The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-12

Wilmington, y. G., July Q.
Editors Messenger:

Editors Messenger:
1t is not the experience OF one ev-
cry day life to be permitted to wit
ness in a few brief hours so much
of political idiocy an d unblusling
mendacity as was exhibited at the
populist convention recently held at
Wadesboro.
1t is customary in political conven-
tons, where an extreme and DOUBTFUL
policy is TO be espoused and consum-
mated, to place the discharge OF so
important a duty in the hands OF able
and tactful men who have the ability
to max The worse appear the better
reason. At the Wadesboro convention
no circuftous or flowery route to polit-
ical perdition was attempted, but it
was done with the rugged blows OF
the sledge hammer, indicating a pre-
conceived purpose to deal a death
blow to the peoples party and trans
fer it bodily to the republican party.
The executioners did the work boldly
and unblushingly, n although the
best men in the party were candidates
before the convention-men who had
been tried and never found wanting
men who were imbued with principle
and loyal to the traditions of the par
ty, their record, IL their standing.
had nc weight. The executioners We're
there for a purpose-to SOW the seeds
of disintegration, and it was done eff
fectively and a man was nominated
whose fealty to the republican party
he cannot and, I presume, will not
deny. No man who attended the
state convention of the peoples party
could fail to be most favorably i'm
pressed with the personnel of that
convention. They were honest.
thoughtful, intelligent, conscientious
and imbued with the highest senti-
ments of patriotism. They were op-
posed to the single gold standard. they
were opposed to monopolistic greed.
which promoted the Capitalization of
wealth, usurped the functions of man.
mood suffrage, and sought to domi-
nate the people through the power of
money. They were in favor of an in
come tax, which equitably and justly
distributed the burdens Of government
n these and other reforms were hon
estly entertained and intelligently dis
cussed, not in the interest of a class,
but of the Mole people.
These men, without exception, came
from the ranks Of the democratic
party. and they will not be bartered,
traded, or sold. When the democrats
| at their state convention, refused to
cooperate with the pOpulists, the lat
ter were placed upon their mettle as
a distinct party organization, and it
became their plain duty to accept the
| challenge and become an aggressive
| party and make their political views
| heard and felt and patiently abide the
issue. The nomination of Colonel
| Dockery, a republican at heart, sugar
| coated with free silver, is an attempt
to mix oil and water. and it has never
-Nl
believed that political hybrids are in
| digenous to the soil of the Sixth con-
| gressional district of North Carolina,
| coming as we do, from the ranks Of
the democratic party. AS a choice of
two evils, we prefer to support a free
silver democrat to a free silver repub-
| lican, for the duty to vote becomes
imperative in order to secure and
| maintain AnglO-Saxon supremacy.
The colored vote of the Sixth dis
| trict is already coralled for Dockery,
| on the ground that he is a republican,
and unless lightning strikes some
| sense into our colored fellow citizens,
they will vote solidly for Dockery,
and get nothing but broken promises
as the reward for their devotion. I
have heard his supporters quietly
boast of their ability to fool the mig
| GER" and if they get any pledges be-
| fore the election they will be wise to
have it in writing, duly signed by
| Dockery. But the colored voter knows
a political hybrid when he sees him
| and has him discounted already. If
| the democrats are wise in their Selec-
| ton of a candidate-the result may
be easily predicted-for the honest
and earnest populists will not be slow
| to resent any effort at utilization with
| the republican-gold standard party
nor will they permit any man, or
| set of men, to sell them out without
| their consent.
| The action Of the convention of the
/ peoples party of the Sixth congress
| sional district was bad politically, bad
| morally, and it's unhallowed purpose
| was to destroy the or~ganization-as a
| political ~party-and carry it hand
| cuffed and helpless into the camp of
the enemy. 1t is believed the effort
will meet with exemplary failure.
| GEO H. LOCEY.