The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-03-08

gins to glance out ever his Senatorial
or Congressional district. he becomes
dazed; and when he reaches the bound
aries of his State lines, be becomes to
tally incompent even to judge approx
imately Of the fitness of his great ma
tionRl leaders.
And still we often fud him abusing
his best friends, who are trying, at
great disadvantage, to bring him and
the whole country prosperity and hap
piness.
We say at great disadvantage be-
cause all the greatest leaders OF all the
past have failed-utterly failed when
their followers have become mutinOus,
d~isgruntled and treacherous There is
greater necessity of a sUh siency of
true followers than of leaders. and if
the rank and file cannot be depended
upon, the best leader in che world must
expect TO fail.
When we hear our avowed political
enemies abusing our leaders, we just
consider the source and let it pass; but
when those who claim to be with us
are indulging in bitter viEuperation
and uncalled for censure and abuse,
brother Against brother, then patience
becomes threadbare, and we fully
realize that one imprudent friend, in
side the camp, is worse than a dozen
enemies outside.
But we digress. I g that Bro
Gardner thinks Senator Butler is ali
right as a Senator-hss done his full
duty there-an honest man striving
against gread odds, for honest govern
ment for his country. And yet Bro.
Gardner thinks that Bro. Butler, as
Chairman of his party's National Elk
ecutive Committee, is a miserable fail
urea betrayer Of the trust reposed in
him-and, worst of all, a Cleveland to
his party.
Now we never believed that Chair
man Butler wanted to annihilate the
Populist party; but If he ever did, we
will eve admit that he, or any other
politician, in or put of its ranks, can
annihllate that party or its everlasting
principles. It is generally conceded
that, after elections have passed, we
can look back through the light of sub
8 quent events and discover the mis-
taxes that have been made; but who
will prove that Chairman Buffers views
and course were wrong in the last cam
paign7 There was a large element who
believed that the Democrats and Pop
ulists together would sweep the coua
try, and it has been demonstrated that,
out for Mark Hanna's lavish Doodle,
they would have succeeded.
Then, with Bryan and Watson at the
head of the administration an honest
fiuancial system and a graduated In.
come tax established, and a proper
muzzle put over the mouths of gigantic
trusts, and a number OF other needed
reforms inaugurated, we think more
real coed would have been accomp
liehed through the action of Chairman
Butler and other leading Populists
that the parts could aver hope to &C
complsh alone. Ia our great revolU-
Jion Washington succeeded, and he
was a patriot; but if he had been de
teated, he would be called a traitor.
Chairman Butler is a shrewd man,
and a t~lreIess worker; but We think
that the greatest element in his success
IN reaching the highest positions, that
he has attained, is his great readiness
in discovering the true strength of the
different opinions that prevail in large
assemblies, and throwing himself with
his whole soul into the front ranks of
the vanguard.
Doing this, the people have readily
followed just where they, n a majority
OF them, have already intended to go
We do not suppose Chairman Butler
Is immaculate, but he certainly has
shouldered weighty responsibilities,
and pressed onward with ~uDfachIng
zeal, when many another would have
paused and trembled. We edmonish
all Popullsts to stop throwing rocks in
side our camp. 1t gives the piutocrats
too much comfort. We never will all
think exactly alike, but our differences
certainly are not enough to annihilate
our organization. We can't afford it.
J +. CRIMSON.
CONTINUED ron LAST WEE