Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1858-09-01
For the Standard.
DAVE COUNTY, Aug. 1S, 1858.

MESsRs EDIToRs: We have Just closed one of the
hottest campaigns that has been witnessed here for
some time. Wiseman has cut Ramsay's majority
down to ID votes. He would have beaten Ramsay
by clean majority if enemies had stuck to the
truth, or had only lied openly; but they showed
unusual tact in this matter, and succeeded but too
we'll in waiting until the candidates had passed each
place before they spread their reports. Lest this
should be regarded general charge, will speci-
fy few as examples; but there are some that do
not choose to repeat
First they spread it all the county just before
the election that he running secretly pro-
hibtionist This was clean dirty l mean) lie
from the beginning DR.. Wiseman had regarded
this question "a dead cock in the pitt, and con-
sequently took pains to criticise Ramsay's past
on it and because his enemies did not bring
it the stump, he believed in the nnocene Of 9TH
enough to suppose that no mention would be
made Of it during the canvass publicly privately
But at the last tax gathering Mocksville, finding
that they had spread it generally, he denounced it
lie, and called upon the perpetrators to prove it.
Thinking the report might have originated in the
circumstance that personal friend of his had run
four years ago prohibitionst, he stated that he
told his friend, before he out, that he could
not support him, and advised him not to run; that
his friend then In the honse and could rise and
correct him if he misstated anything. He called
upon the County Court Clerk to disprove another
part of the charge, and he did it; but notwi:hsand
ing all this passed without any contradiction, the
perpetrators continued to use it, and on the day Of
election others bought up all the "lquors," cakes,
&c. at one precinct, and by this and the reports DR..
Wiseman lost about 90 votes. At another place he
lost 13 believe, from the same cause, and do not
know how many at other places. So you see that
"treating" alone cheated him out Of enough to have
swallowed those Is votes whole From the hyblown
lamenta,on that the Watchmdn sets up, you would
think that X. N. would hardly vote in seeming
distance of liquor, much less treat to the strong
sweetened with lie. 1t was the principal cause of
fha larp in /
black tears the Wstchnnan shed off the point Of his
pen this fact? In another neghborhood. a
little distance from his home, and in which he had
q number of debtors, he was accused of using Led
| also clean lie, and absurd as it may seem on
sober thought, it was believed by some in the ex-
| citement incident to such times.
At one place it asserted all day of the elec-
ton, that the Democrats always opposed and the
Wings always favored free suffrage; and although
they would confess to your face that in its present
form it was Democratic measure, yet the first un-
informed one they met they would reassert the same
old thing. will give you a specimen OF their policy
| on this subject, at the election Of 1857 A Whig,
who poor and uniformed, expressed desire
to for free suffrage, when of the "knowing
| ones" stepped up and told him that Puryear was
the very man. for he doing all he could to put il
through Congress, and heLfeow voted accordingly
So you observe that reports varied according tc
locality Even after perusing all these lies, it would
be hard for you to appreciate the desperation with
which they fought Soon after they commenced
canvassng this county, one of their leaders swore in
his wrath that something must be done or Wisemar
would be elected That something was done with q
vengeance-t treating. Verify the WatchnnaT
howled out of the wrong corner of bis mouth on th!
occasion.
Some rode day and night and tasted with exem
plary self denial.
can bring Whig evidence to prove that an infu
ential Whig was heard to say to poor man, ~
| J, ~.;obr 6r;rs ant of
neighSorhood" (No comments at presently Will
all this they beat Wiseman ID votes.
They did not fight so desperate until near th
election. They succeeded too well in luling man!