The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-07

necessary that Col. D0ckefy should say
n word for silver-iust a word. The
inducement offered him to say this
word was an office. 1t is useless to say
that the Colonel looked ut his idol. gold,
and then at the office which was held
before him as the price of betrayal
looked again and hesitated not-for, like
Spencer Blackburn's drummer boy, he
had never learned how to beat a re-
treat" from an office. The Colonel very
readily agreed that he would hold his
gold views in allegiance and with the
adroitness for which he is famous
would daily with silver while he ran with
all his might for the office. AS usual
the Colonel was defeated and having
held his gold views in allegiance as long
as was necessary to serve the purpose
of Mr.. Butler and his crowd of party
manipulatorS. he returned again to the
worship of the Golden Calf. No more
was heard Of the doughty Colonel until
a few weeks ago, when the Republican
convention of the (Sixth) Congressional
District met, adopted Il gold platform
and endorsed gold-bug Mckinley and
nominated him and placed him on his
platform for Congress. Everybody said
at once this means three tickets in the
Sixth District, for the Populists will
not again dare attempt to palm off this
gold-bug as n silver man on their party.
But everybody was mistaken. For some
dark reason of Populist policy. notwith-
standing the Colonel was standing upon
gold-bug Republican platform, pledged
to die by it. Mr.. Butler commended
his endorsement to his party and this
Al br.r fbo Il
men of all parties is to be again pa
radcd before Populst audiences in the
Sixth District as Il friend of silver.
In 1896 Linney and Pearson were
nominated in their respective districts
on Il gold-bug platform and freely de-
clared their purpose to vote for a gold
bug President. But Populist policy re-
quired the endorsement of the gold-bugs.
and in order to satisfy. the consciences
of the true silyerites in their party. they
eXtorted an equivoca declaration for
silver from them. and then began to
make, the .welkin of the Eighth and
Ninth Districts ring with their praises
as loyal champions of the White MetAl.
Both linney and Pearson We're elected
with the aid of Populst votes. and for
two years in Congress they did all they
could to preserve the present gold stand
ard. Now and then, for policy's sake.
they dallied Il bit with silver, always
taking care to do nothing for it that
might peradventure hurt gold. Ev-
erybody thought after this record in
Congress the Populist leaders would not
dare again to hold up these gold-bugs
to the Populist voters of their Dis
tricts as friends of silver. But every
body was mistaken. They have both
been nominated again, and despite their
gold record the Populists of their Dis
trcts will be asked to support them
again in the name of bimetallism.
In 1896 Jeter Pritchard, the acknowl
edged leader of the Republican party
in North Carolina. the boisterous adj
vocate of Mckinley. who so loved this
great APOSTLE of gold that ne named his
new born babe after him; who is an
admirer of Mark Hanna, and who tele
graphed his congratulations to Hanna
when he fixed the Ohio Legislature; was
elected to- the Senate by Populist votes
under the pretense that notwithstanding
his gold-bug associations he was really
for silver. In the Senate When there
was no chance to help silver, he professed
readiness to help it. When there was n
chance to help it he fatty refused to
help it. His record there was distinctly
one of hostility to silver, yet he was re-
elected by the help of seventeen Populist
and Senators of what is
known as the minority Populists in North
Carolina who in the face of his gold
record still insists that he is friend
of silver. Every one of these seventeen
Populist' Senators and Representatives
who voted for Pritchard have received
from him, or expect to receive an office
under gold-bug Mckinley. Under ordi-
nary circumstances, the acceptance by
silver man of commission from a gold
bug President against whom he had voted
would at least create suspicion as to his
sincerity. but not so with the POpuist
horde who hold Federal Offices in the
postoffice, revenue and other depart
ments of the National and State govern
ments. A few months ago, populist
conference was held in Raleigh. To this
conference came Butler Populists and
Skinner Populists; Populists postmasters
and Populist revenue Officers with com
in their pockets from god-bugs
Mckinley and PritcharG. Another cleo
ton was about to be held, more offices
were to be distributed, and the fierce war
which had been waged between
and majority Populsts
was forgotten. Butler Populists and
Pritchard Populists and McKin
ley Populists came together in low
ing embrace and agreed that every
act of treachery to silver should be con-
doned and pardoned and that so
should hereafter be permitted to question
the sincerity for silver of The gang who
had elected pritchard and atOned to Me-
Kinley and gold by accepting commits
sions in the postoffice and revenue SER
vice. and the famous resolution declaring
that any Populist who should thereafter
question the sincerity Of these Pritchard-
ties by raising the question of majority
and minority Populists should be viewed
with suspicion was unanimously passed.
Nothing Democrat can do for silver
proves to this crowd of self-constituted
censors his sincerity for that metal;
nothing that Republican or POpulisr
can do for gold discredits him with them
as friend of silver.
THE people may be deceived by hypo-
crisy for ii time, but not always. The
people may be misled by falsehoods for
Il time, but not long. Truth is proven
bially slow in overtaking faIsehood, but
it invariably catches it. Truth is fire.
uuputly crushed IN tha .,arfb hut Il