The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-04-12
ws. BRYAN ON COOPERATION.

Sa,ns7ar-s Charlotte Observer, "A its
,,,3e5rh letter. contained the following:
-W. ]. Bryan has written a letter to
. Democrat here. in which &c says that
democrats and popnlists ought 10 ger
..nather in North Carolina: that this i
ass;n.y done in the West: that Senator
R4tlpr Is instrumental in effect1ng IL:
that the failure to effect II here Woutd
asnharrass the situation where an eiforf
i being made TO do il, and thar IL =
very important TO the national success
--af free silver-that it be done. The
letter goes on 10 say that Senator but
Ter is being severely attacked by MID
die of the Road PoDnlists for his srre:i-
nous efforts 10 align free silver men 81
all parties Such is the version OF The
letter given to-day. Last night another
version was given.
Commenting on this, the Observer,
among other things. says:
Mr.. Bryan is a fusionist. lie sur
ports fusion in his own State and in 1857
he voted a funston electoral ticker
for Gen. Weaver. the Populist candidate
for President. Besides. if he has writ
ten such letter as that outlined above
Chairman Jones, of the national Demo
cratic committee, who has written at
least one letter to North Carolina urging
Democratic opulist cooperation.
The Observer neglects to state the cir
cumstances under which Mr.. Bryan yo-
Ted for Gen. Weaver in 1892. As it is
well to keep history straight. we may
mention that when Mr.. Cleveland was
running for the Presidency. Mr.. Cleye-
land, Mr.. Whitney, Mr. Harrity and
the other Democratic leaders, seeing that
unless some arrangement could be made
10 give the Populists the Western States,
Gen. Harrison might carry all of them
and be reelected, urged the Democrats
in Nebraska and other Western States to
withdraw their electoral tickets and vote
direct for the Weaver electors. This
was the first time the Democrats voted
with the Populists or for the Populists.
1t was engineered by the special friends
of Mr.. Cleveland to prevent the election
OF Mr.. Harrison. At that time Mr.. Bry
Congress in the Lincoln district. A
Il good party man, Mr.. Bryan obeyed
the direction OF Mr.. Cleveland and his
political managers and voted the Weaver
electoral ticket.
In 1892 this was regarded by Whit
ney and Harrity as the, wisest course
10 70 n
Cleveland. If voting for Populists TO
carry ont political ends is a sin, Mr..
Cleveands policy in 1892 originated the
sin. 1t does not lie in the mouth of any
supporter Of Mr. Cleveland to c;iticize
Mr.. Bryan because in 1892, the Nebras-
kan voted for Gen. Weaver in order 10
help elect Mr. Cleveland
As to the letter written by Mr. Bryan,
the news Of what if does not contain,
travels. The Wilmington Messenger
says:
AS highly respected and admired as
is Hon. William j. Bryan by North
Carolina Democrats, his plea for the
State press TO hold up on Butter will
not be heard"
A gentleman who has seen the letter
written by Mr.. Bryan, TO which the pa
pers allude, says that it contains no ref
erence whatever TO the press of the
State, much less any suggestion as to
what it should say with reference to
Senator Butler. He further says that
it contains no allusion to State politics
or State management, and is chiefly q
reiteration of the arguments advanced
by Mr.. Bryan in his New York Journal
article in which he advocates co-opera-
ton. Mr.. Bryan believes it the high
duty of bi-metalists in North Carolina.
California, Michigan and all other States
10 unite in order to overcome the fusion
of the goldbugs recommended by Mr.
Cleveland and Mr.. Hanna He is in ac.
cord with the National Democratic Exec
utiye Committee in advocating this poll
cy. He realizes, as does every other
sensible man. that the cause OF silver
will never win if its adherents divide
into hostile camps while the Hannas, the
Clevelands, the Palmers and the Buck
ners fight in one solid phalanx. Mr.. Bry.