The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-04-23

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into the negro Republican camp, but II
will take a microscope to find an honest
Populist who does not or whose relatives
have not aspired to office through part.
nership with the Republican party, who
advocates Republican cooperation.
Every intelligent man knows and
every intelligent man must admit that
the Republican party stands for the
Gold Standard against the income tax
and for conditions which put many conn,
/ ties in the State practically under negro
rule.
The great body of POpulsts, it mat
tiers not how their prejudices may hav,
been, are at least against the Gold
Standard in favor of the income tax
and against negro domination over white
people.
The Public Ledger has criticised its
noliticaI opponents WITHOUT reserve and
will continue to do so, but realizing
that it never helps the just settlement
of any controversy to unduly expose the
past offenses, even of an enemy, it now
has no disposition to bring before the
neople any conduct of the Populist ana
Republican parties that will not holp
the voters of the Old North State to un.
derstand the true situation.
1t seems clear that the better element
of the Populists now realize that Repub-
lican cooperation heretofore was DO
litical and moral wrong. AT present
as we understand it, Senator Butler is
at the head of this better element, while
Gideonite wilson, Peace & | Co., are
among the leaders of the other element
~ Il. sr..,
and patriotic. it may be said positively
that they will never again cooperate
with the Republicans. This cannot
be said of those who sacrifice principles
for office, or patriotism for prejudice.
The purposes and results of co-opera-
ton four years ago, were not generally
we'll understood, just as six years ago
the free silver question was not gener-
ally understood. But the people or
North Carolina have considered both Of
these matters we'll in the last few years,
and their opinions are firm.
The Populists once had reason TO ex-
pect to be a great party, perhaps Il ma
iority party. They then considered the
National Democratic party their enemy.
The Chicago platform and the campaign
two years ago showed that the great
Democratic masses of the Nation,
whether called Democrats or POpuliSts,
were in sympathy upon the great issues
now before the people. Yet strange as
It will seem to the historian, here in
North Carolina we had the anomalous
condition of POpuliSts cooperating with
the Gold Standard, anti-incOme tax Re
pubicans. Why was this? Because two
years prior thereto, when the POpulists
considered both the old parties their
political enemies, they had cO-operated
with the weaker one in this State, and
the manipulators of the Populist party
in the last campaign having tested the
merits of an unrighteous cooperation,
and seeming them again, although they
knew Democracy and pOpuhsm had a
common cause against common enemy
the Gold Standardized not moral
courage and political virtue enough to
resist the bribes of office. However,
amid all that cooperation for profit only,
there was an element in the Populist
party that held aloft it's true principles
with fidelity and devotion that approach
ed heroism, for while even the chairman
of that party in this State crooked the
pregnant hinges of the knee" that an
office for himself might follow his
sacrifice of principle. the highest candi-
date under his jurisdiction pursued the
steady course of conscience and prinei-
pie, approved by patriots and cursed by
that element of Populists, who are trying
to commit their party to the Republican
machine.
A straight fight may be commendable,
but a cooperation with party of totally
adverse doctrines is as unwise rs it con-
temptible. He that warns a torpid rat
tie snake in his bosom deserves om
pity, but he that inspires, strengthens,
aids and cooperates with n deadly enc
my, whose avowed PRINCIPLES wreck and
ruin our country and rob our people,
deserves our severest censure and con-
tempt.
There is every reason to believe that
the best element of the Populists now
endorse the views above set forth.
and recognize that they have enemies in
their own camp The resolutions adOp-
ted by the majority Populists after Sen
ator Pritchard's last election, which de-
clared that those Populists, who sup
ported pritchard were traitors, were
a direct reputation of Populist-Repub-
lican Fusion. The conscience of the
Butterflies was at last touched to the
quick, and it virtually denounced it.
During last summer Senator Butler
spoke in many places i'm North Carolina
for white supremacy. thus practically
the danger to its existence and
repudiating the cooperation by which
alone this danger came. Mr.. Pearson,
elected 10 Congress from the Ninth dis
trict by that cooperation, voted against
and helped to defeat the Teller resolu
tons which declared that our public
Indebtedness is payable in silver as well
as gold, and Mr.. Linney. Of the Eighth
district, likewise elected, declared in
Congress that he was not in favor of the
free coinage of silver More than that
il is understood that Senator Butler un-
qualiiedly endorses Senator Jones let
ter. which, as chairman of the National
Democratic party, he promulgated at