The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-11-18
"A oHARes TO KEEP / HAVE"


"A beautiful ircijent connected with the
& sa' Democratic v'ctsry occurred in Atlaa-
ta. Ga, and that has to, as yet been pub
lished.
There Isl ltls cannon in that city known
as tho "Cons,iu'ion's Cannon" /, is an
enthusiastically patriotic Democratic gun,
an wasuscl TO ce'ebrste every victory of
our rar'y since the redemption IF the South
frnm reconstruction rulo. After annouuSirg
the glad tidings i'm Atlanta, this little ricce
Of "rJnsncs n axes pilgrimage over the
S'a'e, hut il is he'd in ~ much reverence rs
br old Liberty Bill. anil aftsr the demon
strstions are ovcr always finds its way
hack home. Co'nn,ns have been written
shout The sun, aud it was Henry Grady's
especial pet.
In the P,e.id-ntis' C ntrst of 1883. Grady
placed heavy charge in this cannon, with
the eXpecta'io, Of touching il off with his
own and TO CO e5rafe Clrve.and's election.
but The banner Of "ur party went down
before the onslaught Of purchased Rcpubli-
can allis, aud Of cuur>e the Ii t'e gun re-
manned dumb. Grady vas sorely distressed
over the result. tut never for an instant did
his faith wav.r in the eventusl triumph OF
the rinciI les - Dem, cracy. So he care
fully Primed the crnnon, pasted piece rf
PAPER ever The touch hoe, and N this slip
lie wr, te the words
- CHARGE T, KEEP 1 HAVE"
The gun was then carefully laid away,
With letter written by Henry Orally, IN
which it was stated that he hoped to live
four Neas longer. vii, N he intended to
touch tha, same lo,i off to celebrate the
sl. ctiun 1T Grover Cleveland and he triumph
If democracy. But there was y Iostscrip
to the letter, in which the patri tic an
giftcl young &c 'rginn asked if the hand Of
death was laid up II him efore that auspi-
cisus day came, h. wanted some friend Ia
take tho gun in frpnt Cf the CoRstituticn
building. and let il announce for him to tho
people of At auta, whom h. loved so wei
The glad 'idings.
Everybody in that city knew the story cf
tho ca"Ion that Grady londcd, ami when
the wires began TO II ,sh tho news cf he
triumI liant march of Democracy, tho little
gun Was brought 70 III n,m tour years of
silence ard made ready to sgnal the tx-
psctcd news. Not for any consideration
would that sacred charge left by Grady to
fired until victory VAS pos lively assured,
and il was generally understood til: oughout
the city that when TIE "Constitution Can
non'' spoke it was evidence that the re ult
ef Cleveland's cection WAS no longer in
d.utt. Tuesday night aud Wednesday
morning all ears were s'raincl to hear the
f,mil'ar bncm. The most intense and
hrsa,hls;s interest reiguel supreme IL
wsu'd have been considered n sacrileCe TO
give any ether account of the news than the
pro, hecy of the beloved and lamente l
Orally, speaking through ihis metal tube.
At fhirty-fve minutes past one o'clock
Wings Of ereciri iiy 10 CAPTAIN Evan p.
Howell from Chairman Ha,rity these words {:
"Cleveland is elected. Let Gradys gun
speak ~
Every man in the Office rushed into the
street. The paper VI seed hy Grady's hand
was torn cif and the charge in the touch
hole WAS found TO be dry and sound. In an
instant the fuse was lighted, and with n
laundering report, that almost shook the
Piedmont escarpment, the gun be!chcd 70, til
It's glorious and welcome announcement.
The scene that followed beggars dsscrip-
tion. To the people of Atlanta that report
was as the vcicc Of one speaking from the
dead. Every hat at once went in,o the air,
aud yells and cheers lu,st from fifty thous-
and tbroats. The report If Grady's charge
was taken up and re-echoed by PARKS of
artil ery stationed on the nsichboring
heights. Every locomotive and steam whis-
tie in the city took up the rsfrsin, and
never in the history Of Georgia was there
such dcmonstrative joy. The fact that
Henry Grady's own hand had loaded that
cannon, and four years before had prophe-
eisd the reault, acted as electricity upon the
people. The charge that the dead and be-
loved journalist. philan;hr"pist and states
men had given his gun to keep was then
. delivered.
1t was worth . trip Of thousand miles
10 be in Atlanta at that hour.-Colum6ia
Rt1ister.