The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-10-25


ton"
Senator Pritchard in his speech in
Charlotte took occasion to boast of
the good things that the gold stand
ard had conferred and to try to ridi-
Guile the advocates of free coinage
To hear him speak now one would
think that the Senator had always been
a gold Standard advocate. Since he
poses as champion of the gold stand
ard, it may be interesting to take a
look at his zig-zag record on the mon
ey question. On the 18th of October,
1895, in a speech at Hendersonville,
Mr.. Pritchard said:
81 consider that free trade and
gold monometalism are twin broth
ers, and he who courts gold monomet-
alism invites the disasters which must
follow in the wake of free trade"
In 1896, speaking again of his posi-
ton, Senator Pritchard, when seeking
reelection, said:
II have proved my loyalty to the
cause of silver by my votes in the Sem
ate. My record will parallel Senator
Buffers on that great and vital ques-
ton. They reflect not only the senti-
ment of the people that / represent,
but they express MY HONEST CON
VICTIONS AND MY EARNEST PUR-
POSE TO SECURE AN AMERICAN
SYSTEM OF FINANCE"
To show his inconsistency in the
same year, while speaking for Nc
Kinley, he said:
81 went into the Republican Ma
tional convention, and after carefully
studying the situation | became con-
WINGED that free silver will not give
the country prosperity"
Still later, when his election seemed
i'm doubt, he wrote to Col. Harry
Skinner:
"You know that I am a staunch
friend of all reforms CONTEMPLATE
ED IN THE POPULIST MOVEMENT
and you may assure such members
of the Legislature as are inclined to
vote for me that / will vote for sill
yer by international agreement or IN
DEPENDENT ACTION 16 to /, and
will take pleasure in voting to amend
the National Banking act so as to per-
NIT farmers to borrow money upon
land. Any statement that have been
or am now a single gold standard man
is without foundation"
And yet he is now going about the
State proclaiming himself an advocate
of the gold standard and some social
ed Democrats, who four years ago
said his speeches "were effective with
the ignorant, but intelligent men were
not to be caught by them" are singing
different tune.
Pritchard has not changed. He
makes as many incorrect statements
now as then. The only difference in
him is that since then he has sought
to defeat the constitutional amend
ment, is now engaged in trying to
have a host of negroes registered to
vote in the November election who
were declared ineligible in the
August election, and is get
ting material by which he hopes
TO annul the amendment or put a
stain on the good name of the State.
And yet there are some folks who CAL
themselves Democrats who write
about him as if he were better than
Holton, Boyd, Butler, Thompson and
the rest of the Radical crew that put
Eastern North Carolina under negro
government. He was as deep in the
mud as they were in the mire, and the
reason he still fights the amendment
IS that he knows the Acknowledgement
of the negro is equivalent to prohi-
bition to his holding any elective Of
fee in North Carolina. He is the
worst foe in the State to the constitu-
tional amendment, he is behind the
nersecution of Democratic registrars,
and according to his statement in the
Charlotte Observer he is now devoting
himself to trying to secure the regis
tration of the negroes who did not
register in August.
| Pritchard, the politician, is the enc
| nv most to be dreaded of the consti-
| tutional amendment. In order to hold
on to the negro vote he will see East
ern North Carolina again INUNDATED
and put in the dust. If this is moi
true. let some of his admirers who
pose as Democrats ask him these
questions:
1. How do you stand on the amend
ment?
?. Will you seek to have it amend
ed?
3. Will you seek to have it declared
unconstitutional?
4. Will you fight any proposition (
reduce the States representation II
Con oress and the electoral college 1
the amendment stands?
WOULD LET THEM STARVE.