The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1929-09-20
One Way Simmons Can Save
The Tar Heel Democracy
Ard If He Won't Do 1t The Possibility of Red Party
Cprc.ed to the Republican Plutocracy in North
Carolina is Not to Be Sneezcd At
BY w. o. SAUNDERS

arolina to-day lies in the hands Of Senator f. NJ Sim
mons He can give the party its opportunity to re-
cover from the debacIc which he brought about last
November or he can drive the divided elements in the
rartv SO far apart in 1880 that they will never get
together again.
am not one of those who believe that the destruc
ton OF the Democratic party North Carolina at this
time or in the very future would be good thing
And vet am not blind to the faults of the Democratic
pa, tv and am no purblind Yellow Cur Democrat-that
is to saw the kind Of Democrat who boasts that he would
vote for yellow Cur rather than scratch the ticket
North Carolina to-day is at the cross roads, Inc
Republican, party of plutocracy and privilege IS IN the
asccnIancv and Democracy is on the down grade.
Governor O. Max Gardner in his bunglmg and mct-
cient handling of the labor disturbance i'll Piedmont
North Carolina is alternating large labor vote without
which the Democratic party in North Carolina can not
survive.
Tie frenzy and cussedncss and awlcssness OF the
anti communists in Piedmont North Carolina, Is hay
ing the effect Of provoking the sympathy OF thousands
of the underprvileged masses in every walk of III" IN
North Carona for the Communists.
DESTROY the Democratic party in North Carolina,
turn the State administration to the North caro-
lima pic counter brigade of the Republican party OF rl-
vcgc and protection and it is safe guess that 1t WIFI
not be twelve months before political organ1za-
ton will arise in North Carolina And that political
organization will likely as not be built around the
nucleus of the Communist party that has already taken
root in the GaStona mill district.
The leavcn of Communism has been working
among the landless and undernourished tenant farmers
OF North Carolina for several years. 1t is not such
new thing to them, for that fiery rcvoutlonls Dr. RI.
O. Alexander has not lcctured and pamphletecred in
i. 1aroe OF undcrprlVlleGcd
and cmbittered prolctarians in North Carolina who
have stood bv the old leaders only because those ola
leaders represented an Enthusiastically powerful and IN
lucnal majority When it is apparent that the power
Of the old leaders is exhausted by reason OF war be
tween themselves the prolearat Of North Carolina
will be raw meat for leaders and we may not be
sure that the Reds will not capture them.
Destroy the Democratic party Ill North Oarona
and the possibility Of the masses in ovcras III Aorh
Carolina-in fields. mines and forests as well as Ill
cotton mils-uniting under Red leadership is by no
remote one.
Senator Simmons threatens the utter destruction
of the Democratic party in North Carolina II he Is all
unopposed nominee in the Democratic primary election
next summer thousands of Democrats will stay out OF
the primary and Republicans may horn in and control
that primary There is nothing to stop them.
If Simmons is opposed in the primary, the party
will be hopelessy divided against itself and thousands
will bolt the party In either event the party DOOM
ed
Senator Simmons alone save the sItuaton
For SO years he has posed as Democrat and as the
leader of the North Carolina Democracy. 1c has ever
avowed passionate love for the party If there Is any
sincerity in him and if he really whoop tor the
interests of that army of Carolina henchmen who have
done his bidding for 80 years. he will save the party
from its dilemma by announcing that he will retire at
the expiration OF his present term and decline TO
permit the use of his i'll the party primary next
summer.
| have no idea that Senator Simmons will do any
such thing for more than quarter of century he has
worked and voted with the Republican bloc in the Con-
gress of the United States his record is plain to any
one who will look it up he is at heart Republican ana
has served the Republican party nationally while hoIu
ING his by the suffrage of Democratic State 'e
fate of the Democratic party is Of little moment to nm
SO long as he can save his own bacon and retain the
favor OF the national Republican bosses. But he can
not by any possibility his bacon in the next general
election in North Carolina. Simmons is doomed II the
Democrats don't get him. the Republicans hungry Tor
his office WILL There is left to him one opportunity
to do discreet and gracious thing Retire. remove HIM