The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-03-15
or MR.. WILCOX, "cHAIMAN" BUT
LRR AND FUSION.

MP. WuEO CEAb4C4SH - AT JILL
munication ia your paper of the s5h
inst, and his defense Of Chairman"
Butler ia before me. Mr.. Wilcox
thinks I "insinuated this thing and
that thing" against Chairman" But
Ter. I made no insinuations. I wrote
pointedly and plainly. I made no
charge that Butler was a self appointed
chairman" / stated that Chairman
Butler was "a self-apPointed dictator
of the policy Of u party" and who
refute itl Who will say that he has
not used the power the power and in.
duence Of his Office as Chairman" TO
effect fusion with the Democrats with
out the consent of his party and even
over the vehement protest Of q large
portion of itG Mr.. Wilcox claims that
chairman" Butler duly conferred
with the National Committee, as to
whether they should meet with the
ORGANIZATION Committee and that q
majority opposed it. Did he confer
with all the committee, or largely with
that portion he knew to be opposed to
such q meetingi And to those with
whom he did confer, did he not ad-
dress q long letter opposing such q
meeting himself, and arguing with
them to oppose itI I know it is claimed
that he took q referendum ballot OF
the Committee, and that a majority
opposed it. Suppose we admit it.
Then did he take referendum ballot as
so whether he should hold those Sc
cret conferences with the Democratic
Chairman j. z. Jones, who / 1888,
introduced q bill in Congress to issue
$500, 600, 900 in bonds to retire the
greenbacks3 Did he take q reteren-
dunn ballot to finally make a fusion
deal with democracy, and to issue his
fusion address as a decree to his partyH
say, did he get authority from the
Populist party TO make O fusion deal,
on the single issue Of silver, with. q
party that has during the last nine
ear killed eleven free silver billsl
Did he get authority from his party, to
fuse with a party whose leader now
q. z jones' did five years ago intro
duce q bill in Congress to issue $780,.
900, 900 in bonds to retire the green
backs-the peoples money, and who
is now q member, and the Senatorial
agent Of the American Cotton Co, q
gigantic trust organized to control and
dictate the price of every bale OF cot
Eon1 Did he get authority from his
party, whose Chairman" he is, to
inaugurate the fusion policy at all3 I
say he did not. And if he did not. he
Is an usurper of authority-'a self
appointed dictator of the policy Of our
party.
Buffers privilege and duty as
Chairman" is not to trim and aban
don the PLATFORM and make deals with
an enemy, but to fight for the whole
platform-to strengthen the party
and build it up-aot to create dissen-
aion and division in the ranks, but to
promote unity and harmony, leaving
the policy of the party to the party
itself. II the people IA be trusted to
rule in the nation, why cannot they
be trusted to rule in their party9
''The voice OF the people ia the will of
God" II fusion is right and best, the
Populists will so decide. Then give
them q chance. Let them pass upon
it. Lot Butler call a national conven
ton to meet on the 45h of July this
year to declare the future policy of the
party. Then If they want fusion let
them have it. If they don't want fu-
sion let them say 90. Wi "Chair-
man" Butler such q Conventioni VIII
he trust the brave and honest rank
and fleR No, he ia afraid to do il. He
knows the Populist in Convention
would have none Of fusion. He knows
they would ~repUdiate the dicker he has
already made, and him with it, for his
UnWRrranted usurpation Of authority.
He knows he could no longer, as the
chief Of q great party, sit in secret
conference, and debate the death Of
his party with Jeems Jones, Democrat.
Ours is the peoples party and the pso
pies party and the people have a right
to direct and control it. Why does
Chairman" Butler rob them of this
rights He know that if the people are
given q chance TO control their party,
they will quickly shear him of his
present power. Aud rather than be
shorn and recalled, he would drag the
party down to death. Then it is not
better Withal to have his alien policy
condemned than to have the party diet
Upon what meat does Chairman"
Butler feed that he has grown 80 greatl