The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1908-08-20
HON. MARION BUTLER WRITES,
Expresses His Appreciation for the
Selection Of Him as a Candidate for
Governor Of North Carolina. But
Declines to- Accept.
TO the Editor of The AGFora.

/
My Dear Sir:-Have just received
a marked copy OF your valued paper
containing a communication sug-
gesting my nomination for Governor.
desire TO take this means of ex-
pressing my high appreciation of the
very kind references to me- personal
ly contained therein, but, at the same
time, l wish to say that / could not
accept the nomination at this time,
| even IL 1t were rendered to me- /
do not take this position, however,
because of any feeling that the nomi-
| nation this year would in any sense
be an empty honor. 1t is because OF
business and other reasons, which 1t
| Is not necessary here to enumerate.
On the other hand, | desire to say
that there is now a better opportun-
ity To carry the State this fall than
there was in 1894 when we did car
ry 1T with a sweeping victory The
apathy and generalization are greater
and the divisions deeper in the Dem
ocratic ranks now than then. Also,
there is now undoubtedly a much
larger Independent vote that looks
to men and the issues rather than to
the party label than there was then.
Besides, Taft appeals strongly to the
very elements of the Democratic par
ty that distrust or fear Bryan most.
Let us now nominate a candidate for
Governor who will appeal to the
tsame elements as against Kitchin,
and we can not fail to carry the
State if we do our duty
In short, there could not be a
more favorable opportunity for sue
cess than now lies before us, yet such
an opportunity can be thrown away,
and this is my only fear,-the one
thing that stands in the way of a
Republican Governor, a Republican
Legislature, a United States Senator,
number of Congressman, Judges,
Solicitors, and other State officers,
together with the electoral vote of
North Carolina for Taft and Sher-
man.
In 1892 theremAw was a fine oppor-
tunity to carry the State. There
were then abundant elements of sue
cess lying before us, all that was
necessary on our part was to intelli-
gently take advantage Of them, or
ganize them ,and make an honest ef-
fort to win. Did we do it? No.
Why? Because the Republican or
ganization was in the hands of the
Eaves federal patronage machine,
and they said NO The trouble
was. that they did not want the State
to go Republican, and, besides, they
were probably incompetent to appre-
ciate the situation and effectively
utilize it even if they did desire to
carry the State.
In 1894, unfortunately for the
country generally, but fortunately
for us, there was a Democratic Ma
tional administration, and hence the
Eaves federal patronage machine
had disbanded, and therefore it was
possible to take advantage of anoth
er fine political situation. Those
who organized the elements of sue
cess and conducted that campaign
were allowed largely to have their
own way, and the result was that the
great victory was easily won.
have heard it said a hundred
times by prominent and observant
men that we would not have won
in 1904 if there had been a Repub-
lican national administration, sand l
must admit that there is force in
the observation. If there is any
cause in the way of victory this year,
it will be the same obstacle. Is 1t
possible that we must throw away
this great opportunity and wait until
the country suffers from another
Democratic national administration
before we can win another victory in
North Carolina? 1t should not be
so. We should be able to carry the
State when we have all the powerful
| federal offices easier than when we
are without them. The men who
have not only the honor and pres
tige, but also the liberal emoluments
of the many federal Offices are in
much stronger position to give
more of their time and means to
help carry the State than they would
be without these positions, and the
party is in a much stronger position
than it would be if these offices were
held by the opposition. Surely, we
can fight the Democratic party to
Ibetter advantage when we have all
these influential and well-paid posi-
tions, and they are without them,
than we can when they have them
and we are empty handed. And if
the head of the organization, who
hands out these offices, sincerely
wanted to elect the State ticket, this
would be true.
But this whole situation, however,
is still within the control OF the
party and can be adjusted at the
next State Convention if we have
convention that wants to do it, and
lany convention that truly represents
the rank and file of the party will
do it.
If we can have such a convention
lit will nominate a ticket from Gov
ernor down composed of men of the
highest character and capacity
men fit to be elected and who will
make a vigorous fight for victory.
We have an abundance of material
for such a ticket, but such men
would not accept the nomination ii
: the patronage machine policy is to
J be followed. They would not serve
, on the ticket simply to run for