The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-30
Written by Friends Of Hon. F. M. Simmons.

To the Editor:-In Webster's Weekly OF
September goth. newspaper that is
warmly advocating Gen. Carr's candidacy
for the Senate, appears remarkable
editorial 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 man goes
to the United States Senate from this
State upon whom Mr.. Bryan, if he is elect
ed-and we pray God he may be--can rely
! in any and all emergencies"
| The writer attempts to show that Mr..
| Simmons IS ? new convert to silver and
that in 1894 and 1896 his public utterances
were in opposition to the views he now
expresses and were in harmony with
those of Mr.. Cleveland. He first takes up
an articles written by Judge Womack, of
Raleigh, urging eleven reasons in favor
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 public
ly, in the State conventions and else
where, advocated policies opposed by the
President, declaring he would surrender
his office before he would surrender his
PRINCIPLES.
GAS stated last week. we were a mem
Der of the conventions of 1894 and 1896,
but we do not recall that Mr. Simmons
was conspicuous for his opposition to Mr..
Cleveland's policies. The North Caro-
linian, Raleigh paper, gave full re-
port of the proceedings of the conven-
tion of 1894, q copy of which we have pre-
served. and we do not find a line or a
sentence showing that Mr.. Simmons open
ed his mouth upon silver or the Senatorial
primary, which were the leading ques-
lions before the convention. His speech
in calling the convention to order gave
no indication of his position upon these
questions. being purely formal. How diff
ferent from this year. when he made a
ringing speech in opening the convention.
declaring his position upon both State and
national issues"
The impression attempted to be made
by this statement is undoubtedly that Mr..
Simmons made no declaration in favor Of
silver. either in 1894 or 1896. while hold
ing office under Mr. Cleveland He says
he does not recall that Mr.. Simmons
was conspicuous in his opposition to Mr.
Clevelands policies. but when he comes
to refer to the North Carolinian, he speaks
of the North Carolinan of 1894 only. II
the writer preserved the North CAROLYN
ian of 1894. is it not reasonable to con-
clude that he also preserved the North
Carolinian of 1896, and if the paper of that
year gave an account of Mr. Simmons
speech, in which he declared for silver
would not candor and a desire to see the
right done and 1.-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 con-
vention, in which he unequivocally de-
clared for silver at the ratio of 16 to 1.
We quote from the report OF the proceed
ings of the convention, contained in the
North Carolinian of July I'd. 1896:
collector F. NJ Simmons came for
ward He said he was a Federal office
holder, but above that he was Demo-
crat, North Carolinian and an Anglo
Saxon, (applause) and was in favor of free
silver, is to I. (Applause.) Before Lon
don or John Bull had existence. God AL
mighty had placed the two money metals
in the bowels of the earth in about the
war against silver as a war against the
masses and humanity. At the bottom OF
the question lay the storm centre; the
question, which shall rule, the man or the
dollars. (Applause) The gold standard
had in twenty three years confiscated
one-half of the property Of this land.
(Applause.) Mr.. Simmons exhorted the
Democrats to continue the fight and pre-
no oixyiIf rot nm
our race (Applause)
Mr.. Cleveland was at this time violently
opposed to silver. and every Democrat IN
the land knew it. and Mr.. Simmons and
all who heard him knew that he was
speaking in opposition to the views ana
policies OF Mr.. Cleveland. The writer OF
the editorial saws that he was present
at this convention and that he dld not
hear Mr.. Simmons say anything in oppo-
sition to Mr.. Cleveland's policy. Ii ne
will turn to the files Of Websters Weekly
of July I'd. 1896, he will find that he did
hear it, and that at that time the utter
ances of Mr.. Simmons were regarded as
one of the most pleasant incidents OF that
convention In Webster's Weekly OF July
Cd, 1896, appears the following:
"Among the most pleasant incidents or
the convention were the emphatic declar-
ations of Messrs. r. B. Glenn and r. M.
Simmons that they felt under no obliga-
lions to anybody to hold their silver views
in allegiance, but they were determined
to be in the thickest of the fight for the
white metal"
Did the writer know this when he wrote
his article, Turn on the Lights II he
did. did not common honesty require him
to tell it? And if he did not remember
it. ought he not now to apologize? the
writer was not, however satisfied with
the case that he had made out against
Mr.. Simmons, and in his search for light
and the truth he again begins to examine
his Exchanges He says: Mr.. SIM
mons had a discussion with Mr.. Marion
Butler in Wayne county in October, 1884,
and in an extended report of the debate
found in one of our exchanges, and
which he had preserved, he is credited
with having said: L am in favor of BIZ
metallism / am in favor of putting sill
yer on an equal footing with gold, and II
England. Germany and other foreign coun-
tries would agree to it, We could have
free coinage here right away but the
time is not yet ripe for free silver. If it
1