The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-05-24
HON. MARION BUTLER
An Honest Man-The Intellectual
Giant of The State-Respected by
Statesmen, And Loved by the Peo-

! For the Hickory Times-Mercury.
| see in your paper Of the 11th, in
slant, the letter you quote from some
Republican commenting your sugges-
| tion of Mr.. Bower for Congress In
the Eighth District This writer is
unknown to me, and I have not the
slightest idea who he is, but /, Re-
publican myself, am sure he has good
sense, and correct Judgment, whoever
he may be. This same Republican
also advises Mr.. Blackburn to cease
his fight on Butler, andI say amen
to that.
| There are good men who fight But
Ter. There are good men who fight
free silver, when an issue or no issue.
There are good men who fight the
tariff This is so with all important
matters which greatly concerns the
safety of vital combinations political
or otherwise. When Marion Butler
first opened his mouth in North Caro-
lima as a Poulist campaigner there
was a current Of party alarm travers-
ed the State such as has not before
happened in its history. Apprehen-
sion for the safety of the great DEM
ocracy of the State possessed the
leaders, and the vitals of wrath were
opened upon him. There was more
vitrol poured out. on him than has
ever been emptied upon any other
public man not charged with any
specific crime amenable to the law.
The Republican leaders became en-
vious of him as they witnessed the
; myraiads of people who regardless
of party, met him wherever he ap-
peared. He literally swayed the null
tidue. Some Of the mightiest cham
, pions of the Democracy, went down
before him. The unabridged diction-
aries, in more than one language, were
ransacked for billinsgate to apply to
him, and heap upon him, because he
was power to be recounted with and
had the whip hand. He had done
nothing to deserve such detraction
and has not to this day. He was a
clean man and has remained so. Not
one dishonest act can be attributed
to the man, and no monest man will
), say there is. This is most saving
grace in a pilitician of these days
The educated and settled abuse OF
1 Butler followed him to Congress
When General Malone entered the
Senate, the ablest wielder of ridicult
and denunciation in that body was
set up to destroy him, because he ha6
broken from the Democratic party il
n his own State and defeated it, anG
n this attack went far toward Malone. ,.
c undoing. So Isham Harris, of Ten
Il nessee, the keenest cutter with sar
: casm that kills, who ever entered tn,
o Senate, was precipitated on Butler
IL The grizzled old war horse, as he step
d ped from the chamber after the de
d bate, was heard to say, 81 dug III
o more snakes than I could kill -
IS When Buffers six years term wa
, out, every Senator who had sat will
S him In that body respected him. Th
Congressional Record from the begin
r nlng OF the Government to the presen
d time, proves that this thirty year
l. Old youngster did more to wake III
e the mass of mankind in this countr,
l. to better knowledge of their right
d than any one who had gone befor
l. him. A cold, impassive man, like
great surgeon he drove the knife t
the root of terror, regardless O
h consequences to himself. Criticisr
n and rldicule Of his position had II
le fears for him. Lo, and behold th
ID men today who were on the track h
G. was trailing! They can be counte
to from the President down.
i. The students of the State Universit
,r where Butler graduated, have invit
IN ed him to address, them this yea
" Most likely courtesy had no place
+, The consideration which prompted i
" In the first place Marion Butler
a. about the ablest man within the boz
at ders OF his progressive State. Whe
Il. we think about it, this statemer
De should make no other man feel tbs
ne II Is derogatory to himself. when
KNOWS that no other man could hax
!. done what Butler did in 1894. Tbes
h. young men who invited him to II
th University, are being instructed g
wv SS I" HIahc IIitfi Vi themselves.
al that they can do things. Preiudi,
III contracts the mind These studen
are taught to be broad-guaped.
pd was the part of. wisdom to invi
Is Butler. He has been up against Il
nd first men of the nation. He is ini
on mate with such men today. He
at at the hub Of information of develo
of ment and progress. There is not
m nationally popular periodical in Il
country but would gladly publish ,
IS article from his pen on any subie
rd he chose to write about. He can coI
tb mand popular audience in any pla
"a, In the union where the state is movi]
ak on broad lines. He can draw togeth
"a larger audience an North Car
a lima than any man In it. An a
or nouneement that Marion Butler wou