The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-26
GRANTS LATE LETTER
He MAPS OUT FUSION FOR 1898 BY
REPS. AND POPS.
He Proposes Fusion on County, State and Ju.
dicial Officers, but Not on Congressman
The Republican Programme.
winston Republican,

Gle from me, the caption of which was
"a voice from the east In that arti-
Gle / gave my views as TO what my
Judgment conceived to be good politics
for the Republican and Populist pa
ties in North Carolina. Since then ]
have received hundreds of letters and
verbal concentrations coupled with re-
grets that the policy recommended had
not been adopted. / am not SO fond of
seeing my name i'll print as to surfelt
you or your readers with opinions that
l may hold but their letters have given
me cncoura cement to again ask space Ill
your valuable paper The Republicans
i'll North Carolina are doing some strong
thinking that is crystafzing into bellef
that will in time control their acts when
called upon to express them in conven-
lions. Thla principles which are the
foundation of the Republican party, are
dear to them and they will. under how
ever adverse conditions, prove loyal and
tue. In the election of 1894 co-opera-
ton With the POpulist party was had in
fact rs well as in name.
The hosts were marshalled and each
proved true to the other and the result
waa ;nMgrazSbN vi@tcTsR 'fne opposition
to Democracy was triumphant and the
fruits of that contest are best revealed
by the law on our statute books and not
through the Democratic press. When
the attempt to bring these forces to-
yether was made in 1896 we found our
selves loyal and true TO the terms agreed
upon but the majority of the Populists
reserved the right to follow their own
inclinations and vote as they pleased
independent of the action of their con-
ventions The Democrats having incor-
porated in their National platform the
pith of the Populist creed. it resulted
in a complex and crazy quilt campaign
We are now upon the verge of another
battle in North Carolina and can we
draw any lesson to guide us in the
future, from the experience of the past?
lie essence of cooperation is cOnces-
sion. Can there be successful cooper
alton with concession only practiced by
one party IT, the contract? In my opin-
ion there cannot. In the attempt to CO.
operate in the past the beginning was
ut the head or by the State Executive
committee of each party. The role of
give and take or to be more explicit. the
ofnces were parceled ont and agreee-
ments made TO abide and sustain their
action. Congressional DISTRICTS We're
arbitrarily taken and divided without
any conference with out friends in coun-
ties comprising them or any regard TO
Republican and Populist strength and
the power of the State committee
brought to bear in some cases 10 force
obedience to its will. In my opinion
the time. has come when this cannot be
repeated and any attempt to force Il
candidate nominated in any Congression-
al district to abandon his canyaSs will
be resented by the people, and in way
not conducive to success. Cooperation
can be made successful again by larg-
or majority than we have ever had BY
adopting tine rational method of starting
ut the bottom rather than at the top
To erect a political structure one must
use the same practical sagacity as one
who erects a structure other than poll
teal, good Judgment would demand first
a foundation to build upon Let us
make the county the unit and start
thelie. Then the Senatorial districts. the
judicial districts. tlaen the Congress:on-
al districts. The counties comprising
these districts must have the privilege
of deciding their own matters and exer-
question of cooperation. The two State
conventions can decide State nominations
but the trick of RELOCATING to State COM
mittee the power and dignity of making
nominations must stop unless VIE court
indifference among the voters If not
defeat. We have in North Carolina as
true, honest and capable Republicans
as any State and no county nor district
hut xxals f
Is for tho best in q political sense and
best Tor the party and success in their
own locality. They know the condi-
tons and are more capable of deciding
the policy best adopted to meet with
success. The independence of the voter
has been put to a severe test for the
last two elections and in my opinion il
will be hazardous experiment to try
it again. The policy outlined by the
national POpuiIst party in their confer
ence with the silver advocates at Min
neapoliS inSures the battle on the line
there indicated. This being the cas-,
how can we have cooperation i'm Com
gressional districts? Our Populist friends
acting upon principle cannot vote for
a Republican as they are supposed to
represent the opposite of Democracy
anu yCI IL llO OL pfll-
ciplc for Republicans to vote for the
populist candidate who advocates the
same doctrine as Democrats. / fail to
see any harmonious prospects for CO.
operation III Congressional districts. In
State matters we are in full accord and
can act together without friction and
cam marshal our forces and succeed.
Let THE counties cooperate on county is
sues and Legislative tickets. In Sena-
torial and judicial districts we can act
together. We have the fruits Of CO.
operation before US and TO abandon it in
this election means the loss of this and
the lleturn of the night whose shadows
hung over our rights and liberties de-
barring the exercise of the one gift
v0uci-safed to every American citizen.
viz: The privilege of casting one vote
and having that vote counted as cast.
Let not the corraling OF scandal and the
dIsles of carbon daily set before Won
by some Of the Democratic press of the
Stare, have the effect of binding Won to
the real issue, but look beyond and ina
CINE, if YOU can, the condition of tho
Republicans and Populists in North
Carolina with the Democratic party IN
power. 1t rs 10 secret but the daily
boast of what they VIII do when tlov
rain o4f fh.a cnpftnI af +bo