The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-10-31
COL. q. BENT AFFORDS ADDRESS.
He and Maj. Gee Sam win Tonight
Add to the Gaiety of Nations.


Add to the Gaiety of Nations
Col. Gauze Ba2oo Afford, the only
original gold-bug candidate in this
bailiwick, came to town Tuesday
morning. He got off the train with a
| smile as broad as the new moon, but
it was soon eclipsed by two other plan
cts swinging in the gold-bug heaven.
| These were Chairmen Hallelujah Air
and Africanus Elihu IIolton. And
! this is the what killed Col. Affords
! joy, bldtted out that haryest-moon
smile and made his grip sack palpitate
in fear:
lie found that these afore-
said willy, gold-bug politicians had,
| while he was at home Saving his
! large hay and rice crop" been issuing
! circulars and addresses without mum
| Der.
Now thu Colonel is not as old
! politician as some others, but he aspires
! to be and he doesn't like the idea Of
being left behind in the procession.
| This is very commendable ambition
on the part of Col. Bazoo. So he set
himself at once to remedy the defect,
so that his "many friends" in the
! district might know that he was still
gathering hold of the flagstaff of
/ the trailing banner of our fathers"
He was reticent and dignified all Tues
/ day evening, denying himself even to
| his dearest friends and one might
easily have detected that some ponder
/ Gus thoughts were revolving in his
! mighty brain.
This great work of political cere-
bration was kept up all night and
| Wednesday morning Col. Bazoo, pale
| and agitated from the long mental
strain, sat himself down in the Park
Hotel reading room and penned a most
statesman-like address to the voters
| of the Fourth Congressional district.
1t did not take long to write it. The
Colonel knew what he wanted to say,
so he said it without regard to the
| Queens English or beauty of diction.
! lit was sent at once to the printer
and all night Wednesday night the
| presses roared and Missed in their
haste to give the Coloners message
to the world Early Thursday morn
ing the Colonel was again on the
! streets, his smile out of eclipse and
! all the cobwebs brushed off, his fa-
nous grip in one hand and his adj
dress in the other. Oh, the thrill of
/ JOY that must have passed through
! his frame at the thought that he was
now in the forefront of gold-bug pol
/ iticians; that he was distributing the
latest political address and that it bore
the name of G. Benton Afford.
Following are a few nuggets select
ed at random and yet giving the gen
eral tenor and purpose, of the ColonePs
yellow hammer proclamation to the
voters of the Fourth Congressional
district:
Having early in the campaign an
nounced myself as an independents
candidate for Congress, on a sound
money, bimetallic platform, earnest
ly appeal to you, my friends and fell
lowcitizens, to consider well before
casting your ballots on November 3rd
for Presidential electors and Congress-
man.
when first announcing myself as
your candidate expected to have can
vassed the district, but my business
at home was OF such a character
| could not make a full canvass.
had large hay and rice crop to save,
! which required my personal attem-
tion.
in gathering hold of the flagstaff
of the trailing banner of our fathers,
/ have done so with the highest pa
triotic motives. My own election has
T concerned me but very little. My
greatest object and desire has been
that the good people of this district,
who are entitled to the truth on both
sides of this great financial question,
should have it discussed before them.
In all my canvass my arguments
for sound money have been unan-
Il r..
Pou, my free silver competitors, whom
/ have met at eight or ten different
appointments, defying them on every
stump, have dared to refute my argu-
ments.
| '"The proofs have presented in my
canvass in regard to the anarchistic
tendency of the Chicago platform
in its attack upon the powers of the
Executive and Judicial branches of
this government have been unanswer-
able. These charges and many others
J have been sustained by me, and can
still be sustained against any reason
able debater and before men of reason
and common sense, throwing all pre-
JUDGE aside.
LET the question be settled as it
may, Ihaye done my duty. / feel my
skirts are clear. With this, my
friends, / leave the matter with you,
trusting that the Great Director Of all
righteousness may direct you"
The Colonel will further add to the
gaiety of nations by addressing the |
people of Raleigh tonight at the |
court house. He will be aided in this
performance by Major Gee Sam Brad |
shaw, a decoy duck elector 1t is |
generally understood that Col Afford |
is put on the programme to draw the |
crowd and Gee Sam to do the speak !
ing.