The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-09-01
DR.. Tn0MPSoN'S GREAT SPEECH.
Large and Representative Gathering Of Popuis,s Of Sampson
and Adjoining Counties Al Clinton TO n.ar the
OPENING OF The POPULIST CAMPAIGN

DR.. TsoaP.se Tssrs the ~ ask os nyp.s
rssy FROM tie 0sia s.d h..spsi,
Crowd which 10 NV IA tossr-i .G the
ID moerst,e ofEasis s,iss.-H- Prssss
Their lssiaeertty . the G. nee at siss.-
eisi and Cor spesstiss Reform. The
Pepsiisss Of SANS psss Esths.i.s,ie Ne
Bsoks'idi"g to the Dem essstie P.ss..
For THk CAUCASIAN
| CLINTON, y. e., Aug. 10, is.s>.
Clinton has to-day been alive with
Populist enthusiasm. The occasion
was the opening Of the Popuiist cam
paign in this county, and Dr. Cyru.
Thompson, Secretary OF state, Was the
speaker. Notwithstanding the fact
that this is an especially busy season
OF the year for farmers, il being fodder
gathering time, there WAS An exceed
ingiy large crowd present, representa-
tive Of the best element Of this county
and adjoining counties. A number Of
ladies were also present. Every body
seemed to be in good humor and ev-
erybody enjoyed Dr. Thompson's
| speech. The loud applause which met
his defense OF POpuIism, the bursts Of
laughter which greeted his jokes at the
expense Of the enemy, and his sarcas-
tic references to the days OF good
government under the old corrupt
Ransom machine, were sufficient proof
of the fact that the Popnlist OF this
county are not to be fooled into fol-
lowing the leadership Of the men who
tried to compel them to vote for Gro
yer Cleveland in 1891. No, the pro-
verbal Populist OF the Democratic
press who is going to vote the Demo
cratic ticket this year was not in eyi.
dence at Clinton to-day, nor indeed is
he known anywhere in Sampson conn-
ty.
DIR. THOMPsON's SPEECH.
| LADIES AND FkLLow CITIZENS 1T
has been almost two years since l at
tempted to make q speech, and circum-
stances which could not control, for
many months past, have prevented my
giving that attention to political mat
ters, which [ might otherwise have
given; and recently | have not had
the time to spare from my official du-
ties to devote to the preparation of .
political speech. 1 had hoped to enter
the campaign sometime after the first
of September. l had hoped that by
that time [ should find opportunity for
such preparation as the cause ought to
have had. Wren | was written to to
speak to you on this occasion, l replied
that it was not probable that l could
come. Afterwards | was written to
that | must come, for the reason that
l had been billed to come; and it was
evident that | must come or somebody y
in the county Of Sampson, and that .
mighty good POpulist, and possibly q
would be accused OF having misPepre-
sented me. | thought then that |
would come and that Senator Butler
would be here, and that he himself
would do the greater part of the speak
ing. 1t 40 turned out that it was i'm
possible for Senator Butler to be here.
He had an invitation to speak In Tex
as, Colorado and Utah, where his ser
vices as national chairman of the Peo-
pies party were urgently demanded
For that reason he is not here, and
am here-kind of "boss dog Of the bone
yard" in the speaking line, whether
am prepared to speak or not. Now il
[ can make my enemies on the other
side feel As uncomfortable about the
speech after it is made a. feel before.
hand, shall be abundantly satisfied
and know that some Of you will be
as well satisfied as / am.
In 1892 the Peoples party Of the
State Of North Carolina had it's birth
need not recount the conditions
which called into existence the or.
ganizstiOn In this State. Men Who hat
, been educated in the Farmers Ali
ance; who had studied political Ques
/ lions, and learned that the tariff Wa!
not the sole cause Of all the troubles
, and expressions Of this land, rose VI
,, and said in that year Of grace, that W,
l Cleveland, the stuffed prophet Of th'
state of New York. You know how i
? was said by the then chairman of tb,
Democratic State Executive Commit
tee (who is also the present chairman
r that il you could not swallow Grove
! Cleveland, then you we're not . Dem
: ocrat aud you could not enter Demo
4 cratic primary or convention. Me-
who had seriously studied great eco
? nOmic questions, men who felt tina
T gold and monopoly we're robbiDg then
@ and their children of their rights, re
I vOited from the Democratic yarty an
q organized ihe Peoples party in Mort
Carolina; and we made q campaign j
- that year that routed our enemies o
the stump, il they Afterwards, by thei
i met hods, routed us at the ballot bO,
o 1t developed alter that, that the sam
= men who had driven US out Of th
n Democratic party because We cOul
l. not swallow Grover Cleveland, cam
- themselves and said We cannot swa
: low him either-he has grown Ia
> large for our throats. The half bush'
y which they had set up as the standar
Is of measurement, and by which the
ii measured US in 1892, turned out aftt
J. wards not to be q hAlf-bushel, an
d never had been. We went fOrwaf
- the Peoples Party in North CarOlin
" and throughout this land, teachin
e everywhere the principles that undel
lie genuine Democracy and true II
publicanism. and We SO revolutionize
10 the sentiment of the masses OF men II
n size Of the Democratic party, that Il
le Democratic party saw that unless The
st came to this posltion-the attitude
g. economic QuestiouS WHICH snS e
TO Piles Party had assumed that amo'
"a parties they would not be knee hil
~ in this State or in the nation; and Z
D though they had set out in 1892
of make Populism odious in North Car
T. lima" although they had said upon
IN stand in this ground, IS Mr.. Be'lan
did six years ago, that this question
T. silver and financial reform Was all
C. wild craze, and that the silver doll
~ was q seventy-cent dollar land it afte
- wards got to- be fifty-cent dollar) u
u that II want . dollar that is good
erywhere-good in EUROPE want
- dollar that has y0t . hundred cents
it." in 1896 they came around and sai
"Oh we'll. We see We were wrong;
think just like you do; let's let all
rotten eggs Of 1892 60 BY, lets DO
ag smell them any more; let Dygones
To- hv~ouaa. mo no hpethPenn TheV -