The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-05-24
MAI. CHAS. NJ. STEDMAN.
OUR GALLANT LTEUT-GOVERN-
OR 10 THE FRONT.
The Most Available Man for the Dem
ocratic Standard Bearer.
Wilmington RevieW.l

IL = HilS 80 ssAseellfN.tt @ Iibs'1hii5
when theTepresenIatives ofrhe Demo
cratic party will assemble in Raleigh
to declare their choice for the nomi-
nation Of Governor. We should be
untrue TO what we believe to be the
best interests Of the State, if we failed
to call attention to the necessity of
placing before the people q candidate
best calculated to win a fight upon
which SO much depends. 1t is Idle to
deny that the contest in North Car
olna viii be serious and if we have
not a proper leader, doubtful. We
have said it before and we say it
again, that We should be ready to give
up all the aspirations of the Cape Fear
section so utterly neglected and passed
by, content, though with great reiuc-
tance, to see a man struck down as
sacrifice VINO deserves SO much from
his party, if that party's necessities
demanded it. But we can never re
main silent and see him beaten for 4
nomination to which he is fairly enti
tied and upon which in our opinion
to much depends, without calling at
| tention to his absolute availability and
the elements Of strength he possesses.
! We believe Lieut. t.-Goyernor S.edman
to be by far the most available cand
date for Governor who can be brought
! before the people OF the State. We
challenge investigation both as to his
private and political life. His record
is spotless. He has no explanations to
make either to friend or to foe-no
defensive warfare to wage; but from
the beginning to the ending Of the
campaign he will,'it nominated, ever
be found carrying our Gag to the front
and neither asking nor giving political
quarter. We call upon every white
man in the State who owes our great
party to point out one single clement
1 of weakness in his candidacy, and we
pause for Z reply. He has never been
/ connected with any elns or side Issues,
but stands forth untranlmelled as the
exponent of the pure political faith OF
our fathers. A soldier with d stainless
record from Bethel to Appomattol, NJ
words but those OF love and devoted
affection have ever been heard from
him for the memory of his dead com
rades who fell 50 gloriously in the
great struggle, and whenever you hnc
a Confederate soldier with a sleeve
less arm or a mangled body and poll
tics is mentioned, his eyes will brighter
and his speech quicken as nine time:
out of ten he will say, Il am for oted
man torever!'
) As a public debater he has few
equals within the limits Of the entire
State, and both by nature, educator
and experience is eminently qualltlet
to conduct the canvass which is soor
TO commence. AS political organ
izer he stands confessedly without
peer in North Carolina. When yo'
talk of great services rendered to tn
party, who of all our public men ha
t done SO much and received 50 little
/ For nearly twenty years be has beeI
t conspicuous in every political fI8h
] waged in this part Of the State. Nom
/ mated for the Office Of Lieut.. Gov
: ernor, one without profit in any way
: he made a campaign which will lon
: be remembered in the annals OF ou
: party. When he has been struck dow
Y NOS one word Of complaint has eve
d fallen from bis lips The tempter ha
il never entered his heart. The enem
r has never dared to whisper treaso
V into his ear and even those who dl
e fered with him bear glad testimony
n his heroic forttude and his subllm
d faith in the principles of the Deme
d cratic party. In the line OF promo
z ton; from a section ignored for half
n century, with record wonderful tt
IS its purity, his nomination almost
e necessity, shall such q man be scr
e feed uselessly and without cause? v
IS appeal to the Democrats OF the gre.
=. West to see that he has fair play. {
st all the public men in Eastern Carolir
le he has been your most pronounced
n bold and open friend, ever demandin
y and insisting that the whole Intern
S. Revenue system should be abolished
J. In this matter he has never counte
te the cost but has defed all opposite
e, and demanded it as matter of justi'
g to the people of Western North Ca
le olina. To the magnanimlty and geI
in erosity of the people Of that sectlo
fe we present his unDroken r7cord
r friendship in their behalf. We rejoi
De to believe that the nomination
Lieut.. Governor Stednlan can be pr
vented by no trade or conbinatio
,ir AS candidate after candidate has be
named, his friends have still ma
to good the fight, their strength unshs
-. tered and their columns unbroke
The victory is already we'll nigh "
and we call upon the Democrats
Id every County in the State not to thr'
it away by indifference or negie