The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-08-23
TIE SrA1R SAVER COULDN'T
FIND SPACE FOR THIS-RYPO.
Gratis HIT HARD.

1Cse1L. ! prepared G11S paper, ana s60E
it to the editor of the News and Obser.
yer August 18th, at 5 80 o'clock p. N
It has not as yet appeared in the News
and Observer. It might as well be
stated here that 1.-The delegate" es-
pecially referred to as having sold out
his constituency, is Mr.. Josephus Dan
iels, the editor of the News and Obser-
YER, and it may be that is the reason
my article has not been published.
JOHN A. SIMS
RALEIGH. Aug Is, 1898.
Editor Ne1U8 and ObserUer:-In your
issue of August 18th, under an edito
rial, mo Basis for Fusion" and an
other editorial of same date, ''The Ne
gro Qlestion-The Views Of a Popu-
list" you see f5 to make extracts from
and comment upon an article of mine,
written last summer to our State chair
man. Will you do me the kindness to
allow space for reply9
Among other things in commenting
on extracts referred to, you say: mo
matter what Mr.. Sims may do, he may
recant and go back to his support Of
negro fusion. He may chime in with
the negroes in order to keep his Office.
His present, past or future course can
not alter the truth of the above senti
ments." Now, M. Editor, I have no
Soe;wo whatovow Eo koHo ha0k q limo Op
change a word of the truths contained
in my article last summer, and I stand
as ready to day as I did then to de-
nounce fraud, corruption, jobbery and
incompetency, in the Populist or Re
publican parties, as I do in the Demo
cratic party. Can you truthfully say
as much7 AS a Populist, I stood as
near to the Democratic party as any
man could. I labored as earnestly, as
honestly as one could do, to unite the
Populists, the Bryan Democrats and
the silver Republicans in the State of
North Carolina, so that we might, as
far as our State was concerned, help
settle this money question.
The Democratic party said they were
in favor of good government. So are
the Populists, and I point with pride to
every department of State to day filed
by Populist officials, and I beg you
''look at the books, Qet me digress long
enough to call your attention to the
contrast). To-day every Safe depart
ment is filled with sober, intelligent,
energetic officials. Can you say as
much of your Democratic administra
tion9 Now stand up like a man and
face the music. Tell the people of
North Carolina how many and who
they were of your Democratic State Of
6cials Qor they are not all dead), that
had to go to Kelly Institutes and other
asylums of like nature to r~ecuperate9
Tell the people Of North Carolina why
it is that you hold up to public ridicule
every little county official when he is
guilty of any misconduct, provided he
is a Populist or a Republican; but if a
Democratic State or county official
Happens to be unfortunate, you close
your eyes and your ear to it all.
Stand up and tell the people Of North
Carolina why it was that when the
sheriff of Swain county, nc longer ago
than last week made an assignment,
without having paid n cent OF the
State taxes for last year, that you did
not have it on the first column in big
head lines, and write up a column or
two on the facts. If it had been a Pop
ulist or Republican official, would you
have made the simple announcement
in the inside of the paper, and that not
more than one inch and a half space?
Why did you not tell your readers
that Swain county had never been
taken out of. the Democratic column
that her Cmcials were Democrats; that
her scrip was not to day worth any.
thing at all; that the county cannot
pay for an ex ra term of the court
yea, if you are so very anxious to run
a newspaper and so anxious to do the
fair thing for the State of North Caro-
lima, why did you not tell them that
the Sheriff and Superior Court Clerk Of
Swain county, are now, or have both
been very recently in the Kelly Insti
tute2 Will you tell US why you did
not? I sympathize with any man who
is addicted to the drink habit, and I
deprecate the habit that partisan poll
ticians have fallen into of bringing all
Of these things to the attention Of the
public. but we sometimes have to fight
Gne devil with fire.
I beg pardon Of your readers for the
depression. l repeat, I stood as near
the Democratic party rs any man, and
knowing their faults at l did, I was
ready to forgive all if it might be that
we could get this money question set
tied. The PopulisG party in convention