The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-09-27
tFrom Our Regular Correspondent

RALEIGH, \. e., September n, l3Oo.
Is it best for and conducive to the Ion
gevity of the Democratic party to per
manently adopt the primary plan gen
orally in making nominations for office
hereafter?
Within week | would have answered
that question UNDERSTANDINGS i'll the affirm
ative. ! am now prepared to reply III the
negative But. in view Of the unpleasant
and deplorable result already reached Ill
the Senatorial contest. because OF the as
sauts of Democrats upon the very head
and front OF our own party, as witnessed
in the false charges circulated 10y some
against Mr.. Simmons say it should
give rs pause,
Let us look more carefully and consider
more thoroughly this proposition, after
the Senatorship is settled. before we get
any deeper into a plan which bids fali'
to prove ii cut-throat one. wherein men
of the same political blood and household
seek to destroy each other.
How long can Il party last under such
conditions if they become general. | ask
YOU
THE INITIAL rNPLEAsANTNfss.
The friends OF Chairman Simmons have
been greatly panied and shocked during
the past week by the knowledge that
certain persons, calling themselves Dem
ocrat-." have lately been going. about
the State .'dropping poison. i'll the
usual manner OF the character assassin,
calculated to injure Mr.. Simmons person
ally and his candidacy for the Senator
ship.
These ''charges are simply old re-
vamped lies first put in circulation by
| the fusonsts during the campaigns OF
| 1898 and this summer, with not Il basis
| of truth to rest upon. and consist mainly
| of the allegations that Mr.. Simmons was
well paid while serving as State chair
man III 1892 1S9S-19OO; that he was
| an agent OF the Southern Railway and IA
| lobbyist. etc.
Mr. Simmons was so shocked and hurt
| that alleged friends, OF the same point
cal faith and household, should have re
sorted to such unWarranted and dishon
orable methods to injurc him that he
| deemed it necessary to publish a caro-
within the last few days in the daily
papers which efiectually disposeS OF eacl
| of the .'charges and which is a mode
statement OF the facts as they exist.
| No one who has any sense OF justice anD
| fair play would desire to advance theil
| fayOrltes ut expense OF the man to whom
the party owes SO much by circulating
| ialsehoods against him; nor would they
deny him an opportunity to correct the
| false reports.
| JUSTICE WILL Re DONE 10 EACH CANpI
| DATE.
one OF he most deIorable facts con
| nected with the entire matter is that
| these assaults have been made upon him
| at a time when Mr. Simmons was suffer
| ing great personal bereavement wing
| just lost his mother and the life OF his be-
loved and devoted Wife hanging by |,
thread as she lay upon her couch o'
afiiction in a hospital in this city.
The earnest heartfelt sympathy OF thou
sands. who have felt the poisoned III:
rows OF malice and the knife of the char:
acter assassin and the migrate. will &c
out to this man who has been SO unjustly
| assaulted. and a great many true Demo
Gratis will be drawn to him now more
| closely than ever before And the very
patent fact that the Republicans and
'MckinleyP and the fusonists would
| prefer any one to him and are now work
| ing to accomplish his defeat (hoping that
such "repudiation> by his own party
| would ruin him and kill his influence il
W Ill llluht tiltlIl ttii TIT
more earnest and active in Mr. Simmons
| behalf
Mr.. Simmons friends could scarcely be
lleve that any one aspiring to the Sena
torship himself could have inspired these
assaults upon him. and do not assert it
But these stpcrserviceable friends O
Others who are guilty OF it had better
adopt Il different course or they will con
| trIhnfn themselves. % y,r,,l,- r., h, lafnn1
| OF their own candidate All OF them are
good men. tit for the exalted position t,
| which they aspire. and no mud singing
| should be INDUCED i'll by the friends O
| either.
Is THE PRIMARY THE BEST SYsTEMo
| | know. Mr. Editor that YOU deplors
such ''politics' and condemn such prac
tees, as do. Only last week these let
ters congratulated all that no PERSONAL
ties or bad feeling had entered into th'
Senatorial canvass and hardly was thu
ink dry on the printed copy before thi
| unfortunate situation was brought t.
public notice
Democrats cannot afford to abuse eacl
other, and if this sort of thing is to be on,
OF the results, we had better stop al,s
carefully consider the matter gain befOr
we adopt ''legalzed primaries or go an!
further into the primary business. | hay'
just read several editorials in South Car
DINA papers expressing disgust OF tn,
plan III that State after a faithful trial
But they may not represent the prevail
| ing sentiment here
| WHO CAN VOTE FOR SENATOR
| explained the resolution OF Naio
Hales recently adopted by the Stat,
cOnmitte in these letters several week,
ago, defining who can vote under it an<
the resolution adopted by the State con
vention in April, and stated that the TIVE