The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-02-22

tyR If the latter is correct how can he
bs q self appointed dictator of its pol
icy, as stated in Mr.. Gardeners artiCleR
Chairman Butler is only one member
of the committee. What we're all the
| rest doing while he was annihilating
the partyR Cannot q majority Of the
committee control the chairmanG If
so, why did they not do it3 Does Mr..
Gardner knowl II not, he ought to
have known before he made his
charges.
He has q good deal TO say about "all
true Populists" and then says ''they"
(shoWing thereby who all true Popu-
lists ire, in his estimation) invited
Butler, as Chairman, to call the COM
mittee together to meet them, bat that
Butler scorned the invitation" etc.
That statement ought to be enough TO
discredit the entire article. MIR. Gard
ner certainly does not understand the
facts in the case, or misrepresents them
If he does, unless lam badly informed
Did that handful of (mostly) self son.
stituted delegates represent ''all true
PopulistsI"It 90, God save the rest. But
although irregular and without legal
ity as they were, they we're not treate1
with scorn by Chairman Butler. On
the contrary he duly conferred with
the National Committee, and g very
large majority opposed calling the
committee together at that time. The
committee did not want q meeting,
and Butler did not call them together
against their will to meet this confer
ence. These are the facts as I have
heard them.
/ was not at ST. Louis and don't
know exactly what Buffers policy was
there. But I do know that most of
the delegates from this State there were
candidates for various offices in the
8 late, from members of Congress to
Register of Deeds, and some fused
with goldbugs, and helped to elect a
Mckinley goldbug to the Senate, and
those from Texas who go bitterly op-
posed Butler, fused with the goldbug
Mckinley party, while Butler made q
splendid fight for Bryan and free sil-
YER. His policy carried North Carroll
ma for Bryan and Silver. Those who
opposed his policy helped to elect
Pritchard, q goldbug to the Senate,
after the State had voted by q large
majority for Bryan and silven. Think
Butler made a grand and patriotic
fight. / think there was Q serious mis-
take made at st. Louis, after Bryan's
and Seawel's nomination on the Chi
cago platform. AS far ga il went this
platform was almost Populistic. The
81. Louis convention ought to have en-
dorsed the ticket as silver Republicans
did, holding their organization closely
together, without giving up q single
principle. II they had done so and all
parties had worked in harmony, Bryan
might have been elected. At any rate
the Populist party would have held its
organization in hand much better
than it did. In 1879, I believe, the
Democratic party made no nomina-
tions, but endorsed Greedy and Brown,
as q choice Of evils. They de-
feated, but in two years carried the
House in Congress and in four years
elected PIlden and Hendricks. This
shows there ia nodsnger in that course.
This ia my idea, Idon'E know what But.
Ter wanted, but I do know he made a
splendid fight for Bryan and reform,
for the true interest of the people, and
it was not his fault that the people
were beaten.
know Senator Butler we'll. / wit
messed his SPLENDID fight for the peo-
pie in the State Senate in 1891 and /
believe he was right in 1892. His pol
icy then, il carried out would have
watched every vote and speech Of his
in the United States ~Senate-every
in the interest of the ~peOple-and
in my recollection OF the Senate no
man(Vance excspted) has been truer to
and worked harder for the people
of North Carolina than (Ohairman)
Senator Butler. BE may have made
mistakes as Chairman. ! don't know
about that. But l believe if all who
were elected as Popuiists and called
themselves Populists had stuck to But
Ter, we would now have in the Senate
another true silver man and reformer,
instead of goldbug-Pritchard, who was
elected by Skinner and his so called
Populist followers, who now claim, l
believe, to be the true Populists.
The true Populists in my section, l
think. are generally for Bryan, Butler,
oliver and reform. The fight ia On.