The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-02-01

Does Some Plain Talking.
To the Hon. Marion Butler:
>ir:-I was not present at the meet
ing Of the PopuIist State Executive
Committee in Raleigh. but have read
an account OF what took place at the
meeting, and Your speech particularly,
with surprise, cha@rin and dismay.
| went into the Populist party from
principle, believing that there was a
distinct work for that party to do in
the State and Nation. | have re-
manned in the part for the same
reason though conscious that 1t has
often made serious bIunders and that
it has laid itself open to severe but
iu-titiablc criticism. was content
to believe that its faults were such
a. with growing age and strength
would be ovcrcpmc.sfa grounded
in circumstance rather than in de-
Iibcratc intention. With the rttlcc-
tion have comforted myself in the
past. have stuck to the party orca:tj-
zaIipu and have conscie,ttiou,lv
~triycn 10 hold il to the aims a1d ends
conceived and embodied in its decla-
ration Of principles. believing that
whatever issue Of grave import might
All" tn" Popnli~t party would be
f"und fa'orlng the right.
NnH. sir. the people Of North Caro-
Itun are confronted by the most seri-
inIr " hen the States intelligence and
worth >couragrd ignorance, vice and
drbauchcrv frcm It's high places, a
quarter If q century ago, 1t is
! proposed to right a wrong done
| the State through force. fraud
and ianatici,m, at a time when
her worthy citizenship was impotent
and when her protest was considered
| rood cau>" for fresh indignities aud
more high-handcd outrages by the
aliens and renegades who held bay
onet to her throat while they despoiled
| her. For thirty wears the State has
worn the fetter> riveted upon her
| limbs in her hour of weakness and has
done it patiently, hoping in the end
that they would drop away of their
| own weight or would be struck off
|
war and blood had passed away, and
| when a new generation in the union
should see conditions in a perspective
| not distorted by passion and hate.
| the hope has been vain, and the State
has now taken up for herself the work
| of removing the incubus that has de-
| layed her progress and menaced her
| peace and safety. In this undertake
ing she has Il right to expect that
every son who has nursed at her
| breast will stand shoulder to shoulder
| in her defense.
Under such conditions what do
| find is the attitude of the POpulist
organization Il do not say party) of
which you, Mr.. Butler, are the ac-
knowledged leader? | find that at
Your instance that organization has
adopted a resolution placing it in
| irrccuncilable antagOniSm to those
who would right this wrong of thirty
years standing. In your speech to
the committee YOU tell them that YOU
will whip this gang from the State.
What gang" Mr.. Butler, is it that
YOU propose to "whip from the
State? 1t is the men whose fore
| bears have made the State great in
peace and terrible in war from the day
| that it was carved from the wilderness
and claimed from savagery. Did it
! occur to YOU when YOU were utter
| inc this Iauntv threat that these men
have never been '.whipped'' in all
their history? They are mortal and
may be killed; they can not be cowed.
Their number is limited and they may
be overpowered; they can not he
whipped
And who, sir, compose your cohorts
that are to 20 gaily forth to whip the
men and the sons of the men who
| marched up to the redoubts at Gettvs
| burg? Not the rank and file of the
Populist party. They are white mer
and will stand with their brethren fol-
a white mans rights and white
mans State. They are honorable mer
| and will stand for the States good
name. They are intelligent men auC
Will stand with the men who make uE
| % per cent of the States intelligence
| They are free men and therefore, sir
are not to be made the chattels of &
| petty cabal that bargain to sell TIL,
| state TO lnfamy to get offices fol
| themselves to enrich themselves
with the price of her prostitution
| They are chivalrous men and, there
fore. will fight with those who have
always protected the virtue of oul
women, Your army is made up o
12O. 900 negroes otlicered by the few
white men who have lived by trading
on their votes and who are naturally
enraged that anv one should be about
to end that traffic. Negroes and rem
egade whites. Mr.. Butler. may dc
what British veterans failed to do and
what the battalionS of Grant never
did-but | doubt it.
You are At liberty. sir, to sell Your
self if YOU can find a purchaser.
There are some who believe voul
search in that particular has been re
warded; it is no wild Inference from
YOUR conduct. You can not sell the
men who compose the PopuliSt party
You may attempt TO betray them
they have come to expect that at youl
hands. You can not lead them with
in the lines Of YOUR negro and rene
gade army. What price. Mr.. Butler
has been offered YOU? The Senator
ship again. doubtless. when YOU hav,
''whipped" decent white men ..out O
the State" You will not get it unit
You accomplish that undertaking, anc
none would then be more eminentl,
fitted for the position. Negroes anc
renegade whites would perhaps fine
vou to their liking. In tie eyes of al
others YOU are contemplate. Who
shall blame YOU. therefore, for casting
in your lot with those who. alone, d.
not shrink from YOUR leadership?