The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-09-29
The THOMPSON
AYCOCK DEBATE,
An Interesting. Discussion Be.
tween two Champions
Of the Democratic, the
Other of the Populist
Party.
BOTH ABLE SPEAKERS.

Mr.. Aycock Says IL was q Grand Spec.S-
eie when the Revolt was Made From
the Democratic Party in 1882. but
Fails to show That II PopuIists Were
Justified In Leaving the Democratic
Party in 1892 Wherein They are no,
justified In Remaining out OF It 1898
The Negro The Text Of Mr.. Ayeock',
We're Necessary for the Peoples Party
to be Organized why 1t Is Necessary TO,
1t to Live as u Political Organization
The Destruction of the Populist Part,
the First aud Chief Object Of the Dem
ocrAts.
AS per appointment Mr.. Charles
b. Aycock and DR.. Cyrus Thomp.
son met at Hoods Swamp, Wayne
county. last Thursday for joint de-
bate Of political issues. THE CAu.
CAsIAN had a reporter on the field
and presents below a report OF the
debate. 1t seeks, without bias, to-
ward either side, to give correct re.
port of the arguments advanced BY
both.
Mr.. Aycock made the opening
speech. After his disapproval OF
the arrangement of the speeches,
saying that he thought that in al
much as he made the opening spe ecb
at Concord that the justice of the
case would require the OPPOSITION to
open today, he launched in to his sub
ject as follows:
"ln 1892, for the first time in 2(
years or more there came a division
among the white people of North
Carolina. Neighbor was set agains,
neighbor, friend against friend
brother against brother, and faith.
or against son. In those blttel
days the gentlemen who left
the Democratic party ins;s ed thai
they were compelled to go out OF
the Democratic party because they
could not support, and would not
support Grover Cleveland, the Dem
ocratic candidate for President oil
the United States; that he was q
goldbug and monopolist, and tha,
for their party they would take up
all that they hled dear and
go and remove from the old home
and the old freside. They could
not wait for Us to work it out inside
the Democratic party. They said
that times were hard, that cotton
was selling at something about five
cents per pound, that wheat was sell
ing for forty cents per bushel, that
meat was selling for nothing, and
they could not afford to stay IN the
Democratic party while the curren-
cy was contracted and silver struck
down at the hand of Democratic
President, and that calling upon
God to help them they would go out
and establish a party that would
bring prosperity to the country;
that they would increase the cur
rency of the country and bring
about a condition that would ena.
BILE US to sell our farm products at
such prices as would improve tt
of the farming classes
A Grand Spectacle.
Those men were in earnest; those
men were honest. And stand here
to-day in the face of this assembly
"a great proportion of whom are
Democrats), and l declare to you thai
it was a magnificent spectacle when,
inside of four months from the birth
of the Populist party, it was enabled
to roll up $4,000 votes at the
polls in November in this State. We
Democrats did not like it. We were
mad about it. We were terrorized
by it. And we were mad. But al
this long distance period I can say
that | knew then that conservative
old North Carolina could not be thus
shaken from her moorings without
there being some great cause at the
bottom of it; and while We differed
from them, still deep down in thu
heart of every man he knew tha
these hard times meant something
and these people were in earnest"
Here Mr.. Aycock stated that ir
those days (l892) Populist speakers
talked of the necessity of increasing
the currency, about the free and un
limited coinage of silver, the necess
ity of raising the price of cotton
and of reducing the expenses b.
cutting salaries, etc., but he declared
that when DR.. Thompson came t,
speak to-day they would not hea
one word about this needed legisla
ton. Referring to salaries he sai'
that while DR.. Thompson was on
speaking to them that it would tax
two bales to pay his expenses TO
the two days necessary to make tn
trip there and back, but that he ha'
not heard of DR.. Thompson request
ing that his salary be reduced.
Mr.. Aycock then began to arraig,
fusionists. Explaining what a fu
sionist was he illustrated it by tn
following incident said he was tol,
of John R. Smith:
"They were holding q revivs
some years ago, and during tn
course of the revival the preache
called on all the Christians to stan
up and be counted. The most q
them stood up, and after he ha
counted them he said: please
seated, and those of you who ar
not Christians will please stand q
and be counted And everybod
that had not stood up under frs
call but John R. arose and he kep
his seat. The preacher had his 81
on him and said: MY friend, l ol
serve you did not rise under eth,
call. Are you not either q Christia
lor q sinner7' No sir, said John n
Il am q fusionist.'
Continuing Mr.. Aycock sal
"Well, the fusionists came into po,
or in 1895. They turned US out
Office. We rebelled against it.
made seventy-five speeches IN tn
campaign trying to keep the THU
from being done, for I know VIII