The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-08-09
The Peoples Champion Speaks
at Goldsboro.
HE MEETS OLD FRIENDS
Renews Acquaintance and
Pleasant "reminiscences.
MAKES A POWERFUL SPEECH
To a Large Gathering of Wayne County
Farmers, Wage Farmers and
Citizens Generally.


respondence)- There are Democrats
and Democrats in Goldsboro, but they
are all Democrats.
There are Cleveland Democrats and
Bryan Democrats sixteen to one Dem
ocrats, and gold standard Democrats,
but there are no Mckinley Democrats
nor Rump Gold ticket. Democrats,
they are all now VIM. j. Bryan and Cy.
Watson Democrats and if we may
Judge from declarations heard on ey-
cry hand yesterday, Wayne is six
teen to one county, sixteen for Bryan
fand Cy. Watson to one for Mckinley
and Dan Russell.
The train leaving Raleigh Friday
evening at o'clock had among its
passengers Hon. Cyrus B. Watson, the
next Governor of North Carolina. He
was on his way to fill an appointment
at this place to-day. There were but
few passengers on the train, and but
few of those knew that the quiet un-
| assuming man sitting about midway
| the smoking car looking intently out
Of the windows at the thirsting fields
of cotton and corn was wearing so
distinguished an honor. His thoughts
| seemed to be more on the parching
fields than on political honors. his
sympathies were with the planters,
whose crops were being so injured by
the drought vastly more than they
were with his own political ambition.
A few seats away sat poor young de-
mented negro girl, in charge of an of
fcer who was taking her to the East
ern Insane Asylum, and as the officer
took her from the train at the asylum
sta Aon, the big heart of this big man
went out to the poor, lowly, deranged
girl, and in an almost inaudible voice
he murmured, "poor little unfortunate
creature all the world is blank to
her"
"Is that Cy. Watson?' inquired a
gentleman, as we alighted from the
train at Goldsboro.
'tYes sir / responded, that is Cy.
Watson, "What do you thing of hlm?'
"WeH, he looks to me like a mixture
of old fashion North Carolina farmer,
brilliant attorney, honest patriot, able
statesman and christian gentleman"
And that is just what Cy. Watson is.
Born and reared on the old farm in
Forsyth county, growing to sturdy
, manhood in the midst of waving fields
, awaking with the birds and catching
from them a soul full of sympathy
and inspiration, going hither day by
day to work in the fields, and to min
gle with those who worked as he
{ worked, he naturally grew into q
} sturdy farmer boy. Then when the
< drum beats called the old and the
young to battle, he showed his patriot
ism and devotion to his country by
: going, when but yet a boy, to the very
front.
- Then when the war clouds had van
ished and the wounds ne had received
were healed he took up Blackstone
and other writer's of law and soon be-
came a master of the science they
taught. and for years has swayed ju.
, ries with his eloquence, edited high
courts with his powerful legal argu
ment, and pleaded, hardly ever in vain
for hundreds and thousands of clients
, | A man of the people, coming up from
! the people and forgetting never
, whether he was addressing a vast as
semblage in a great city, or quietly
chatting with an old neighbor in the
shadows of his rural home-the ties
chat in his boyhood bound him forever
to the common people and linked hl'
u sympathies and destinies with them
1t is these characteristic
beaming from his honest eyes
p spreading over his sturdy counter
: ance. Even his modest, but neat appare
+ bespeaking the man, because of these
! characteristics that are so apparen
is why the gentleman described hin
| with such accuracy, moment aftel
! his first sight of him.
+ Mr.. Watson's reception at GoldsborC
;. was all that could be desired. A com
y mittee met him at the train and for al
; hour after he went to the hotel th'
6 citizens of Goldsboro, Democrats, Re
{ publcans and all filed in, took hin
q by the hand and extended greeting
\ and good wishes. After supper, h
. took aseat out in front of the hotel anC
9 for two hours or more met and con
q versed with dozens of the citizens o
a the town.
:. Early this morning the people be
e gan coming in from the country. There
t.. were no Watson headquarters, NJ
s sending up cards, no formal recep
Y tions, but this tribune of the folk
: stood about among the men, chatting
with them, telling jokes, recalling
V former meetings and "reminiscences
: and in a regular old Zeb Vance way
+ mingling with the people.
e | Az tNtlNC . tiOGk a UdlIu Oh ulQSl'
f announced to the vast crowd tha
= speaking time had arrived, and head
s ed by the band, the speaker and grea
e crowd marched to the Opera House
+ When the crowd had been seated, Mr.
4 Chas. B. Aycock arose and addressing
s hall full of Wayne county yeomen
4 four-ffths of them farmers and wage
I earners, said, 1.-TWO of North Caro-
!. lina's greatest men will never wear ;
8 title, one of them twice governor of The
+ State, many times legislator, Con
! gressmen and United States Senator
always the idol of his people, vet HI
was known by them only as Zeb Vance
= There is another soon to be governo
" and perhaps to wear many other honor
r. that we all know to-day and will know
r. hereafter as simply Cy Watson. I
i. was always Zeb Vance because th
le people knew him so well and love
e him so much and because he llRev
r them so well and loved them so mucl
le 1t is Cy. Watson because he too
known by the people and loved b