The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1884-09-06

Especially the DoUns Of Political Lite
as illustrated BY Mr. Josiah Tuss~r.

Ten years ago in the Sentinel buiidin.
IN Raleigh, Mr.. Josiah Turner sat every
day, talking and writing Radical rascal 10
their certain doom-a brave, great nan
the greatest. in fact, that there was in
North Carolina Nisi;ars 10 the Capital
sirolled by the windows 10 get a view III
his handsome face. Our greatest t~soplc
lifted their hats 10 him in profound rev
erence. Never since our history began
had there been a man xhom the peo-
pie regarded with such affection: Every
body felt as If be owed the great man q
debt of personal gratitude. He would h~r
Governor, of course. he would he senator,
he should be anything he cared Ia be,
and he had a personal fortune easily in
his hands Yet. he was too unselhsh TO
care for himself, for place or for mere
fortune. He stood peerless IN the affec-
tions OF the people-the forcmos, man of
the times.
On Tuesday night near the dilapidated
walls of he same old Sentinel building.
two boards We're placed across two old
carpenters benches. By two trees In
front of it, two dim candles and dingy
lantern gave an uncertain light. There
stood two or three hundred men-more
than half negroes; and OH the stand the
| same handsome Josiah Turner. announcing
himself for the fifth time an independent
candidate for Congress He came from
the old house that Tim Lee kept AS dram
tavern and stepped on the improvised ros-
trum between John Spelman aud J. Faunt-
tleroy Taylor
The speech he made was incoherent at
times exceedingly sad, but now and then
remarkably lucid. He told about his con-
tinuous candidacy, his Imprisonment, his
expulsion from the Legislature. He ex-
plalned why Ex-Governor Holden forsook
the Republican party aud went over 10 1.-THE
blessed Democracy"
''Tell us about Blow Your Horn Billy"
some one in the crowd yelled.
'Well, Bill Smith, he has son who
married a nephew of Tilden. Bill thought
that Tilden would be the nominee. and
that If he was Democrat the Smith
family would stand better to get a share
of Tilden's S14 900, 900.
Then he proved to his own satisfaction
that all men are liars that Gov. Jarvis is
thief; that the Presbyterian and Baptist
churches were helped with stolen money
by ''Bro." Heck and BRO Best: that the
Exposition is big jubilee and general
fraud that the fat man of the NeMs and
Observer writes lies; that all things are
full Of rings and evil.
Then he gave directions how to organize
temperance societies, and declared he
wouldn't take a chew of tobacco for $40.
How the late war was begun, how he mar
rowly missed the gallows because he was
peace man-this took half an hour of his
talk.
half drunken negro with a water
melon yelled, "Dat's So" the crowd of
young whites in the rear discussed "Poor
old JOe's' misfortunes, the candles flick
cred on the plank that supported them:
and SO the same man who made the old
Seutinetbulding historic, continued far
into the night to make it melancholy be-
yOnd expression.
II had the honor" said Mr. G. NJ Bus
bee, early in the evening, ''to introduce
Mr.. Turner in Tucker Hall when he made
his first speech after his Imprisonment l
had never seen such an ovation The
crowd was wild. The hall was packed,
and hundreds Of people could not get in.
1t was one of the greatest occasions in
North Carolina history"
''Are you going to honor him to- nightg"
''N-no.'
THAT man," said Mr. r. T. Gray, on
Tuesday, pointing to Mr.. Turner, could
now have been in the United States Sen
ate;;" and when Mr.. Turner came within
speaking distance, he continued: "Are
you going to give us your old editorial,
Mr. Turner
''No," said the old man, and he smiled
good-naturedly, told a joke about Tourgee,
and went on down the street.
If political history contains anything
more melancholy, what is it2
Colonel James Fauntleroy Taylor, of
Rhamkatte, assured Mr.. Turner with an
oath that he was ''still for him." and Mr.
Turner smiled an answer of affectionate
pity