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

FUSION ON SILVER.
It is we'll known that for sometime
Senator Butler, Chairman of the Popu
list National Executive Committee,
Chairman James K. Jones, of the
Democratic Committee, and Chairman
Towne, Of the Silver Republicans, have
been considering the advisability OF
fusing these three parties with free sill
yer as a platform.
The addresses On behalf Of each Of
these three parties were given last
week. Senator Jones signs for the
Democrats, and his address lie endorsed
by the Democratic Central Committee.
Twenty five Populist Senator'S and
Congressman sign the address Of Chair
man Butler, and the silver Republicans
in the House and Senate sign with
Charles A. Towne, their Chairman.
Wipe out party lines, is the cry Of
each party.
Now that the 'leaders" have done
this, we wait patiently to learn what
the great people will do in regard to
the matter. Below we give the ad
dress Of Chairman Butler, Of the Popu-
lists, and we will next week give the
addresses of Jones and Towne.
It strikes US as being strange that
the Populists with a bakers dozen OF
planks in their platform, should be
willing to give up all of them except
the least one. The question now is, rs
the silver plank wide enoughF"
1t seems to US that the question Of
paramount importance should be made
the issue. Are there not other things
of more Importance than free silver9
True, it is of more Importance than the
tariff, over which the two old parties
wrsngled for forty years, but we won
der if AlliRncemen r willing to vote
for a man who endorses one plank in
their platform, but openly opposes the
other nine.
Below we give the address Of Chair,
man Butler. Future events will prove
the wisdom or the folly Of it. The
people know what they want.
THE POPULISr ADDRESS.
The Foreign Gold Syndicate, With the
Connivance Of Our Government, Has
Captured Every Instrument of Com
merce in the Nation-The Trusts
Making Millions of Paupers-A Call
to Citizens and Organizations Of all
Parties to Combine Against the Des-
gotism of Sordid Wealth.
The Populist amendment is as fol
lows:
1.-THE conspiracy Of gold and monop
oily is nearing its elimination. Every
advance it has made during the last
% years has been made by adroit and
stealthy processes. Those who have
been imperfect had its agents aud con
federates holding positions of public
trust in the legislative, executive and
judicial branches Of the government.
Neither the benef1ciaries nor the tools
Of this conspiracy have any particular
politics. In name the last administra-
ton was Democratic. The present ad-
ministration is called Republican, but
it has ingloriously practiced and de
Tended the ~perfidious policies of it's
predecessor. At length the selfish and
brutal interest behind this conspiracy
deem themselves strong enough to dis
pense with the duplicity hitherto necee-
sary to their success. The administra-
ton boldly RvoWs it's endorsement Of
their scheme against the liberty and
prosperity of the people. Within a
few weeks it has formulated and sent
to Congressa bill, the leading purpose
Of which is, in the words of the Sacre
tary of the Treasury, To commit the
country more thoroughly to the gold
standard
"This country has during the past
"a years suffered enough from the
blighting effect of the gold standard,
so far as fraudulent legislation and
executive usurpation have been able to
establish it. 1t is now boldly proposed
to legaIizs what has been done in de-
finance of law and the use of powers
secured by false p~Tetenses from a long
suffering and too trustful people, to
put upon this infamous design the
stamp Of alleged popular authorization.
In the pursuit of this purpose of com
hitting the country more thoroughly
to the gold standard, the plan of this
administr alton is at last to retire the
greenbacks and other non interest
bearing paper money of the govern
ment, and to increase the powers, priv
leges and profits of national banks.