The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-10-16
A SILVER MAJORITY
IN THE FOURTH CONGRESSION-
AL DISTRICT, AS BRYAN'S
VOTE SHOWS.
SILVER QUESTION DIVIDED THE PEOPLE
The Interests of Silver are Powerful enoug o
Bring them Together Again. J,nkins
Will be Beaten.

Mr.. A. C. Green, chairman Of the
Wake county Populist committee, has
written the following letter to Hon. W.
]. Peele:
Hon. W. j. Peele:
My Dear Sir: As chairman of TIE
Wake County Convention of Populists,
opposed to fusion with the Republicans,
] take this means of publicly calling
your attention to the fact that on Sep
TENDER 20 you were unanimously en-
dorsed for Congress by our convention.
We are familiar with your record upon
all the reforms which true populists and
Democrats united to secure in 1898, and
we endorse you because we believe you
can do more than any other man 10
bring together those who voted for w.
+. Bryan in this district, and save ii
from being represented in Congress by
the Pritchard Populist, j. J. jenkins.
Of course we and everybody under
stand that you did not fight your bat
tie against Grover Cleveland as Il Popu-
list but as an independent Democrat:
and we saw in your published card that
you said you had won your fight i'll the
adoption of the Chicago platform, and
the nomination of w. j. Bryan.
In view of these facts we believe you
are in full harmony with the friends of
w. j. Bryan in all parties, and we en-
dorsed you under the belief that you
were the logical candidate of all the
friends of free silver and of the party
whose campaign cry is: White men
and white metal"
If you run for Congress you will get
every Bryan Populist vote i'll my town
ship, and. after inquiry | desire to say
further that you can pull away from
Jenkins twice as many votes as any
other candidate whom the Democrats
can nominate. In fact no true Populist
wants to vote for him anyway.
The reason we prefer you to Jenkins
is that for the past eight years YOU have
been making a record which cannot be
questioned, and you have stood consist
ent with the principles you profess. You
did not hesitate to fight your own party
when Cleveland was leading it to ruin.
Mr. jenkins has not only slipped in
and out-'now you see him and now
you don't'--on the financial question,
but he has stood in with the Harry
Skinner wing Of the Popuist party toI
prevent the union of the white men III
this State He is charged by P0pulists
with having voted against the nomina
tion of w. ]. Bryan ut st. Louis. He
knows he cannot be elected by the sotes
that carried this district for w. J. Bry-
an, but that he has got to depend on the
votes that were cast for Mckinley.
This is the reason he prefers union with
the Mckinley gang, and if he gets into
Congress l believe he will serve the men
that pulled him through. The conven-
ton that nominated him did not even
have virtue enough to purge itself of j.
+. Bryan, of Chatham, and it is openly
charged among Populists everywhere ]
go that the same Republican influence
that turned down Strowd secured Jen-
kins' nomination. j. Il. Bryan was in
this convention. and leading spirit for
Jenkins: and now | hear that he claims
the distinction of getting Jenkins noml-
mated. If jenkins needed any closer
connection with the Republicans than
he naturally had, ]. Il. Bryan can sup
ply the missing link, for the Caucasian
and the Progressive Farmer have de-
nounced him all over North Carolina us
a traitor TO populist principles. Who
now but Republican-Populists will sur
port his nominee, J. J. Jenkins for Con
gress? jenkins was one of Harry Skin
ner's best lieutenants, as Skinner was
one of Pritchard's. and it is fair to sus-
pect that jenkins, if he gets to Congress,
will serve the men whom he has always
served, and TO whom he now owes his
nomination.
The silver men are going to be unl.ed
in this district if you run for Congress,
and the Middle-of-the- Road popul'sts
and all other Populists who are anxious
"a. ont
permanent basis will esteem ii a compli-
ment to them if the Democrats nominate
a man who stood up and fought Cleve-
land until his party repudiated him.
In respect TO Mr.. John Atwater's run
ming as an independent Populist candi-
date for Congress, / wish to say that
the people are going to vote this time for
silver man who can be elected, and no
extreme partisan, either of the Demo
Gratis or Populists, can poll the entire
silver vote 1t is enough to say that
Mr.. Atwater voted for Jenkins along
with J. f. Bryan and the Pritchard
Ponulsts in the so-called populist CON
yention that nominated him. L have al
ready told Mr. Atwater that the Popu-
lists will not support him, and he knows
the Democrats will not. He will have
ten times the influence for you he can
for himself, and of course he VII do all
he can for you if you are nominated
for in this way he can prove even TO
his enemies that he repudiates jenkins
for principle and not for office.
The Populists who are willing to unite
with the Democrats in favor of white
men and white money are surprised that
they have not jumped at the opportunity
of nominating you as the solution to the
situation. You have told us that the
Democratic party is now free silver
party. If so they, cannot afford to throw
away this opportunity to nominate one
of their own men whose position they
have all endorsed in their speeches and
efforts to get Popuist votes. Can you
tell us why the Democratic Convention
adjourned without making a nomination