The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-16


that it was impossible for the Conference
Committee to fuse with the Republican
party without such treachery to The
Populist voters of the State and such
high-handed, contemptuous disregard of
the commands of the Populist convention
as mould mark them out as objects of
eXecration and disgust, not only to hon
est Populists, but to all men who still
retained those sentiments of honor aud
decency common to the race. 1t is true
that the former State Executive Com
mittee, of which Hal w. Aver was
chairman, had, in the campaign of 1896,
treacherously sacrificed the Hon. w. A.
Guthrie the Populist nominee for Gov
ernor, and connived at and aided in the
election of gold standard and high tariff
Republicans in order that Aver, Thomp
son and Worth might be elected to inn
portant State offices with large salaries
and emouments, but that committee,
presided over by one who processes such
exalted virtue as the Hon. Cyrus
Thompson, already protected against
temptation by the possession Of a certain
income of $4,000 a year, should deceive
and betray the party which had made
him it's spokesman, and traitorously sell
out his trusting followers to those who
repudiated and spit upon the Populist
principles and purposes, which he was
enjoined to protect and defend, was in
conceivable to simple, honest men who
have yet some confidence in human
kind.
With what sense of shame and horror
the sincere Populist listened to the ru-
mors which, soon after the Republican
convention, began to circulate that his
Conference Committee was considering
the question of making overtures to the
Republican committee! He would not be.
lieve them. Was not that good man, Dr.
Thompson, in charge who claimed to be
better than all Secretaries of State who
had preceded him? 1t was impossible
that so exemplary character should
violate the instructions of his convention,
and in the face of IA command that there
should be no fusion except with party
declaring its endorsement of Populist
principles and purposes, violate the trust
reposed in him. But the rumors became
louder and more persistent, and at last
it was published over the signature of
Thompson and Holton that the most
shameful treachery to a people and a
cause perpetrated since the crime of Bene-
that Hoton and Thompson had fused on
mutually agreeable conditions" and no
reference was made to the resolutions Of
May 18th. 1t would be pleasant to know
under which of the resolutions the ''mu-
tually agreeable conditions" may be
found? Did DIR. Thompson write to
Holton the same sort of letter he wrote
to Mr.. Manly bearing the date of May
25th? If so, what answer did Mr.. Hol-
ton make? Will DIR. Thompson be pleased
to inform the Populists and other voters
of the State what are ''the mutually
agreeable conditions" and what he has
done with the Populist resolutions Of
May 18th? Not only honest Populists.
but voters of all parties are interested
in knowing what concord there may be
between those resolutions and the Re
publican platform; and how it happened
that DR.. Thompson and his committee,
assuming the role of dictators, have over
ridden the instructions, of the Populists
Of North Carolina and attempted to de-
aver them, against their WILL bound
hand and foot, to the Republican ma
chine. No wonder honest Populists are
flocking out of a party in which the
servants have usurped all authority and
their masters are reduced to the grade Of
unrcgarded and unexpected underlings.