The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-10-02

4~-4assts - 4.-4-. c.&SgAA.sS
I who were avowed advocates of Rail
road Commission. AS the party had al
ways sent silver men to Congress since
the secret and ruinous decentralization ~
silver, the demand of the AInance and
the declaration of the Democratic plat
forms were in complete accord and mine
free silver and anti-monopoly Congress
men" were nominated and elected. Not
only so, but there was elected at the
same time IAN anti-monopoly Legisla-
| ture" More than that: when that
"anti-monopoly Legislature" met it hon
| ored itself by electing to the United
| States Senate the greatest tribune of
| the people North Carolina has produced
! since 1.-The last Roman of them ALL" as
jefferson called Nathaniel Macon, fell
/ asleep. But the Alliance Democrats in
| that Legislature were so controlled by
| their zeal for financial reform that they
even insisted upon instructing the great
! Vance before their ballots were cast for
| him. The whole life of Vance had been
marked by hostility > monopoly and de-
| votion to the objects for which the AL
! lance then stood. To instruct him to
vote for reforms to which his whole life
/ ndu DttI ueNOIGu was lIht COolS
to Newcastle. but those men were deter
mined that no man, however great was
| too great to take instructions from the
| General Assembly. Vance had always
| advocated the right of the people to in
struct their public servants and the reso-
| luton adopted merely amounted to say
| ing to Vance: Keep on advocating the
measures of financial reform that you
| have ably advocated in the past and such
| other measures as will bring about the
| objects for which the financial reformers
are laboring."
AN EXCESS OF ZEAL.
| put emphasis upon these instructions
| to Vance and the other members of Con-
| gress in 1890 to show that in its youth
| the Alliance. which at least in North
| Carolina. was the forerunner Of the Popu
| list party, laid so much stress on fin
| ancial reform that Alliancemen
J even Instructed the men who
| had taught them their a. b. c's.
oil finance. While this was an excess of
| zeal it showed devotion to principle
that could not be questioned or denied.
and who shall say that men full of zeal
| for what they deem a vital faith may
| not go, with little censure, to EXTREMIST
L III W tIcCliIS
| the Legislature, elected in 1890, passed
the best Railroad Commission law that
/ any State had enacted. The
previous Legislature had lacked only one
vote of establishing a Railroad Commits
sion and the Democrats, with but few
dissenting votes, lead the way for safe
and just regulation of railroad rates.
PRITCHARD FOUGHT ALL RE
FORMS.
/ What do these things prove? That
the democratic party is the true party OF
the people and faithfully reflects their
desires. Were these and other reforms
secured without a conflict? The records
of the State and the accounts in the
public press show that at every step the
Republican party, led by Jeter G. Prltch-
ard, sought to prevent the election IF
Vance. fought the Railroad Commission.
and antagOniZed every anti-monopOly act
| that was proposed by the people or the
| Legislature. 1t was only by united ac-
| ton on the part of the white voters that
the Republican attack on Vance and re-
forms failed of its object. When that
| Legislature closed, the legislation was SO
heartily approved by the people, the pO-
siti0n of the Democratic party was so in
. hpeDIIS Will It's IGdulLlOUS IldI IneEe WdS
every reason why the party should have
remained in power indefinitely, and it
would have done so but for national
| questions.
DEMAGOGUES SOUGHT TO USE
THE ALLIANCE.
The Allancemen, still in the Democra-
tic party, were Jealous in their fight 70
pull down the gold idol which John Sher-
man had erected. But for Cleveland and
L4evelandism, in spite of the self-seekers
in the Alliance and scheming Republi-
cans, the white vote Of the State would
have remained united i'm 1892 as it was
in 1890. The power of the Alliance had
attracted to it a gang Of politicians sho
cared nothing for its principles. They
!; sought to use it as n means of their ele-
walton. The Republicans, after fighting
t it and all its measures, began to try IL
! get control of the Alliance and schemed
{ to secure the election of a Republican
State Lecturer who tried to make the
r Alliance a tail to the Republican kite
) But when the campaign of 1892 opened
the tricksters and enemies Of financial
reform had been unable to shake the
faith of the farmers in the Democratic
garty They went into the Democratic
; primaries, nominated the ex-President Of
: the Alliance for Governor, and Senator
| Butler. the President of the Alliance
told the people that whatever differ
ences may exist among North Caroini-
ans over questions of national policy
| there should be none in the State where
j Anglo Saxon supremacy and good govern
| ment is the paramount issue"
COL. POLK AND A NEW PARTY.
u There were then men in the Alliance
who wanted a new party, but there was
| not one who dared to say aught against
, the State administration. 1t had been
? economical. clean-just what the white
people of the State wanted. Col. Polk
| while praising and commenting the State
Cd Government, foresaw the nomination OF