The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-10-02
He Speaks Mainly on Ma
tionaI Issues.
A FORCIBLE ARGUMENT
AGAINST THE GOLD STANDARD,
MONOPOLIES AND TRUSTS.
BUT LITTLE REFERENCE TO FUSION
Declares fusion is Sometimes Necessary 70 Ac.
complish Great Reforms Then it
is Patriotic Guy.

Monroe, \. c., Oct. 1.-(Spccal.-
Senator Marion Butler spoke at Monroe
to-day. He was greeted by crowd of
about three hundred and fifty divided
about as follows: two hundred Populists
scyentyfive Democrats and seventy-five
negroes, all of whom gave the speaker
patient and very respectful hearing.
The Senator in the beginning of his
speech asked that his audience should BE-
quiet and undemonstrative; that he
would, because of Il very severe cold
and very troublesome throat affection
be compelled to speak to them somewhat
in Il conventional way. He spoke. how
ever for more than two hours, and AZ
times he was very vigorous and aggres-
sive. although it was manifest his
throat WAS troubling him. He came.
he said, to speak on questions that were
OF vital Importance to the people. not
olly of North Carolina but of the en-
tire country. He came to talk about
vital principles, about which he began
sl1ea king in 1891 The money question.
the trust and monopoly questions, the
income tax question were matters of deep
concern to the people in 1892; they grew
into great issue i'll 1891 they were the
paramount questions in the campaign of
1896, and if they were important ques-
ti0nS then, they are ten times more inn
p0rtant in 1898.
10 AhN,, h.,ll IL. 7 -.
Book i'll one hand and the populist Hand
Book in the other. Il have here in one
hand" said the Senator, "the Demo-
cratic campaign Handbook, and as
turn over its pages | find negro. negro
negro. | have in the other hand a copy
OF the Peoples party Handbook, and as
l turn over its pages | find the same
cry of negro, negro, negro. One Of these
campaign books saying to the other You
are ii lie; the other coming back and
saying You are another both ignoring
the great vital issues that must be dis
cuSsed and considered until they are set
tied and settled right.
Il came not to hollow negro. but to
discuss a living issue-the same great
principles that l have been advocating
for six years and more. | cannot lie
frightened away from these main queS-
tons by the cry of negro. 1t was not
the negro that demonetized silver. It
was not the negro who organized the
god syndicate to control the circulating
currency of this country 1t is not the
negro who has organized the four thou
sand trusts that are Sapping the life
blood out of the country, and ii is not
the negro who forms the great railroad
monopolies to control legislation i'm the
interest of the gold syndicate and the
grasping trusts"
The speaker then, for an hour or more
discussed these questions. This part Of
his speech was delivered with stirring
force and aggressiveness. He took un
the three great Instruments of commerce
money, transportation and the trans
mission of information, and declared
that the gold-bUgs AND mon0polists had
secured control of each one of them. and
were using them and their tools and
agents to buy mp legislatures and Con
crosses and to corrupt legislation in the
interest of the gold syndicate. the trust
ana monopoly magnates, and to the
great detriment Of the 10000. 900 of
American people. He declared that these
money changers and monODolists
pouSht the nomination and election of
HfoVer Cleveland and of VIM. Mckinley
ana owned them both rs completely as :.
man owned his slaves before the war;
AFTER a very exhaustive discussion Of
theSe three questions. he alluded to State
matters and declared that he had Taught
not only in North Carolina but as chair.
man OF the National Peoples party Exc.
cutiye committee he had done all i'm his
power to bring about the cooperation
OF all parties and factions OF parties. who
desired to correct these great evils: to
that end he had made Il fight i'm hS
own State convention and succeeded in
having it submit a proposition to CO.
operate in North Carolina on the basis
Of certain reforms. both State and ma
tional. He would not say it. but others
had said that the reason the Demo
cratic convention declined to accept the
proposition was because it was domino
ted by gold-bugs and monopoly attorneys.
Ii would not say that these influences
controlled. but he knew they were there,
and the proposition was declined. He
then discussed these several questions
at length. The proposition to elect nine
free silver Congressman; the proposition
to elect Legislature pledged to tn sup
port OF the demands IN the POpuliSt
platform. He discussed these ques-
tons at length and then advised his Pop
IIlist friends to vote for no man for the
Legislature, be he Populist, Democrat or
Republican, who would not pledge him
self to support these reforms He ham
mered all the parties for inconsistency
and insincerity. He used three ham
mers-a sledge hammer, claw hammer
and tack hammer The first he used on
the Democratic party. the second on the
Republican party and the tack hammer
on his own party.
He took up the negro question. but de-
clarcd that he would not be led away
from the great questions of issue to dis
cuss the negro. This was IA White Mans
country and was going to be ruled and
governed by, the Anglo-Saxon race. He
stood ready to 40 as much rs any man
inst up0ro domination aDJ 70 Jo,,,.,.- 1