The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-10-30
DISCUSSING THE POLITICAL
ISSUES OF THEDAY.
An Eloquent Speech by W. Il.
Henry, Esq.

gay IN tne cOuTl house ldSt sthtuFudS
1t is enough to say that he fully sus
tanned his we'll earned reputation as {
forceful, entertaining, able and eloquent
speaker. Indeed many who heard hin
declared it to be the finest speech the,
lad ever heard Mr.. Henry make. W.
shall not intrude any comments o.
our own, but lay before our readers q
few brief extracts from the speech in
stead. Mr.. Henry commenced by sayin:
that he did not propose making yer!
lengthy speech or entering into the dis
cussion of the various questions at issu,
as fully as he might do, because as h
was addressing Vance county audience
his did not deem it necessary, &c. Touch
ing the difference between the two great
political parties and the necessity o
perpetuating Democratic principles, Mr.
Henry said:
UNDER WHICH. BANNER?
Once more in our political history has
the period come when it is incumbent
upon every true man-every patriotic
be up and at work to render triumphant
those grand principles that secure thu
peace and prosperity of our State, ant
upon which our Republic is founded
those principles that were bequeathed te
US as sacred heritage by the Fathers o
this Government.
We are in this midst of a great politica
crisis-indeed might say revolution
The two great parties OF this Common
wealth have once more marshalled Their
battalions and will join battle in the
near future.
Upon the result of that contest matters
of untold moment depend.
Under the ragged banners that hang
above the Republican host we see "Nan
dals and Huns and Goths as ruthless
and corrupt and destructive in their ten.
denotes and practices, as those that
rushed down upon Rome in the day Of
her glory and they are led by men who
possess all the remorseless qualities OF
Attilla without his courage or his tai
ents"
Under the battle flags that float proud.
ly above the mighty host of Democracy
are gathered the men and the SONS OF
the men who have a record OF manhood
and virtue, of justice, and chivalry-and
of mighty achievements in the halls oil
State on the field of battle, and in the
realms of science, and art, inventions and
literature, and moral advancement and
civilization, that extends in glory adOwr
the pathway of twenty centuries.
My friends, under which banner are you
enlisted to-day?
THE DUTY OF THE PATRIOT.
In the emergency in which our State
and nation are now placed, the man who
says he does not care for politics and
who takes no interest in political gath.
erings and organizatiOn-the man who
dallies-the man claiming to be a Demo.
craft who votes for a candidate nominate ed
by a Republican convention thereby en-
dorsing it's principles and purposes-the
man who votes for friend Orrelative sim
ply because heis afriend or relative-and
thereby surrenders his political birth
right, ravishes his conscience and assas-
sinates his principle. Such man deem
no true patriot-he is q political pauper-a
pensioner upon the patriotism of his fellow
citizens and such men, if there be any
such, are apt to be of those who would
skulk and shirk and desert their duty
and their country if the war drums of a
foreign nation were beating upon our
shores and the guns of it's men of wal
were trained upon our National Capitol
have some respect for the man who
honestly votes the Republican ticket
have none for the man who refuses to
vote at all.
To fight,
"In Just cause for your cOuntry's glory,
Is the best Office Of the best OF men,
And to decline, when these motives urge,
Is infamy beneath a towards baseneSs.
REpUBLICANIsM IN NORTH CAROLINA.
1t is true that this is an off year in
politics, no President to be elected. But
/ tell you that there has been no political
campaign in North Carolina since the
war more fraught with Importance than
the one in which we are now engaged.
The fight we are now to make is to be
fought out within the borders of our
State, but it's influence is to extend far
beyond-for we have a Uuited States
Senator at stake and the coming cleo
ton may still further affect the national
administration, for if we lose North Car
DINA, the solid South will be broken and
if it is broken the continual supremacy
of the National Republican party will
probably be assured.
We have also in jeopardy two Supreme
Court Justices; nine Superior Court
Judges; nine Congressman; twelve Sole
itors; the Legislature and the county
officers.
If the Republican party obtains control
the leaders of that party could easily and
no doubt would, re-district the State, SO
as to make her Congressional representa-
ton hopelessly Republican-it being quite
possible, am told, to SO gerrymander
North Carolina as to elect seven Re
publican Congressman instead of the one
they now have.
A Republican Legislature would also
deprive us of our present system OF cOun-
ty government, under and by virtue OF
which the counties have attained their
present prosperity, and give to us that
other system that in three years almost
ruined and disgraced twenty-seven OF the
best counties in North Carolina and de-
creased the property in said counties in
that short period the enormous sum oi
SO, 400 900 and rendered county obliga-
lions in many instances worthless than the
paper upon which they were written, and
deprive US OF our present system that re-
moved the odious burdens imposed by the
former system and in two years increased
the property in those counties to the
amount OF $2, 800. 900 and has increased
the value Of county paper until IT il now
worth one hundred cents in the dollar.
Mr.. Henry then reviewed the record oil
the Republican party in North Carolina
showing that it required $4,000 to
defray the expenses of the Republican
Legislature of 1868 and only 500,
to pay those Of the Democratic Legisla'
ture of 1897.
That taxation under Republican rul'
was so cents on the 10000 worth o
property and that it is only 20 cents
under Democratic administration-anc
one year there was no State tax. Thai
the Republican party loaded the Stat
with debt OF al 900 900 and that tn
Democratic party has settled that debt
That the bonds of the State were ia
below par-that now they are far above
and in constant demand in the none,
markets of the world.
That under Republican rule the Rail
roads OF the State were in a languishiu,
and PROSTATE condition and that no'
undar tho heneficpnt SWAY of the Demo