The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-10-11
SIMMONS MACHINE"
RESENTED,
Col. Cars friends disrupting the
Democratic Party.


An advocate of Col. Carr, writing in
The Post of Sunday over the nom de
plume of "Fair Play" says: "Ihe vot-
ers of this country have two classes
from which to select their candidates
for offioe-the professional politicians
--men who start out to make their
Lying out of politics, and the substan-
tial working business men, who by
their iodustry and close application
succeed in building up material worth
for themselves, and thereby indirectly
add to the material growth and devel-
opm ent of the commonwealth" He
declares that the former looks only "to
his own political advancement and in
most casses is utterly regardless OF the
means he uses. Neither does he care
whether the State is benefited or not,
so he accomplishes his purpose and
succeeds in building up machine for
himself that he may prolong his hold
upon Office" He then argues that we
must not select a Senator from this
class, but take Gen. Carr who repre-
sents the other class.
Col. Carr, in his Mt. Holly speech,
as reported in the News and Observer,
declared that he had no machine" be-
hind him that he was the peoples
candidate and would be elected if he
could get a free ballot and fair count at
the hands Of the Democratic organiza-
ton.
The clear intimatlon from Fair
Plays" article is that Mr.. Simmons
"to accomplish his purpose and sue
ceed In building up a machine fer
himself" has been utterly regardless Of
the means employed and has not cared
whether the State was benefited or
not that he procured the appointment
OF the various committees throughout
the State, not in the interest of White
Supremacy, good government and the
election @: Bryan, but to accomplish
his own personal ambitions. The staff
correspondent Of the Charlotte Obser-
yer, writing from Winston, says that
Mr.. Simmons is being charged with
every fraud from ballot box stuffing to
highway robbery.
In '96 the party demanded Col. Cars
personal services-not his money. He
declined to serve because be said his
wife and business associates did not de-
sire him to enter politics at that time.
In 1898 the party secured the per-
sonal services of Mr.. Summons. He is
a poor man, dependent upon the in
come from his profession as lawyer
for his support, but left his business for
more than year and gave his entire
time and talents to the party, paying
at least one-seventh of his entire es-
tate to the cause, and with the aid OF
the Democratic workers of the State
succeeded in making White Supre-
macy permanent.
Under our plans OF organization In
each of these campaigns, each precinct
in the State selected its own precinct
each county coven-
tion elected the county COMMITTEES, and
the delegates to the State convention
named the State committee. The sew
eral committees worked harmoniously
and with great zeal, aided by the great
army of Democratic workers, and the
great victories for the good Of the State
were won.
The friends OF Col. Carr now insin-
uate that these committees constitute
q "machine" which Mr.. Simmons has
built up for his own advancement" "
which will be "utterly regardless OF the
means employed" to defeat him-Col.
Carr.
As one of the humble Democratic
workers, in behalf of the State and of
the county and precinct committees
and of the host of Democratic workers,
l resent these unjust insinuations.
These committeeman are among our
best and bravest men. They have work
ed day in and day out for the good of
the State. They have remained silent
under Butlers: vilifications and have
not feared Holton's Federal prosecu-
tions, but they will resent these un-
Just lnsinuations by men in their own
party.
It Is upon these same committees and
Democratic workers that Mr.. Bryan
must rely to carry North Carolina In
Are those who would dis
credit these vicarious workers friends
Of Mr. Bryan?
Until now, no one but Butler and
his heelers, has thought to call these
men the "Simmons machine" These
are they who constitute the Democrat
ic organization, selected all over the
State because of their ability and will
[ngness to assist in redeeming the State
from negro rule. Is 1t fair or just
that they should be now discredited