The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-05-20
ruEv ADOPT OLD PARTY METHODS.


Certain Populist editors who en-
dorse the course Of Vandervoort, Coxey
a. Co, who are criticisipg the Ma
tional committee and clamoring for
conference, have stopped to the adop'
ton OF old party methods IN support
Of their purposes. They are doing
just what our Populist papers have
condemned the old party and monoro-
iy press for doing-they are suppress
ing the truth, dealing in mispresenta-
ton, and then appealing to the preju-
dice of the ignorance for which they
are responsible. For some purpose
certainly not for harmony and unity
they are determined to have a con-
ference Of n faction of the party in de-
Gance Of the judgment and verdict OF
the official organization Of the party.
They know that COxey and his Mem
power to call this conference in the
name OF the party after the official Or
ganiZati0n of the party had by large
majority passed upon and settled the
matter a. far as the party was con-
cerned. Now in order to try to justify
their course and to call attention from
their real purposes they find it neces-
sary to suppress the truth and deal in
Misrepresentation. Each week their
papers contain paragraphs and edito-
rails like the following:
"Since Chairman Butler refused to
call a conference there was no other
course left but for the Memphis COM
mittee to call it themselves"
"Chairman Butler tries to stifis the
voice and will of the Populi-ts by re-
fusing to call a conference. The Mem
phis meeting expected this, % the Re-
form Press committee was prepared to
call n conference when he refused
Some OF these papers even try to
create the impression that majority
of the National committee favored a
conference, and that Chairman Butler
refused to carry out the will of the
committee, etc.
Now there is not a word of truth in
any of these statements, and the edi
tors of these papers know it. But they
also know that a majority Of theiI
readers take but one paper, and there.
fore they can fool their readers by
misrepresentipg the facts. This they
have done, and they are calling upOr
their readers to hold meetings anC
pass resolutions, based on the false.
hoods and misrepresentation which
they have published. The following
clipped from the last issue of the
Southern Mercury, is an illustration:
"At meeting of the Populists Of
Harris county held in Houston, or
April 2lst, the following resolutions
were adopted:
"Whereas, the Peoples Party is the
only reform party crying out against
bOssism and ring rule, and whereas, il
has come to our notice that Marion
Butler seeks to throttle the party BY
refusing to call a conference "a re-
Quired by the National Reform Press
Resolved, THAI we condemn his &C
tiOn in this matter and recommend
that he resign the position of NatiOna
Chairman. We oppose fusion in the
future in any form and advocate ,
strictly middle-Of- the-road policy. w,
endorse the initiative and referendum
and the imperative mandate."-W. III
Nelson, secretary, Houston, Texas"
Now the Populists who took part il
this meeting and passed these resolu
tions, are no doubt rs good Populist
and rs fair men rs there are in tn,
Union, but they have been misinform
ed, they have been lied to, they hav,
been imposed upon.
These Coxey ties hope by these mis-
representations to work up their read
ers to attend their revolutionary an,
facti0nal conference.
Now what are the facts? The cues
uOns of holding a meeting of the Ma
ti0nal committee and also of calling
National conference were submitted
by Chairman Butler to each membe
of the National committee. There ar,
about one hundred and forty Fl v,
members of the committee. Up t,
date one hundred and eight answer
have been received. OF these eighty
three voted against calling meetin,
OF the committee and also agains
h0ldinga conference. That is, larg
majority of those voting, and NOR
than majority of the whole commit
tee voted:
First. against calling a meeting o
the National committee at this time
and favored all necessary question
to be submitted to them on the refer
endum plan as provided for by tn
plan Of organization of the party; sec
Ond, against the proposition to hold
National conference of the party thi
year.
It is true that Chairman Butler i
individually opposed to putting tn
members of the committee to the ex
pense necessary for holding meetin
unless a majority of the members Q
the committee should desire it, an
that he is also opposed to holding
general conference of the party thi
year, and gave his views to this effec
to each member of the committee; bu
he submitted the whole matter to tn
committee to be governed by their de
o'sion. II they had favored meetip
OF the committee he would have calle
10. II they had favored conferenc
Of the party, he would have called 1,
In short, Chairman Butler has not re
fused to call conference or commit
tee meeting. He simply announces
the verdict of the committee after the,
Md passed on the matter, and ha
obsyed the Instructions and wishes o
the eemnittse.