Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-06-07

lean continent was by Ransom in
the last campaign. In many west
ern counties in North Carolina
local managers had abandoned
hope Of saving them from the
Populists. The rural folk were
b%oycotting Democratic papers.
hooting local, and, in some in
stances. visiting speakers; but
when Ransom passed into these
counties the strength and wiz
zardry Of his busting efforts
completely overthrow Populism.
l remember that one day in the
last campaign, after he had
spoken nearly four hours, that
more than two hundred men who
it was alleged had renowned the
Democratic party, went forward,
shook him by the hand, told him
they had never heard the ques-
ton at issue SO clearly explained,
and, then and there, renewed
their allegiance to the great Dem
ocratic party.
The people are curious to know
more of the man Familiarity called
Tom Mason.
In all that makes citizenship
and renders to man a home about
which his affections Irvine, Thos.
Mason is q North Carolinian. He
was born liz Brunswick county,
Va, hard against the North Car
DINA line; the upper line Of the
latterState so far as parallel, being
the southern bound of the estate
of Nathaniel Mason, the father OF
Tom. The residential mansion,
through whose windows dawned
his natal day, stood in perspect-
i've against the sky of the State
from whence came his mother,
the daughter of Joseph AIRING
ton, of Nash county, and which
was the State to which he passed
to find a literary mother-the
University of North Carolina.
He also wooed and welded 6
daughter of the Old North State
Since mother, wife. children anC
grandchildren are North Caro-
linians, the incident of his adop.
ton has become 81 law of nature
deeply, lovingly and internationally
And when | am reminded that the
altar where he worshipS. as are
his dearest kindred, is in NORTH
Carolina, [ think of the message
sent to Esagland by old Joh1
Winthrop, The sturdy Pilgrim
Father: I call that country my
home where [ may most glorify
God and be with my deares-
friends"
Mason has rather sluggish
eyes. They never brighter
while he speaks. Sometimes tn
long lids almost close and thel
the expression, or better, the alb
sence of expression, is not un
like the physical phases Of blind
ness. But everywhere on hi
face there is a dance of anima
ton, which, with graceful speed
and the sweep of the tall frame
a bit stopped in the shoulders
convey to the listener a sense Q
correspondence between easy III
dulations of body and the supple
ness of his sentences, A strar
l ger to the artitice of the actor
l he has, nevertheless, peeped 6
Hamlet's advice to the player nc
to ''o'er step the modesty of NE
f ture." His singular energy
hedged by the eloquence ofnaCu1
: alness.
Those who heard Mr.. Maso
: on the laying of the corner ston
). of the monument to the Confe6
t crate dead, in Raleigh, on til
22nd of May, will never forge
his powerful, and apparently il
stinctive, gestural emphasis /;
the mention of Stonewall Jacl
son in the trope in which Jacl
j son and the eagle are made int
It changeable figures. Lifting bot
S hands above his head, with palm
S spread, with fingers apart ar
e crooked as the talons Of a fowl
prey, he spoke of the trool
e around Richmond in June, '62,
IS " X waiting for Jackso,
the eagle of the army, to swoc
down from the mountains. y
Il X
:. Until Mason had uttered Il
is word army his hands remains
5. poised, then, thrusting them OF
ward and downward, he describ'
is the circling and descending
r the king-towl Of the crags.EAT.