The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-09
"Plain Talk" and Mr.. Kttchin.
Ashevllle Citizen.

| EDITOR THE CITIZEN My atten-
tion has been called TO ao Article In
YOUR issoe Of she 18th inst, beaded
aPlain Talk and which was copied
FROM an exchange.
The article states Ia substance
that it appears from the Raleigh cor
respondence 10 several papers. thst
Mr.. w. II. Kitchin, of Halifax couo-
| ty, will probably be appointed col.
lector OF Internal revenue FOR the
| eastern district of North Carolina,
and says: Eve can not credit 1T, for
ia all candor this gentleman has all
ready received all the honors from
the Democratic party that he is en-
titled to for the present."
Some time since, my attention was
also called to paragraph 10 another
paper in which ding is made at
Capt. Kitchin, and especially ais i'm
prudence was alluded to.
l trust that you Will pardon me
for what l shall say in these few
lines. l do 80 without any suRges>
ton from Capt. Kitohin directly or
indirectly.
| l do not know all the different
candidates for collector of internal
revenue for the eastern district; l do
know, however, that some OF them
are nv warm personal and political
trends, and 1 am sure that none OF
them would object to justice being
done to one who has accomplished
as much in behalf Of the Democratic
party and the people of North Caro-
lima as any man within her borders.
Surely. our people cannot so soon
have forgotten that when the eastern
section was in state Of anarchy and
distress; when her bravest and best
people were in terror and despair;
when her women and children we're in
daily peril, that, foremost amongst
all the men in that territory, abso.
lutely at the peril Of his life, Capt.
Kitchin babe defiance to radical
power and authority, and regardless
of any and all consequences to him
self, took the lead in restoring white
rule IN those counties. ::and cOntribut.
ed largely to their rescue from de-
gredation and ruin.
The character of the man is shown
by this incident: In 1884, whilst l
/ was canvasslDg the State in company
WITH Judge Falrcloth (wAom it az
fords me great pleasure to say l res
gard as one Of the purest and best of
men) late one afternoon, in an ex>
IRENE western county, l met Capt.
kltchin on horseback. AS he rode
up to as l noticed that his face was
exceedingly pale and showed evils
dence ofphy seal suffering. He said
that be expected to meet TrulI,
Republican speaker, the next day,
about twenty-five miles distant, and
that he would have to ride The great.
er portion Of the night to reach
| there. l told him that l did not gee
how he could make the trip. l then
noticed that his pants had been cut
open at the knee and that his leg was
enormously swollen. I called his
attention to the condiUlor of his
knee, and be said: at makes no
difference l will I'll; the appoint.
ment if it kills me-
mention this, which IS very
small matter as compared with many
incidents In his care0r in Eastern
Carolina, and l do think that 1t ls
unkind and ungeneroos for any man
within her entire borders to cay one
word which could ,njure Capt. Kitch-
10 In any wav.
They cay, that be Is impradent.
Well, it was ''imprudent" when the
Light Brigade rode to certain
and glorious death upon the Rus sian
batteries at Balaklav. 1t was "lm-
prudent" when the matchless leglcns
Of Lee hurled themselves with loud
cheers upon the lntrenched heights of
Getty s6ur2! 1t was "impradentu
when Col. Duncan K. McRae led the
9th North Carolina regiment to anni
h,lation at Willlamsburgl But, in
the ages to come, history will fur.
nieb 20 page upon which aught can
be written against the memory Of the
officers and soldiers who were made
forever famous in these conflicts.
If it seems best to those who con.
troll the offices IN North Carolina
hot Ncy,f toh 10