The gold leaf., 1910-08-18
Wilmington Star.

Just as the Star predicted when
the Hon. Marion Butler began his
campaign to make Congress m an
John M. Morehead State Republican
Chairman, the ex-Populist United
States Senator won the victory in
the Republican State convention at
Greensboro. Duncan, finding that
he was beaten to a fraZzle by the
willy Sampsonian politician, retired
without shot. He did not wait for
the steam roller, but at the first toot
he promised to be good and took to
the woods.
The names of Congressman John
Motley Morehead, of Greensboro, E.
{. Duncan, OF Beaufort, and Major j
E. Alexander, of Winston, were placed
before the convention for State Chair
man, but before Butler and More
head could man the steam roller the
names of Duncan and Alexander
were quickly withdrawn and the har-
mony bugle was sounded. Duncan
saw that the Butler -Morehead combi-
nation had him showed under and
he did not wait long enough to test
his strength in the convention with
that OF MOrehead. However. the
election of the Hon Thomas Settle,
as Chairman over the Hon. III. G..
Ewart, Of Hendersonville, probabl
showed that Morehead had in the
convention nearly twice rs many
supporters as Duncan. For instance.
Settle, n MOrehead man, was made
convention Chairman by 1873 votes
to 37S for EWart, a Duncan man
That probably was a fair test vote
and Butler won his victory by more
votes than he claimed would be the
result prior to the assemblage of the
convention. 1t showed that Butler
knew what he was talking about, and
we believed he was going to do what
he said, for the ex-Populist politician
is an individual who knows the game
The action of the Republican con-
vention at Greensboro simply means
that the warning factions of the Re-
publican party have come together.
It means that the Democrats of
North Carolina need not count upon
any serious dissension in the Repub-
lcan ranks, and that, with Butler
scheduling Morehead s campaign, the
Democrats OF North Carolina had
better make haste to unite to meet
organized opposition that has dan
gerous elements in it. State Chair
man Morehead is a member of the
National Congressional campaign
committee and if the truth were
known his election as State Chair
man is part of the National Com
mittee's plan to capture North Caro-
lima for the Republican party. Fore
seeing inevitable losses of Republican
Congressman in some of the Western
States, doubtless the National Com
mittee has made up it's mind that it
is easier to seduce the South with the
hope of winning Congressman in
Southern States where the Republi-
cans have the slightest chance. Of
course, their principle aim is to Sc
cure continued control of Congress
by the Republican party, but in
doing so they hope to win the State
as well, along with the majority in
the Legislatures OF as many States
as they can carry.
The Republicans made such a big
gain in North Carolina in 1908 that
they have taken North Carolina for
an easy mark. In the 1908 election
the Republicans polled ia, ,S44 votes,
and with Taft as the Presidential
nominee the increase in Republican
votes over the strength of the party
fn 1906, was 1867 votes. In the
Presidential year OF 1904 the Repub-
licans polled S2,4 ,442 votes and in the
next Presidential year, 1908, they
polled ia, ,S44 votes, making the in
crease between Presidential elections
33, 3,442 votes. In the off year elec-
tion of 1906 the Republicans polled
77,O17 votes, which was falling off
OF 5,425 votes compared with the
previous election of 1904.
We mention this to emphasize the
fact that in Presidential years the
Republican party votes its full
strength in North Carolina, and with
the negro vote practically eliminated,
that party has made a gain which
should put the Democratic party on
it's mettle. We haven't the slightest
doubt that the National Congress
sional Committee has backed More
head and Butler in their fight to cap
ture the State organization and that
it will furnish campaign funds for
their work in this campaign. With
an organization such as Butler and
Morehead are capable of setting on
foot with the assistance of the
National party organization, with
money to back up their plans and
their schemes, North Carolina Demo
Gratis must make up their minds that
they must give the new combination
the solidest front they are capable OF.
Any Republican gain or success next
November will mean a big fight for
the State in the Presidential cam
paign OF 1912. Republicanism is a
growing menace to the best interests
of North Carolina and we may as
we'll recognize it. We may as we'll
face the danger and avert it by heal
ing all breaches and organizing for
the protection and preservation OF
North Carolina civilization accord
ing to the Southern standard.
E~o~. csoi<uass To E~1oIIank AaaskE,