The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-09-13
ANOTHER CARD FROM GOV. HOLDEN.
[Cor. of The News-Observer.]
RALEIGH, Aug. 81, 1888.

published not long since a card
in the 'News.Observer' that ! was no
longer Republican, and that / was
not member of the Liberal party. l
had right to do this. A man in this
country may do this as often as he
changes his shoes or his hat, and no
one can question him thereof. But
what I expected has come to pass
that is, am roundly abused for this
act, and the fact that [ am an old
man is used, chivalrously, to give
point to this abuse.
It is also assumed that have join
ed the Democrats, and that l will
edit Democratic paper. l have
right to JOIN the Democrats if l choose,
and have right to edit q Demo
cratic paper if l choose; but l am
not Democrat, and | have no idea
of editing a paper. though think l
| would know how to edit Democrat
ic paper.
l aUas a Democrat forty years ago,
when it was a great and glorious
thing to be Democrat, and l have
always had sincere reapect tor that
party. | agree with that party in
favoring a tariff Tor revenue only.and
I approved Gov. Vance's speech in
the Senate in which he labored to re-
duce the present tariff which is so op>
pressive to the Southern people; and
if | had said this publicly i'll a little
card, at the time the speech was made.
would have been denounced as a
renegade from the Republican party
for SO doing.
The national government has been
sectional since 1860, and it is now
sectional, in that it does everything
tor the North and by comparison
scarcely anything for the South. 1t
lpays out one hundred millions of dol>
lars per annum in pensions to the
conquerers, and doles out to North
Carolina few hundred thousand doll
lars now and then for improvements,
4 and all the while it drains us by a
high tariff and by an internal revenue
tax of several millions per annuln.
fOf course l would p ay the pensions.
but would allow sixty millions in>
stead of one hundred. / could not
as Republican have conscientlously
: supported high tariff, and that is
now the Issue between the two par.
ties for the first time since the war.
It is not too much for me to say
that founded the Republican party
J in this State, and that but for David
/ S. Reid and myself there would have
been no triumphant Democratic party
, in North Carolina. l edited the Stan
dard' twenty-five years. l am toe
: feeble physically to conduct news
: paper. | have no idea of attempting
:. it. Nor is it true. as stated by many
: of the papers, that l voted for Mr.
E Bennett for Congress at the last elec
t ton. l was too feeble to go to the
0 polls and consequently did not vote
t at all.
Ell | am perhaps the most Independent
t man politically In the State. | woulC
not turn on my heel for the offices
t the two parties could bestow on me
:. I covet the good opinion of just ,ne
: respectable men, but [ am no candi
O date for the ''sweet voices of th'
s changing and thoughtless multitude
$ In all my public life | have strivel
g to do my duty as l understood it, ane
Y though | know | am frail and weak
l. vet | shall always maintain mani,
e front and never apologize for ~,
o past acts. Men are always prom
more to have others repent than t.
;, repent themselves.
l. It is also assumed by some of th
1t papers tina: have left the Republ'
I. car party solely on account OF tn
h tendency Of that party to nesr
If equality. This Is only one ol' III,
= reasons. Negro equality is gre.'
n. and threatening evil. The colore
IL people have drawn the line agains