The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-10-11
Simmons Able Defender.
JUDGE ALLEN REPLIES TO WEBSTER'S
ATTACK ON DEMOCRATIC LEADER,

tie "Turns on the Light" and Shows
up Mr.. Webster'S Animus and Poor
nemory When to Forget a Thing
Suits His Purpose Better-ButIer' s
Caucasian Quoted From Anony-
mously to DisCredit the Fearless
Leader of Democracy, When Such
Evidence Would Not BE- Taken i'm a
Respectable Court to Convict a
Decent Dog.
In Webster's Weekly of September
ZVth, new spaper that is warmly ad-
vocating General Carr's candidacy for
the Senate, appears a remarkable edi
torial under the heading Turn on
the Light" which closes with a state
ment: Let Us be understood in this
matter: our only motive is to see that
a man goes to the United States Sen
ate from this State upon whom Mr..
Bryan, if he is elected, and we pray
God he may be, can rely in any and
all emergencies.
The writer attempts to show that
Mr.. Simmons is a new convert TO
silver, and that in 1894 and 1896 his
public utterances were III opposition
to the views he now expresses and
were in harmony with those Of Mr..
Cleveland. He first takes up an ar
ticle written by Judge Womack, of
Raleigh, urging eleven reasons in
favor of Mr.. Simmons election to the
! United States Senate, and says:
Ills (Judge Womack's) fourth
reason was what the newspaper craft
would call scoop, Il piece OF i'm
/ portant news given to the public foI
the first lime.' We beg to quote:
/. '.In 1891 and 1896, he boldly and
| publicly, in the State conventions and
elsewhere, advocated policies oppos-
ed by the President, declaring he
would surrender his office before he
would surrender his principles.
As stated last week, we were /,
member of the conventions of 1894
and 1896. but we do not recall that
Mr.. simmons was conspicuous for his
opposition to Mr.. Cleveland's politics
The North Carolinian, Il Raleigh
paper, gave Il full report Of the pro
cecdings of the convention Of 1894. &
copy OF which we have preserved, anG
we do not tinj a line or "A sentence
showing that Mr.. Simmons openet
his mouth upon silver or the sena,
tOrial primary, which were the lead
ing questions before the convention
His speech in 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, de
cIaring his position upon both State
and National issues"
The impression attempted to be
made by this statement is undoubted
ly hat Mr.. Simmons made no declar
alton in favor of silver, either in 1S9-
or 1896 while holding Office under
Mr.. Cleveland. He says he does no
recall that Mr.. Simmons was consplc
uous in his opposition to Nh Cleve
lands politics, but when he comes tC
refer TO the North Carolinian. he
speaks of the North Carolinian of 1S9-
only. If the writer preserved the
North Carolinian of 1894, is it no
reasonable to conclude that he alsC
preserved the North Carolinian o
1896, and if the paper of that yea
gave an account of Mr.. Simmons
speech in which he declared for silver
would not candor and desire to Sc,
the right done and 1.-The light turned
Il l,l h.,t IN
The truth is that the writer knew
that in 1896, Mr.. Simmons made ;
speech in the State convention, IL
which he unequivocally declared tOl
silver at the ratio of l6 to l. W.
quote from the report OF the pro
ceediugS Of the convention. contained
in the North Carolinian OF July ,
1896:
..CoiIcclor + NJ. Simmons came
forward He said he WAS a Fedora
office holder. but, above that, he wa:
a Democrat. North Carolinian and al
Anglo-SaNon, (applausel and was il
| favor of free silver l6 TO l. (ApplauseJ
Before London or John Bull bad eXis
tcnrc. God Almighty had placed th'
two money metals in the bowels o
the earth in about the proportion o
Ii to l. He denounced the wa
avanst silver as war against th
masses and humanity. At the bottom
Of the question lay the storm centre
the question. Which shall rule, th
man or the dollar? (Applause(. Th
gold standard had in twenty-thre
= wears contiScatcd one-half of tn
7 property of this land. applause
: Mr.. Simmons exhorted the Democrat
. to continue the fight and to preserv
/ to our children the civilization OF on
race" (ApPlauSe),
t Mr.. Cleveland was at this time VIC
K lently opposed to silver, and ever
n Democrat in the land knew it, an
: Mr. Simmons and all who heard hii
knew that he was speaking in oppo
r Siton to the views and policies t
{ Mr.. Cleveland. The writer of th
> editorial saws that he was present
:. this convention and that he did NJ
e hear Mr.. Simmons say anything
e opposition TO Mr.. Cleveland's policy
+ Ii he will turn to the flies of Webster
q Weekly of july ,. 1896. he will lin
d that he did hear it. and that at tn;
time the utteranceS of Mr.. Simmer
~ were regarded as one ofthe most plea
IS ant incidents Of that convention.
h Webster's Weekly of July ,. 1896. a
II pears the following:
Among the most pleasant inc
dents of the convention were the en
- phatic declarations of Messrs. Il.
I Glenn and F. NJ Simmons that The
| felt under no obligations to anyboc
to hold their silver views in abeyanc
I but they were determined to be in Il
! thickeSt of the fight for the whi
metal"
Did the writer know this when
D wrote his article. Turn on Il
, Light" II he did. did not commC