Page Six
THE STATE
December 22, 1934
Marion Butler: A Great Fighter
I
lull'll
of
X ill.- course Of HIV nows-
in North Caro¬
ls <‘halh-ug«-d t«>
•sen tied wit limit
l h rent grow out
Populist
in which
intimated that n unique
i anp*
I w.
lull I
The
IF yon*ve boon reading III Ik soritvs
of article's by Ur. If
гул
ill* you'll
1м»
especially inlcrcslctl in I lio accom¬
panying nooounl of ono of Iho onl-
slaiulin^ stormy petrels of Norlli
Carol ina politics — Illarion Bui lor.
of a report of a
rallv at wadcsboro
I
citizen of Anson county had turned fi
the Di'iimernts to tlm Fusionists I ir—
cause they had job-*, drinks and money
to offer.
Those were trying days. The donkey
party was on the run, and its foes in
the saddle, riding ii down. Many of
the political leaders "f the turbulent
nineties have passed away. They had
a brief, exciting reign, and were ousted
by an army under the aggressive leader¬
ship of Fumifold M. Simmons, of New
Pern.
Marion Butler, master mind and
promoter of Populism and Mr. Sim¬
mons survive. After serving a term in
the United States Senate Mr. Puller
hung out a law shingle in Washington,
where lm now resides. His colleague,
Jeter C. Pritchard. Republican, and
most of the Populist-Republican coali¬
tion in embers of the House arc dead. I
was in the thick of the political strife
of the Uiltler-Pritohard era, not as a
partisan, but a reporter.
Upsetting the Old Order
Tim rough -riding Populists and Re¬
publican* made trouble, and history.
As a disorganize!1 of Democrats, an
organizer of the Farmers Alliance, edi¬
tor of The Contusion (organ of the
Populist party), and director of the
Populist movement, Mr. Butler upset
the old order in the state. The hatred
then visited upon him was a tribute to
his cunning, aggros»iveiics* and courage.
He did something to the Democrats no¬
body else bad been aide to do. In the
course of a few months he developed
into a formidable debater, and was rec¬
ognized as one who could and would
hold his own in a rough and tumble
argument with the best. Cool headed,
quick wilted, bold, daring, determined
and fearless he found it. quite easy to
i stumper. The
two campaigners
th him : Charles
fearless
combat the aver
Democrat* had jt
who could cope
Brantley
Л у
cock, of Wayne, and Robert
P. Glenn, of Forsyth. After his most
spirited Hireling with Mr. Glenn there
was doubt in the minds of unbiased per¬
sons who heard the debate as to which
III/ II. II. C. BRYANT
carried off the laurels. A great many
who were there gave the victory to Mr.
Puller. It was pretty generally con¬
ceded that Mr. A
у
cock could gel the
host of an argument with the tall,
powerfully built, howhiskered Popu¬
list. but it was nip and tuck with them
at all times.
One of the most interesting experi¬
ences I ever had was on the assign¬
ment tu cover the rally at Wadcsboro,
where Mr. Ilutler was the s|»eaker.
This was not a debate but a parly affair,
a sort of love feast. From the view¬
point of the Populist Mr. Butler made
a great speech, which was heard by
thousand* of moil. Women took but
little interest ill Hi tical discussions
hack in those days.
Mr. Butler did not enliven his s|*eech
with anecdotes, or other amusing sallies
hut conlinod it to a forceful presenta¬
tion of the Populist doctrine and sting¬
ing criticism of op|Htnents. His lan¬
guage was concise and to the point.
There was something about his appear¬
ance- it may have been his heard — and
his style of speaking that reminded one
of General Matt W. Ransom, whom In-
had sot out to defeat.
The Wadcsboro Rally
On leaving Charlotte for Wadcsboro
I was instructed bv my boss, Joseph P.
Caldwell, to “give Puller a full, fair
report, and if he needs to Is- criticised
I will attend to that in my editorials.”
At that time Mr. Butler was disliked
by the Democrats and feared by the
Republicans. Fusion bad not In-come
fully effective. While old party men
admired and respected him for bis
-sense and intelligence they detested his
polities, and looked upon him as an
antagonist who could not be dismissed
as a cheap turn-coat. I realized at the
Wadcsboro pow-wow be bad made him¬
self felt and dreaded. Democrats, R*-
publieans and Populists had come from
three or four counties to see and hear
him. His followers whooped it up as
he drove home his points and lambasted
his opponents.
A strange, but well-known
citizen of Anson county took
exception to a paragraph in
my story from Wadcsboro
ami promptly notified my
office he would fight mo. At
the rally I had noticed a
dmrt, stocky built man of middle age,
wearing a large, bushy beard, standing
near the rostrum. With shoeless feet,
covered with mud, breeches rolled al-
most to his knees, and a heavy slouch
hat in his band the odd looking fellow
sect . I to have boon drinking in the
speech word for word. He hit my funny
hone, and I askid a neighbor if he knew
him.
“Yes," said lie, “that is the 'Hon.’
Puck Newton, who, I am afraid, has
left the Democrats and gone to the*
Populists and Republicans because
they now have the offices, the liquor and
the cash.”
Challenge to a Duel
Buck, on having his attention called
to my story by Colonel Lilly, proprietor
of a drug store at Lilesrillc, became
very angry, and cavorted about for an
hour or two. Seeing the possibilities
in the incident l)r. Lilly wrote out a
challenge, sent it to Mr. Caldwell, whose
sense of humor was as keen ns a razor
blade, and it was published. Mr. Cald¬
well, without telling me of tlicenniniuni-
cation, wrote an editorial, accepting the
challenge for me, designating himself as
my sreond. and stating the weapons
should “he cornstalks pulled up by the
root with the dirt left on."
This controversy continued for throe
months. Mr. Caldwell fanning it at one
end and Dr. Lilly and others at the
other. Physically Burk was very power¬
ful but mentally not so strong, although
he had wit that often stumped his su¬
periors. I ran into him one day on the
streets of Wadcsboro. introduced mv-
o-lf. and asked him how about the duel.
He had sense enough to suggest that if
I would give him “a couple shorts of
l"'cr" he would call it off. and I did and
that closed the argument.
I have often wondered what would
have happened if Mr. Butler, like Ben¬
jamin R. Tillman, loader of the farmer
uprising in South Carolina, had re¬
fused to leave the Democrats, or had
backed into the party when invited to
do so by a faction of it. He might
have been in the Senate yet.
