The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-03-14
OUR YOUNG MEN.
THEY HAVE EQUAL SHOWING
OF SUCCESS.
1t Is Not True That They are Crowded
Out by the Gray Boards and Fossils
North Carolina Not Behind Her
Sisters In Recognizing Worth and
Merit.
fSalisbury Herald. /

Merit.
fSa1isbury Herald.l
Ever since We can recollect, and tor
years before, from what we can Judge
by the testimony of older persons,
there has been complaint that young
men stood no chance in North Caro-
lima that they were crowded out of
political positions and the professions
by the "gray boards, fossils and men
ready to topple into the grave" This
accusation has been repeated time and
again, and it is even now said that an
ambitious young man who desires to
succeed must leave the State of his
birth to reach the top Of the ladder.
Before experience and observation had
taught US better we believed that much
Of what was said was true, but our
ideas have changed since, because facts
prove the contrary. 1t is our belief,
deliberately and maturely formed,
that in politics, the professions, and in
business of all kinds the young men
are more prominent in North Caro-
lima, and stand a better chance of
success here, than in any other State
in the Union. This opinion has been
expressed before and cases cited to
sustain the position, but a repetition is
admissible. To prove that a young
man is not debarred from political
aspirations in the Old North State
look at those who fill her offices, from
the highest to the lowest. There is
not real old man in Office in the
State that we know of. Oldest in
years, probably, and in length of SER
vice, certainly, is Senator Ransom.
He is not extremely old and is almost
as strong physically, and quite as
strong mentally, as any man of IS in
the State. And in his case honors
came before gray hairs. Attorney
General of the State at 26, General
in the Confederate army at less than
40, and United States Senator at
As, or thereabouts, no one can say that
he was old. The same is true of the
lamented Vance. A Congressman
before he was 80, the great war Gov
ernor before IS, elected United States
Senator and denied admission at less
than As, again elected Governor and
Senator at less than so, is not
waiting for old age and death. In
the present Congress Crawford and
Bower, Democrats, are neither over 38
and are nursing their first baby; Set
tie, Republican, is hardly IS Wood
ard and Branch, Democrats, are prob
ably only 40 or little more; Hen
derson, serving his fifth term, is barely
50, if that and Alexander is, we sup
pose, about the same age. The other
two Congressman, Bum and Grady,
are unknown to US, but neither is
believed to be over S.. In the aggre-
gate North Carolina has, we believe,
the youngest Congressman of any
State in the Union. Of the other
officers Shepherd, retiring Chief JUS
tice, and Clark, present Associate Jus.
tice of the Supreme Court, are COM
paratively young men and went on
the bench younger by several years.
The other Justices who have retired
were not bowed down with age, neither
are the retired or sitting Superior
Court Judges. Among them Boykin,
Brown, Bryan, Allen, Battle, Mebane,
Robinson, and others, are in the prime
of life and can not be called old.
Neither can Long, Webb, Jones, Bar
Der, Woodard, Pou, Holton, Mott,
and Others, who have just come into,
or just retired from, the Office of Solici-
tor be called old. Not more than halt
of them have reached the age of 40.
The Governor of North Carolina is
not old, nor is the Secretary of State,
the Auditor, or Superintendent of Pub
lie Instruction. And Attorney Cen
eral Osborne looks almost a boy if he
isn't one. If further proof is wanted
to show that young men have had
fair share OF offices look at the other
places filled by them. Ex-Speakers
Price and Overman, in Salisbury
Webster, at Reidsville; Lieutenant
Governor Dough,on; Walser, Moody,
Ewart, Mckenzie, Marion Butler,
Bellamy, and scores and scores of
other young men who are now and
have heretofore been sent to the Legis-
lature. 1t would take columns to tell
their names. The same is true in the
professions. Salisbury hasn't single
old lawyer, except in experience and
ability. Our doctors, too, are young
men, all except one, possibly. being
less than so, and they have no supe
riors anywhere. And what is true Of
Sulisbury's lawyers and doctors is true
of other towns. Then who are at the
front in our mercantile. manufacturing,
and other business enterprises? Three
fourths Of these in this community are
40, or less, and such is our observation
outside. In the newspaper work young
men are forging 10 the front. J. P.
Caldwell, the best editor of the best
paper the State has ever had, not so
aud don't look much over half Of it
his chief assistant not over IS; Jose
phus Daniels, of the News and Obser-
ver, no, over IS, with younger men
assisting him; Wade Harris, Of the
Charlotte Nevs; Burbank and Whita-
ker, OF the Winston Sentinel; Robin
son and Aiken, Of the Asheville CiH-
zen; Robinson, OF the Durham Sun :
Robins IN, OF the Goldsboro Argus, OF
,h. daily mess and Ciark of The