The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-08-07
ANNUAL GRAFTON
OF ROBERT HAYDN, ESQ,
EDITOR OF THE "CHAR-
LOTTE CHRONICLE"
Before the North Carolina Press
Association at Durham, July
23rd.

Association at Durham, July
23rd.
AT the very outset, you will permit
me, ladies and gentlemen, 70 take you
into my fullest confidence not me
into your confidence don t misunder
stand me in the very beginning, please
for it is far from my intention to
work the "confidence game" here to-
night. The fact is, the impression is
abroad, but very unjustly, | dare say,
that a bunco steeIer never stoops to
work an editor.
In profering to take you into my
fullest confdence-to be dead honest
with you-it is not SO much as a COM
pliment to you, as it is to give myself
the opportunity to put a 50 per cent.
excuse on my effort this evening, in
hopes thereby to bring it up to about
par, with "market easy and no de-
mand."
When accepted the honor of adj
dressing the North Carolina Press AS
ISOLATION, on this occasion, | had not
expected that "this occasion" would
be in the metropolis of Durham (where
the finest Carr works i'll the world are,
] may mention in PASSING. Indeed,
had anticipated that the Association
would meet way off yonder, where it
would periorce flock considerably by
itself felt that it would not be UNI
becoming in me to talk to the "gang"
just dry SO.
Imagine my surprise, then, when the
executive committee announced that the
convention should be held in Durham;
not that | did not want TO come to
Durham, but that did not feel that
could acquit myself with credit to the
editors of North Carolina, in a set
Grafton. You may be sure that | lack
none of the common stock of vanity
inherent in man, and cultivated in
woman by mans hattery.
When | was fully aroused to the
fact that | had to appear before Dur
ham audience, rest assured that sophie
moric ambitions tempted me. There
were moments when the worthy desire
to electrify this audience by my elo-
quence, almost crowded me into the
vortex of fatal effort; and | heartily
congratulate you upon my escape from
myself in that hour of temptation.
1t is true that in those moments
when | was encouraged by the merito-
rious desire TO q take you by Storm"
foiled by my own incapacity, | longed
for that torrent of eloquence that is
perpetually on tap in Inv brother Deal,
of the Wilkesboro ChyonicIe;- and in
the tumult of which | myself barely es-
capped with sound bones, last year at
Lenoir.
You will, l feel confident, pardon
my envy in earnestly casting about for
a topic to discuss before you, and after
it was found, for ideas upon it, that l
yearned for the splendid finetse of that
fine Italian hand" that SO brilliantly
and SO skillfully directs the Raleigh
NeUs and Observer. Yet, even then,
| was not totally lost in envy, for
remember we'll that there was an hour
when ] seriously contemplated initial
ing the broad charity and the generous
good feeling that permeates the COL
umns Of the Raleigh Chronicle, when
| had hoped to spring subject on so
broad a platform as the "whoso will"
of my brother Daniels.
In soberer moments, | had dared to
think of climbing the constitutional
parapets of the sub-treasury bill, and
surveying all the world at one per
cent. and free storage; and in that
was only deferred by the dread that
| should encounter that maker of con-
stltutionS, my most worthy brother
Eldridge,who presides over the Durham
GIobe, and is high priest of the North
Carolina Press Associations constitu-
ton.
Had l, however, have followed the
worthy editor of the Durham SIN, |
should have concluded these remarks
even before now: you have doubtless OBJ
served, though, from: my rambling and
desultory remarks, that there are no
Old Hurrygraphs in mine
AT one time,I had almost concluded
to write state paper on that nebulus,
and, perhaps, slanderous per Sc, sub
ject "The Alliance in Politics :" and
had that directness of purpose and
true Jeffersonian simplicity, and, may
l add, in its best sense, Jeffersonian
brutality of truth, that characterizes
the editor of the Statesville Landmark, |
whose likeness to the first and greatest
Democrat president even goes to the
physical proportions, not stopping
short of Mr.. Jefferson's famous and |
beautiful, golden, unset-tinted cranial
adornment-had | his qualifications,
you surely should have had such a !
paper as l have limited at.
In lighter moments, when a renewed |
and paid up subscription had kindled |
the skies aglow with hope, had fan
cied that should indulge in some
literary flight; it may be by firing a |
few " Photographs" at g Salmagundi; :"
but that field, knew, was filled with |
perfect satisfaction to all concerned. |
Harbor Defences'' was another
topic that had conceived might prove |
of general interest, but with the Will |
mington Star columbiad at our princi- |
pal port,l knew that my services could
not be needed, so long as Duffey lays
on, till he has enough.
"Piety in Print" had an alliterative
attractiveness that for moment tickled |
my fancy, but not wanting to entrench
on the pre-empted field OF the editor of
the Concord Times, | RETAINED nor