The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-02-28
RICH AND RACY.
Mr.. RAYS SPEECH IN THE
HOUSE
On the New Election Law-He Discov-
erS Some Wonderful Things in This
Remarkable MeaSurc-MOre Than
Sixty Sections Stolen From the
Democrats.

NS>h hto'i'> nay oI tliN h>" SiI1ktON
law, as published in the Nt7os ana
ObscrVcr last week :
| want to congratulate the people
of the State that the end of this cleo
tion humbug is at hand and the long
looked for promises of the FusiOnisls
are fulfilled Is 10 the wonderful pro-
duct of the gigantic brains of the Big
Five, | believe it is. | believe it was
Cicero who shaved his head and went
into winter quarters in order TO pre-
pare himself to charm with his musical
and matChless eloquenCc the listening
multitudes of the centuries. When he
emerged from his seClusion, his hair
had probably grown some, but he
brought out with him gem that out
shone the stars in the armament.
This immortal Five, unlike the states
man of old, did not shave their heads,
,as most of them were bald on account
Of wisdom and the weight of the re-
sponsibility that rested upon them,
but they went into secluSion, and the
last word we heard them say when
they went out of sight was to damn
for the thousandth time, perhaps, the
Democratic election law. They re-
manned till everybody was uneasy
about them and the nominal members
of the Legislature were going to and
fro and asking "where are we at?"
Had they not promised the people
everywhere, from the mountains Of the
West, where the spruce pines, tall and
dark, moan in the breath of the pass
ing breezes, to the sea where the wild,
grand music of the storm has its birth,
that the Democratic election law was
an ntamy and should be at once for
ever blottcd from the books? The
people waited long for the fulfillment
of these promises, and Just as we were
all about TO despair, 10 the light
breaks, the clouds vanish and the Big
Five appear in sight with the new,
improved and original election bill in
its hand, shouting as they come,
"Back! back ye demons of Democ-
racy, we have found and formulated
the most wonderful election law ever
seen by the children of men, and
Democratic frauds must 80 and for
ever !"
At first | hcsitatcd to touch copy
of this wonderful law. | got bolder
and venturcd to put one in my pocket,
and took it home
Personally, | felt like | never had
committed a sin against the election
law and had never defrauded a mortal
man on earth out of his vote, but hav-
ing been elected under the inhuman
law, placed on the books by Demo-
Gratis, felt sort of original sin, as it
werc-a kind of total depravity,
and ever 50 little was enough to place
me beyond the pale of the Fusionists'
paradise, and like Eugene Aram, felt
that night
That guilt was my grim chamberlain
That lighted me to bed,
And drew the midnight curtains round
With fingers bloody red
Next morning, after having said
my prayers, | ventured with 4 feeling
of awe to read the bill
At first | came to where Secretary
means Secretary of State, and Clerk
means Clerk of the Court, and pre-
cinct means territorial unit of elections
according to the contest, and the
singular meant the plural and oath
meant affirmation, and SO on. | knew
had never seen anything on earth
like this before, and it surely must be
original with the Big Five.
STOLEN FROM THE DEMOCRATS.
came to the next section, and its fea-
lures seemed familiar, and the next, and
the next. and the next, and to my
infinite and unspeakable amusement
the Big Five had literally stolen, soul
and body, these sections from th-
Democratic election law with the
change Of county comm issioners to
clerks OF the courts and other unim-
pOrtant changes in some Of the yer
bjase. Then reached section seven
of the new and wonderful Law, and
there met an unfamiliar face, / VIII.
admit 1t IS not stolen from any CIV
lized men on eaTth, Tor there is no;h-
ing III The Heavens above, Or in the
earth DcEeath' nor IN the waters down
under thc eaFth' Ike t. i provides
tor the CHAIRMAN 2f 'he State LNecn-
fivc committee OF each political party
70 fecom'"enH - ING Clerks "f ihe
court III e"cA county suitable men Tor