The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-03-14
FINS

To-Day, the Atm OF March, senator
| Marion Butler, of North Carolina, will
gather up his books and papers-such
as have not been already moved
clean up his desk and walk out Of the
Senate cham Der. his term ended. Six
years ago today his Senatorial term
began. He was borne into the Senate
On the crest of a wave OF revolution,
and revolution has swept him out.
For dozen years or more this yet
comparatively young man has filled a
large space in the public eye OF Mort b
Carolina. A willy politician, a born
agitator, he took advantage of a spirit
Of unrest among the people, born of
hard times and low prices, aud led a
successful revolt against the then ex-
listing order of things, supplanting in
the Senate. a veteran of both military
and civil life whose views were not in
harmony with those of the people who
had for SO long honored themselves
by trusting him. 1t was, indeed, a
period Of revolution in North Caro-
lima. As MIR. Butler went into the
Senate there went into the House new
idSh pioO, aI'A ohhSI nc" Iucu Sill
two years later-men holding new
and strange doctrines, which were to
be at once enacted into laws, under
which the people were to be again
happy and prosperous. All OF these
new men are gone from the halls Of
Congress, and the most of them are
forgotten. And none of the things
for which they stood have ever taken
the form Of law. 1t is reasonable to
suppose that, ewing to the logic of
events, they have departed from some
OF the views which they held then.
Even ME-. Butler appears to have
changed in some OF his ideas. One Of
the demands" which he was conspic-
uous in urging some years ago, before
he became a Senator, was that the
compensation Of all public officers
should be reduced in order that they
might conform to the prices of agri-
cultural products. Yet one of the
last things that he did in the Senate
was to give notice of an amendment
to the sundry civil bill raising the
salaries of Senators and Representa-
tives from $1,000 to $1,000 year.
We have no purpose at this moment
to be unkind or even inconsiderate in
comment, but as one takes glance
at the public history of the State, be-
ginning, we will say, twelve years
ago. with an agitation which sue
cecded in 1894 and reached high
water mark in 1896, one wonders
what it was all for and what it all ac-
complished in the way Of practical re-
suits to the people. Mr. Butler was
the principal beneficiary of this agita-
ton. and since his sun sets today this
enquiry is timely. We have no sub
treasures; no free silver at 16 to /;
no government ownership of rail-
roads; no $50 per capita, issued direct
to the people. 1t is true the party
to which MIR. Butler was indebted for
his Senatorial honors succeeded. be-
fore ii expired, in ENGRAVING a good
many OF its vagaries upon the Demo-
cratic party, but they are as far from
realization as they ever were and the
Democratic party is worse off for the
new additions TO its articles Of faith
But why prolong the agony or fur
ther lacerate the public bosom by
recital of familiar and unpleasant his
tory Mr.. Marion Butler ceases at
high noon today to be a Senator of
the United States, and with his pass
ing the curtain goes down on little
political comedy-which at times had
in it the elements of tragedy-and
which has consumed in all some fif-
teen years in the playing. The ship
abeled democratic" has been moved
a good piece from where she was
moored when the storm broke out,
but if the storm produced any other
effect it is not apparent to the naked
eye. Leastways we congratulate our
selves that after all God reigns and
the republic still lives, and, like St. |
Paul at Three Taverns, we thank God
and take courage.-Charlotte Observer.
4N