The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-08-18
THE BACHELOR,
RESPONSE OF EDITOR COOK,
To the Above Toast, at the Press
Banquet IN Charlotte, Thurs
day Night. July 28th.

:: g. . T THE banquet
OF q given by tht
; -Sy - Chamber of Con
NsexxG merce of Char
m1SI lh %\ lotte compliment
i1iE{h5sF=' 'h = ary to the Edito
IHyIHAE::N a rial Association
tN1SSp{E\ Thursday Eight
I ~% July 28th, Mr.
:: J. T. Cook, editor of the Concord
Standard, responded to the toast "The
Bachelor" and to say that he spoke in
behalf of that character as ably and as
eloquently as he has Hvea it for a
pretty considerable period OF time, is
paying him none too high a conpli-
ment. 1t was voted one of the richest
speeches of the evening, both in mat
ter and manner of delivery. Mr..
Cook spoke as follows:
wish no prouder epitaph cut upon
the humble marble which shall CLEAN
for a little while among the wild
grasses that grow over my neglected
grave, than the simple words: "Here
lies an unmarried editor"
AS look around me here on the old
familiar faces, l cannot disguise from
myself the fact that some of these are
men as good by nature and far better
by practice than myself. The same
kind fortune smiled upon our births.
The same protecting providence guild
ed our little barks safely through the
perils that beset the infant mariner
upon the tempestuous sea of human
existence, and in many essential re-
spects it has happened to the good
and the bad alike. But in one eX
ceedingly important particular great
difference exists between the lot of
large majority of the members of this
association and that of the class for
whom l have the honor to speak to-
night, in the responding to this toast.
[ allude, of course, to that hazard of
! fortunes which has divided us into
benedicts and bachelors.
As | look around me here upon
these brethren, beloved brethren, of
the press, who once were free Ameri-
can citizens exulting in the powers of a
noble manhood and rejoicing as a
strong man to run race, now fallen
in the great struggle for single exist
ence and passed under the CALLING
yoke of matrimonial ties, suffering
the penalties of his rash steps and his
midnight perambulations in garments
winter than snow and searching
through the households apothecary
shops for bottle of Mrs. Winslow's
Soothing Syrup, while only here and
there remains bachelor in the un-
yoked state in which he came from the
hands of the Creator, it is impossible
not to experience an emotion Of
thankfulness such as the survivor of a
hard fought day feels when the din of
battle bushes into night and peace,
and he is left unhurt amid the dying
and the dead, or words to that effect.
1t requires no little courage, besides
other attainments, to worship at the
shrine of a goddess and at last to
marry, but it requires the highest type
of courage and manhood to withstand
beatrician wiles.
Such is the manhood Of the few in
whose interest l speak. Doubtless in
early life they laid out their routes,
and that they cling to them is evil
dence of their confidence in the same.
The majority of this Press Associa-
ton may resort to divine injunctions
to convince the small minority of the
O. k-ness of their course, but the
same authority says "he that taketh
her not in marriage doth bette" -
take courage, brother Deacon Dowd.
Milton is quoted as having said:
"Woman is Heavens last, best gift to
man." but as Milton was married twice,
tried for a divorce and did most OF
his writing about hell and kindred
subjects-such a record isn't worth
much as authority. TO cap the eli
max, after the undertakers had put in
their work on the remains Of Milton S
two wives and all chance of their re-
turn had been cut off, Mr.. Milton
wrote his best lines, ':Paradise Re-
gained.
Those of the Association, who have
fallen in the struggle-and especially
those who have the most OF their par.
ishoners among the agriculturists and
. those who furnish the first strawberries
. potatoes, &c, ''to get their name in
t the paper congratulate themselve:
! upon the wisdom of their course il
| that they are prepared to use the corn
beans, pumpkins, potatoes and such
: like that admirlng subscribers bring iI
| and donate out of love. To digress
5 owing to the unrest and apparent mis-
understanding about grave and ma
: tional matters in politics it is hardl,
4 probable that many married editors il
t the North Carolina Association ar
e masticating these donated vegetables
: Times have changed, my brethren.
a The tenet of the pessimistic philos
ophy which holds that human life
but struggle for existence is unhap
n PLY too true in many senses, and ii
= none more true than as it relates t
|, the life of a manageable and yet un
6 married man. For him "eternal vigi
IL lance is the price of liberty" and wo
S. to the luckless knight, whom lon
1t immunity from capture has lulled int
Of fancied security. If there be her
le tonight those who undervalue th
S estate of bachelorhood and guard wit
a careless hand their birshright !,