The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1891-04-15
GOV. FOwLE,s ADMINIsrRArIoN

In his inaugural address on the 18th
of January, 1889, the late GOVERNOR
FowLE, after reviewing the honest and
economical admin tration of his prede-
;essor, felicitated the people upon the
great fact that the issues of the war
we're dead" "Before Mr.. CLEvELAND's s
administration" said the Governor.
''there were those narrow minded men
If the North who honestly believed-if
harrow wmindedness can we'll be honest
hat the success of the Democratic
party would mean an assault upon the
integrity of the Union and an assault
lpon the recently acquired rights of the
colored men. ''But," continued the
Governor, ''as the sun when he has
climbed above the horizon. by his dis
pelling beams drives away the
logs which obscured the vision,
50 tho glorious acts of CLEvELAND's s
administration have shamed into silence
he stupid croakers of the North and al
Iayed the fears of the credulous and sim
|ple-minded negroes Of the South" He
then went On to proclaim the devotion
Of the people of North Carolina to the
National Government, and to inculcate
a lesson of patriotism in every North
Carolina heart.
This national patriotism-this lofty
ideal of citizenship this devotion to the
constitution and constitutional govern,
ment, was the distinguishing char
|acteristic of GOVERNOR FOwLE's career.
From the day the Southern soldiers, OF
whom he was one, laid down their arms,
his highest ambition was to live to
see the day when the people OF
> the South should recover their proud
position among the sister states, and to
find in every heart feeling of love
and pride for the flag of the American
Union. He himself loved the stars and
stripes with increasing devotion as he
grew in years, and believed American
j citizenship was 1.-The greatest honor
which any human being can claim
Akin to his love of the flag was his faith
: in the constitution, and his belief that oul
liberties were only safe when the people
{jealously guarded their constitutional
rights. His resignation as Superior
Court Judge, rather than obey the man
dates of military satraps, was the stron
gest evidence Of his devotion to this
principle. So deeply did he
feel the necessity for devotion tc
the American Union, and regard
for constitutional government that he
rarely made a speech that he did not
emphasize the Importance Of more
lofty patriotism and higher apprecia
ton of our constitutional rights. In the
light of tho tendency towards centrali
zation, which is the greatest menace tc
our liberties, his word upon word, ano
precept upon precept were invaluable il
teaching the lesson be sought to impart
1t was a great lesson-one that none o.
us can learn too thoroughly, and one
which, in view of the fiippant way ir
which superficial people refer to con
stitutional limitations, was an essentia
part of wise instruction as we'll as pro
gressive statesmanship.
In his inaugural address, G0tERNoI
FowLE laid particular stress upon foul
important matters of State Interest
which he was permitted to see accom-
plished.
1st. He advocated An increased
term for the public schools. As he wen
about the State he urged upon the peo
pie the necessity of an enlarged appro
priation for this purpose. We heart
him at Wake Forest in 1889 make ples
for better public schools which was on
of the most eloquent efforts of his life
he said that if ha could see tho school,
of the State improved and every boy ant
girl given . chance to secure an educa
ton he would feel that the greatest pos
sible good to the State had been secured
In his message to the Legislature in Jan
uary he repeated this recommendation