant
InIxn - tInItpd
Estates Senate, as had been reported he
had promised to do. | said in that
Communication that if Senator Butler
would do his part as well as Senator
Pritchard was doing his, that they
; could both remain in the United States
Senate for the next twenty years, but
that Senator Butler could so treat the
Republicans that when his six years
term expired, the United States Senate
THAT knew him one time would never
know him again. From that day to
this he has managed to perfection, III
every move that he has made, to work
his own retirement from the United
States Senate And the further he goes
the more certain he makes 1T. just
get five or six Republicans together
and ask them how they feel towards
voting next year Tor StroWu, ohuloro
and Moye, in the place Of Skinner for
Congress-all Butler Populists-and you
will get an expression of opinion that
will be unanimous and plain enough
for anybody to understand. Speaking
for myself, believe in giving the party
in power the offices and standing by my
friends; and Senator Butler had just
as well call the Republicans who voted
for Senator Pritchard traitors and
black sheep as the minority Populists.
The minority Populists are patriots and
the only true Populsts in North Caro-
lima. And the Republicans of North
Carolina can no more countenance an
attack made upon them than upon
their own party"
THE POOR MANS FRIEND.