The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-07-08

ing in the ears of the people of North
Carolina: Let not those who want Cthce
more than they do reform precipjtate
you into taking any such un wise actici.
With all due revercn:e for the prophecies
made in ancient times, AMI with no dis
position to compare with too grea- ieYity
holy things with profane, we desire TO re-
cord our conviction that no more SenClne
prophecies were ever made II the history
of the world than these set forth in MI
Buffers editorial. In passing, 1oWeFer,
there is one remarkable difference which
ought not to be lost sight of between the
prophets of old and the prophet Butler,
in that jeremiah, Is liah and Idnlel
prophesied and died not having seen the
fulfillment of their prophecies, some OF
which are even .et. i'll process of fulfill
ment, but our modern prophet has been
spared to see the exact and literal ful-
fillment of every one of the prophecies
made by him on July Il, 1892, and even
more singular, has been permitted in
less than FIVE years TO put on record In
his own newspaper his due acknowledg-
ment of such fulillnent and TO tewaii
in language of indignation and disgust
the existence of conditions which he lad
predicted with unerring accuracy Let
us look at the predictions and ut the full
fllment. Has anything been gained for
reform bv defeating the Democratic State
ticket? We gained Russell, we lost Wat
son. with all the gain and loss implies.
We lost good order and good government
in Wilmington, Newbern and Greenville.
We gained an administration of city az
fairs at Wilmington which became
stencil in the nostrils of the State, and
which eventually had to be removed by
bloodshed and violence. We lost good
government in many communities in North
Carolina; we lost two Democratic Senator'S
in the United States Senate, and gained
a Republican and Populist, who coop
Grated. We lost Democratic congressman
who were for Free Silver and we gained
Republican Congressman who were oppos-
ed to free silver We lost an impartial
Supreme Court and gained a partisan Su-
preme Court We lost some Superior
Court Judges of character, ability and
learning and gained scme Superior Court
Judges who we're inexperienced ignorant
and in many instances unscrupulously par
tisan. We gained condition OF aHalrs III
which a white man who had been reputed
to be respectable felt it no shame to vote
for disreputable negroes, and to boast Oh
ii. We gained an utter disregard OF pro-
priety and decency in public life IN whlch
governorships, senatorships judgshlps' 10
say nothing Of the less important o1nces'
were traded and bartered with the easy
indifference with which horse trade Is
usually consummated. We gained an era
of machine politics and boss rule in which
a few leaders in the Populist party JOIN
ing hands with few in the Republican
party. absolutely dominated the nomina-
tions to the most important ofhces, ana
arrogated to themselves the right 10 put
up and take down candidates at their
pleasure and exercised it to such an extent
that the voter remained frequently In
state CT doubt after his convention nad
met as to whether or not the tickets
sent down to him would contain the names
of any candidate whom he had nominated
in his convention. They instituted an
anomaly in the policies of the State by
means of fusion, through which gold men
were required to vote for silver men, and
silver men to vote for gold men for offices
in which their votes and influence would
he diametrically opposed to each other.
The Legislatures of 1895 and 1897 also be-
came part of the history of the State
We feel safe in concluding that there
was no gain for reform
Has the Populist party elected its ticket
at the sufferance of the Republican party,
and is it at the mercy of the Repuolcan
party now? No man at all familiar with
the conditions in North Carolina Will
doubt the fulfllment of this prophecy.
Has the organization of the Populist party
been the cause of the Republican party
canturing the State? And has the man
agement of the State been thereby placed
in unworthy and incapable hands? Let
the thousands of honest and patrlotlc
Populists who, in 1898 repudiated fusion
and voted the Democratic ticket answer
this question. But let us also give the
prophet an opportunity OF expressing his
opinion On February 25, 1897, the follow
ing editorial was published in the eau
casian." in reference to the election Oh
Pritchard to the Senate by the votes Oh
Populists.
''These fellows have helped the Repub-
licans elect a Republican Senator, man
who stands for everything that the Popu-
lists have fought from the birth of their
nartv. What more could Republican do
than this? If these fellows will not oper
have their eyes knocked open about the
time of the meeting of the next Peoples
Party state Convention. If either one
of them should come to the Convention
as a PEOPLES Party delegate, and we
shall be there as a delegate, one of us
would have to leave
so help us God, we would not sit with
single one of them as Populist. We
would unhesitatingly make a motion that
he be not allowed 10 sit as a delegate.
IF the motion were carried, all we'll and
good If not, then we would leave the
hall. but in leaving we would not carry
the name of Populist with US. We should
try to find some other party to join, Tor
if these fellows who are calling themselves
Minority Pops represent the principles
and nolicv of the Peoples party, then by
the eternal realm of truth and honesty.
we won't, and will have nothing to do VITA
the Peoples Party.
This came in fulfillment of prophecy
We think it fulfills two prophecies. First,
that the Peoples Party would be at the
mercy of the Republicans and secondly
that heavy blow would be given TO the
cause of reform.
The editorial in the Caucasian OF Janu-