The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-11-22
SETTLE WARNS PRITCHARD.

SETTLE WARNS PRITCHARD.
The following is an open letter from
Hon. Thomas Settle to Senator ]. c..
Prltchard, urging the latter to take no
part in opposing the seating of Hon F.
M. Simmons as successor to Marion
Butler in the United States Senate:
Asheville, N. c., Nov. Ii, 1900.
Hon. J. C. Pritchard, Marshall, N. G.
My Dear Senator; Having, like
yourself, the interest of the Republican
partv at heart national and State, l
trust you will not misconstrue the mo-
tiyes prompting me to address you this
letter.
The results of the November election
speak for themselves, to the intelligent
mind. / understand from various
sources, official and unofficial, that it
is the policy OF a number OF gentlemen
composing the Republican organization
of this State, through you as Senator,
to protest against seating Mr.. Summons
when he presents his credentials
as Mr.. Buffers successor. I am
opposed to that policy and hope you
will not give ear to it. 1 see no good
in it to the Repu bllcan party or to the
State. On what grounds will you oh.
ject to his being sworn in, and ask the
reference OF his credentials to the COM
mittee on privileges and elections
The case OF Roberts from Utah is net
applicable. You cannot establish any
thing against Mr.. Simmons, personally
that would justify the Senate in refus-
ing him admission. You would there
fore have to base your case on politi
cal and legal, or politico-legal issues,
to-wit: North Carolina had not at
the time of the electian of the mem
beers of the Legislature which elected
Mr.. Simmons United States Senator a
republican form Of government guar
anteed by the constitution, and, there
fore, said Legislature, so elected, had no
power to elect Senator. Suppose you
succeed in convincing a majority
of the Senate that the contention
is sustained by the law and the
facts, what then? Mr.. Aycock would
Immediately appoint Mr.. Simmons to
fill the vacancy, and your fight would
in the language of my lamented friend
General J. NJ. Leach, only have 'enter-
ed the vestibule of attack" Could
you continue the fight upon the ground
that Aycock, the Governor himself,
elected under the same law, had no
power to appoint Senator to fill
vecancy? Again, should you succeed,
if the United States or State Supreme
Court should, upon contest
growing out of any act of the present
Legislature sustain such a decision of
the Senate, "where oh WHERE? The
returns of the November election as
compared with those OF the August
election show great gains by the Repub-
lican party. The August election and
the November election were held under
the same law. If we had no republi-
can form OF government in August, we
had none in November. Our laws
were the same in each election. If
the credentials of the members of the
Legislature can be investigated and set
aside by the United States Senate upon
the allegation that there existed no re-
publican form of government at the
time they were elected to the Leglsla-
ture, and, therefore, 1t declines to ad-
NIT the man this Legislature has
elected to represent the State, have you
not gotten the State and the Re
publican party in very awkward posi-
ton? How can you assault the Gre
dentials OF every Congressman from
the State, including those of Moody
and Blackburn, Republican members
of the eight and ninth districts? If the
electlon OF either is Under the condl-
ton of the nom existence of repub-
llcan form of government, the same is
true with reference to all our national
Representatives. You cannot main
tain that Blackburn and Moody were
elected under a republican form Of
government ana that Simmons, Kluttz,
Kitchin, Small, ct al, were elected
under a non-republican form of govern
ment. lam not Mr.. Simmons cham
pion. I suspose had as much to do
with the opposition to his confrma-
ton as collector of internal revenue as
any living man in the State. My op-
position was political, and as I was
then in a contest for seat in Congress
with Mr.. Williams, and Senator Ran
som was taking sides with Williams, l
made the fight in behalf of the Repub-
lican party, and to give Senator Ran
som something to attend to at home.
If this issue is made, how will it be
done? Clearly on the ground OF the
present, Improperly called Simmons
election law the constitutional
amendment, and the conditions and
circumstances attending the election,