The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-09-20
AND STILL THEY COME
A Prominent Citlzes Of Cumberland
County Gives His Reasons for Re.
turning TO the Democratic Party.
Fayetteville Observer.)

turning TO the Democratic Party.
Fayetteville Observer.)
Mr.. Editor:
In the presidential campaign of 1892.
when the populist party first became a
distinctive political organization OF
North Carolina, and placed its first
ticket in the field, l left the democratic
party for the first time and became
a populist- l have from hat time un-
til now affiliated with the populist par
ty and voted the populist ticket. |
have no apology to offer for that ac-
ton. / now sever my personal con-
nection with the populist party and re-
turn to the democratic party, nor have
/ any apology to offer in my present
change. The reasons which actuated
me when | left the democratic party
and Joined the populist party, as we'll
as the reasons which now actuate me
in leaving the populist and returning
to the democratic party will subse-
quently appear in this communication.
l. SihAPi pduSC, 81 " Sdy THAI d HAL
"a free born American citizen-has
the ~inalienable, the moral, right to
change his political opinions and his
party affiliations, and it is his duty to
do so when he is convinced hat by
SO doing he can best serve the common
interests of his fellow countrymen.
That right, and l may add, duty, is all
the more emphasized when the polit-
ical party with which he has affiliated
abandons the principles and teachings
upon which it is terminated and devel-
Oped into organized existence to wan
der off after strange gods and alien
races. 1 was reared in the democratic
faith. 1t was the faith of my father; the
faith of our fair southland. 1 voted
the democratic ticket from the year of
my majority until the year of 1892.
In that year, after Grover Cleveland
had been renominated for the presi-
dency of the United States by the
democratic party, and when it was
common public knowledge that he was
unfriendly to the white metal, and
that he then Gas yeti opposed bimetal-
ism n favored the single gold stand
ard as u financial system, with it's
NhS ~ hAcLiopOiy AOoLOII rs
influences, in open defiance of demo-
cratic doctrine and practice, as it had
been handed down to me from the ear
Hest existence of our federal govern
ment to that time, and when the dem
Ocratic party thus accepted him as it's
candidate for reelection to the pres
~idency-then it was hat the populist
party sprang into existence. Then it
was, that I, with thousands of others
as honest and sincere democrats as
ever cast ballots, scattered over the
length and breadth Of this fair country,
severed our connection with the demo-
cratic party and entered this new pO-
liticai organization in the vain hope
of obtaining that remedial legislation
and those political reforms which the
democratic party by the above named
action had ceased to promise us, and
for which our country was then Gas
yeti furnishing in financial impotency.
There was one other reason why l pur-
sued the purse that I did at the time,
and how many of my fellow democrats
were then actuated by this last reason
which | shall give, I am unable to say,
but that many were, is my candid Opin-
ion. The last reason for that action is
this: The democratic party in North
Carolina, particularly in its county Or
CARNATIONS having enjoyed a long
season of succession to official admin
istrations, had begun to be dominated
and controlled in it's organizations and
selection of candidates for the various
public offices by what is called cliques
and town rings; and hat influence
was felt in this county at that time to
such an extent that the country voters
began to despair of having any voice
in the selection of candidates to Of
flee, and I also felt hat in that respect
reformation was needed: That evil,
l thought, could not exist in a new
party organization. These, briefly
told, were my reasons for entering the
populist party. Just here l wish to say
hat 1 believe the populist party, at
least naturally, has been useful and
has performed a mission for ultimate
good.
Whatever may be the opinion of
others, l believe that in sending Mar
ion Butler to the senate the pOpulists
of North Carolina have rendered the
farmers and laboring class a real SER
vice. I believe he is able, honest and
patriotic. Certain it is that he has
taken a bold stand for bimetalism and
against the aggressions of monopoly;
also that he fought z~ealously against
the return of the gold standard Sena-
tor, Jeter Pritchard, who continues to
misrepresent the interests and views
of the major part of North Carolina in
the United States senate. l believe
the populist party has materially aid
ed democracy in purging itself of Cleve
landism and the single gold standard
fallacy. 1 believe that it's moral sup
port was felt and recognized when the
Chicago platform was written and the
democratic party thus made haste to
return to its former teachings and
doctrines. In these things l believe
hat the populist party has been use
full and has briefly performed its mis-
sion and closed its useful career.