The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-18
Fayetteville Observer


distinctive political organization of North
Carolina, and placed its first ticket in
the field, | left the Democratic party
for the first time and became Populist.
/ have from that time until now affiliat-
ed with the Populist party and voted
the Populst ticket. / HAVE BEEN a
PUPULIST. l have no apology to offer
for that action. | now sever my person
al connection with the Populist party and
return to the Democratic party, nor have
l any apology to offer in my present
change. The reasons which actuated me
when | left the Democratic party and
joined the Populist party, as well as the
reasons which now actuate me in leaving
the Populist and returning to the Demo-
cratic party will subsequently appear in
this communication | simply pause,
first to say that a mana free born
American citizen--has the inalienable,
the moral right to change his political
opinions and his party affiliations, and 1t
is his duty to do SO when he is convinced
that by SO doing he can best serve the
common interests of his fellow country
men. That right, and | may add, duty.
is all the more emphasized when the po-
litical party with which he has affiliat-
ed abandons the principles and teachings
upon which it terminated and developed
into organized existence to wander off
after strange gods and alien races. i
was reared in the Democratic faith. 1t
was the faith of my father; the faith
of our fair Southland. | voted the
Democratic ticket from the year of my
majority until the year of 1892. In that
wear. after Grover Cleveland had been
renominated for the Presidency of the
United States by the Democratic party,
and when it was common public knowl-
edge that he was unfriendly to the white
metal, and that he then las yeti opposed
bimetallism and favored the single gold
standard as our financial system, with
its centralizing and monopoly fostering
influences in open defiance of DemOcra-
tic doctrine and practice, as it had been
handed down to me from the earliest ex-
istpnce of our Federal government TO
that time, and when the Democratic par
ty thus accepted him as its candidate for
reelection to the Presidency-then it
was that the Populist party sprang into
existence Then it was that |, with
of others as honest and sincere
democrats as ever cast ballots, scattered
over the length and breadth of this
fair country, severed our connection with
the Democratic party by the above named
new political organization in the vain
hope of obtaining that remedial legisla-
ton and those political reforms which
the Democratic party by the bave named
action had ceased to promise us, and for
which our country was then tas YETI
in financial impotency. There
was one other reason why | pur-
sued the course that did at that time, |
and how many of my fellow Democrats |
were then aetuated by this last reason
which / shall give, / am unable to say, |
but that many were, is my candid opin |
ion. The last reason for that action is |
this: The Democratic party in North
Carolina, particularly in its county or
CARNATIONS having enjoyed long season
Of SUGGESTIONS to official administrations, |
had begun to be dominated and controlled |
in it's organizations and selection of cam
didates for the various public offices by
what is called clidues and town rings;
and that influence was felt in this cOun-
ty at that time to such an extent that
the country voters began to despair Of
having any voice in the selection of can
didates to office, and | also felt that i'll
that respect reformation was needed;
That evil, | thought, could not exist in
a new party organization. These, brief
~ told, were my reasons for entering the
Populist party. Just here | wish to say
that | believe the Populist party, at least
naturally, has been useful and has per-
formed mission for ultimate good.
Whatever may be the opinion of others,
believe that in sending Marion Butler
to the Senate the Populists of North
Carolina have rendered the farmers and
class a real service. / believe
he is able, honest and patriotic. Certain
it is that he has taken a bold stand for
and against the aggressions
of monopoly; also that he fought jealous
~ against the return of the gold stand |
ard Senator, Jeter Pritchard, who con-
times to misrepresent the interest and |
views of the major part of North Caro- |
lima in the United States Senate. | be- |
lieye the Populist party has materially |
aided Democracy in purging itself of |
Clevelandism and the single gold stand |
ard fallacy. | believe that its moral sup
port was felt and recognized when the
Chicago platform was written and thel
Democratic party thus made haste to |
return TO its former teachings and doc |
trines. In these things / believe that |
the Populist party has been useful and
has briefly performed its mission and
closed its useful career. "That that is |
of earth is earthly, and destined to de-
cay" is, in my opinion an appropriate |
epitaph for all that remains of the |
Populist party. 1t is gone glimmering. |
marked and shipped to the Republican
camp In North Carolina, at least, the
Populist party has lost its virgin purity. |
1t has dickered and dealt with the Re
publican party and entered into hurly-
burly scramble for office, with this OBJ
noXious but suspiciously generous neigh
Dor, until, in my opinion, it has become
political leper, has lost its moral pres
tige and its political dignity as a party.
1t has, in practice, grown alarmingly in
consistent with its teachings.
Chief among the planks of its platform
IN the last Presidential campaign were
the anti-monopoly and free silver planks.
! et IN 1896. and while campaigning upon
the free silver plank and anti-monopoly
plank in its own platform. this same
Popullst party-the financial reform par
ty in North Carolina-fused in the State
with the Republican party-the gold
pug party, the monopoly fostering party