The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1884-08-09
SCALES---YORK.
THE OPENING OF THE CAMPAIGN
AT NEWTON.
An Impartial Review and Summary Of
the Speeches of Each hCandidate--The
tuIienCe

Audience.
Special Correspondence of The rHronicte
NEWTON, Aug. 4-The beginning of the
joint canvass by Mr.. Scales and Mr. York,
which was made here on Saturday. was
satisfactory to the Democrats entirely
satisfactory.
II the contest were simply logical
discussion of principles, why, then Mr.
York would not be able even to afford
entertainment for the audience But no
joint canvass is exclusively discussion
OF principles. 1t must be rather a mix
ture of such discussions with personal
records, and party shortcomings and
jokes and other such matter. 1t
must, in fact, be a series of stump
speeches. to suit all sorts of people.
Mr.. York has not been a student Of
political questions. He is not a thor
oughly well-informed man, either in law
or in politics. But he is a. good cam
paigner among country people. He knows
precisely what tone to strike. He knows
how to electioIcer as a drummer knows
how to sell goods. He goes straight for
ward to get votes. He is a very practi-
cal fellow.
On the other hand although Mr.
Scales is one Of the very best informed
men in public affairs that we have, an
exact and conscientious student and a
logical reasoner-he is not vote-dr
mer In a rough and tumble mountain
campaign, therefore, he would naturally
be reputed from his training and expe-
rience be at a disadvantage.
This first meeting was significant
chiefly because it would put each of them
to test-YOrk really to reply to Scales,
and Scales really to reach the crowd as
York knows how to reach them. If, for
instance, such speech as the great pol
iticians deliver before audiences made up
of men who are close readers of daily
papers and are familiar with every shade
of opinion on ever important question,
were delivered before country audiences
in North Carolina or in any agricultural
State, it would not have the same eff
feet as clear and brief statements of the
leading subjects.
1t was, therefore, not so much what
each candidate said as the tone and at
| titute of each, that was significant and
made the occasion an occasion of great
State Importance. Mr.. Scales, good as
his speech was, will deliver many better
ones. Not one of York's enemies could
! wish him ever to acquit himself worse.
| Mr.. Scales went right square to the
point He made review of the record
Of the Republican party in State affairs,
! telling how, under the Candy mis- govern
ment, there was no f-ee ballot and no
fair count; how legislators were openly
| bought; educational money shamelessly
! squandered; taxes increased beyond the
| constitutional limit; and all the proper
| functions of conservative government
suspended. Then he told Of the i'm
provements in the management of public
affairs that followed Democratic rule of
the State, and how good government had
a beneficial effect on all the arts of peace
and on every industry-hOw schools have
| been revived, how railroads have beer
| built, how the State debt has been adjust
| ed, how taxation has been reduced, how the
present system of county government
has been of material and social benefit
to the Eastern counties
Mr.. ScaleS'S description Of the manage
ment of the educational interests of the
State by the two parties was among the
most interesting part of his speech, and
| received peculiar appreciation here. The
free school system mas been built up to
| its present condition By Democratic econ
Omy and honesty, whereas while the State
was under Republican rule, the school
money was squandered and stolen. Since
| Democratic rule began again, too, private
educational work has gone forward at a
rate never before e9ualed in the history Of
the State and surpassed by few States or
people anywhere in the world. The Re-
DlDICOtl patty ID ICSIbJIlSlDlC lOI Ullc lbISc
percentage of illiteracy that the census
showed in North Carolina.
Then he discussed the party records on
the Internal Revenue, showing how the
Democrats had opposed this war tax
The recent declaration of the Republicans
in favor of abolishing it every body knows
i, insincere, for the white men of that
party in the South get their living and
riches by reason of it. The Republicans
were forced to such declaration by pub
lie sentiment.
Mr. York spoke chiefly of his own re-
cord, and spoke on the defensive all the
way through. He had to explain himself,
his peculiar position, his peculiar record.
He began by saying that he had not sought
the office; that he had been a Democrat;
and that the "Bourbons' tried to read
him out and got read out by him. 81 am
here on the Liberal platform, nominated
by the Republicans.
This declaration is the Wong Changness
of the whole duality'; and when he had
finished this non-eXplanatory explanation,
he flew off at tangent and began to talk
about the bill in Congress to give mem
bers an extra clerk-which had nothing
in the world to do with the campaign.
On the county government business he
said that when he voted for it us a Demo
crat he knew that it was wrong, but he
did 1t to help the people of the East, who
had abused the chance to be helped. He
charged that four papers edited by colored
men had been bought by Democrats to
advocate Scaless election.
When he began to talk about the Ma
tional Republican platform, the attention
and interest Of the audience became in
tense He said that he endorsed the
platform. Mr.. Scales asked him if he en-
dOrsed the civil rights plank To this |
question, York made only an evasive an
swer. He lodged and squirmed all about
straightforward reply, and never gave
satisfactory explanation of his position.
Here he was put squarely on the defen-
sve, and he made square back-down.
The rest of his speech was chiefly about
himself and his record He smoke of him