The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-10-05
ATTACK ON Mr.. SIMMONS
Webster's Weekly and the Caucasian.
Answered by Judge Allen.

Answered by Judge Allen.
In webster's Weekly of September
Goth, a that is warmly ad-
vocating General Carr's candidacy for
the senate, appear a remarkable ed
itorial under the heading Turn ON the
Light" which closes with a statement:
Let us be understood in this matter;
our only motive is to see that a man
goes to the United States senate from
this state upon whom Mr.. Bryan, If
he is elected-and We pray God he may
be-can rely in any and ali emergen-
cfes."
The writer attempts TO show that
MIR. Simmons IS a new convert to sill
yer, and that in 1894 and 1896 his pub
lie u~tterances were in those of Mr..
Cleveland. He first takes up an ar
ticle written by Judge Womack, OF
Raleigh, urging eleven reasons in ia
vor of Mr.. Simmons election to the
United states senate, and says: His
Judge Womack's) fourth reason was
what the newspaper craft would call
a SCOOP" a piece of important news
given to the public for the first time
We beg TO quote:
"a. In 1894 and 1896 he boldly and
publicly, in the state and
NAS| ~ AANANF
by the president. declaring he would
surrender his office before he would
surrender his principles
LAS stated last week, We were a
member of the conventions Of 1894 and
1896. but We do not recall that Mr..
Simmons was conspicuous for his OPP
position TO Mr.. CIeveland's politics.
The North Carolinian, a Raleigh pa
per, gave a full report of the proceed
ings Of the convention of 1894, a copy
OF which We have preserved, and we
do not find a line or a sentence show
ing that Mr.. Simmons opened his
Mouth upon silver OF n senatorial
primary, which were the leading ques-
tons before the convention. His
speech calling the convention to order
gave no indication of his position upon
these questions, being purely formal.
How different from this year when
he made a ringing speech in opening
the convention, declaring his position
upon 10Th state and national sues"
The impression attempted to be made
by his statement is undoubtedly that
Mr.. Simmons made no declaration in
favor of silver, either in 1894 or 1896,
while holding office under Mr.. Cleve-
land. He says he does not recall that
Nr. Simmons was conspicuous in his
opposition to Mr.. Cleveland'S policies,
but when he comes to refer to the
North CarOlinian, he speaks of the
North CarOlinian of 1894 only. If the
writer preserved the North CarOlinian
of 1894, is it not reasonable to con-
clude that he also preserved the North
Carolinian of 1896. and if the ape OF
that year gave an account of Mr.. Sim
mons speech. in which he declared
for silver, would not candor and a de-
sire to see the right done and the light
turned on have demanded that he
say So? The truth is that the writer
knew that in 1896 Mr.. Simmons made
a speech in the state convention, II
which he u~nequivocally declared fol-
Silver at the ratio of Is to l. We quote
from the report of the proceedings OF
the convention. contained in the NORTH
Carolinian of July End. 1896:
Collector F.. M. Simmons came for
ward. He said he was a federal office,
holder, but, above that, he was a dem,
Ocrat, a North Carolinian and an AnglC
Saxon, (applause) and was in favor
of free silver 16 to 1. (Applause.) Be
fore London or John Bull had exist
ence, God Almighty had placed tht
StwO money metals in the bowels of tbs
Jearth in about the proportion OF is tC
Il. He denounced the war against sill
yer as a war against the masses anC
w. humanity. AT the bottom of the qUes
ton lay the storm center; the ques
ton, which shall rule, the man or tn
dollar. (ApplaUSe.) The gold stand
ard had in twenty-three years confis
Gated One-half of the property OF thl
land. (Applause.) Mr.. Simmons eX
hOrted the democrats TO continue tn
fight and preserve to u children tn,
civilization Of our race (AppiauSe.'
Mr.. Cleveland was at this time VIC
lentiy opposed to silver and every dem
ocraJ in the and knew it, and MI
Simmons and all w7ho heard him knew
tina he was speaking in opposition I
the views and policies OF MIR. CleVe
land. The writer of the editorial say
that he was present at this cOnven
ton and that he did not hear MIR. Sim
mons say anything in opposition t
Mr.. Cleveland's policy. If he will turl
to the files of Webster's Weekly o
july md. 1896. ne will find that he di
hear it, and that at that time the ut
terances of Mr.. Simmons were regard
ed as one of the most pleasant Incl
dents of that convention. In Wet
ster's Weekly of July End, 1896 appear
the following:
Among the most pleasant incident
of the convention were the emphati
declarations of Messrs. r. b. Glen
and F.. NJ. Simmons that they fel
under no obligations to anybody t
hold their silver views in allegiance
but they were determined to be in tn
thfckest of the fight for the white met
AL"
Did the writer know this when b
wrote his article Turn on the Light?
If he did, did not common honesty re
quire him to tell TT? And if he did nc
remember it, ought he not o to apo
ogize? The writer was not, hOweve
satisfied with the case that he ha
made out against Mr.. Simmons, an
in his search for light and the trut
he again begins to examine his "e1
changes" He says: MIR. Simmer
had a discussion with Mr.. Marion But
Ter in Wayne county in October 1S9
and in an extended report of the de
bate found in one of our exchanges,
and which he had preserved he
credited with having said: i am
favor of bi-metalism. l aGn i'm fave
OF putting silver on an equal footln
with gold, and if England, German
and other foreign countries would agrt
to il, We could have free coinage hel
right away, but the time is not y
ripe for free silver. If it had bee
Cleveland and the last ngr o
have given it to you"
"@There was not a Clevelandite in II