The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-08-21
200 PEOPLE .PRESEN |
GOV. RUSSELL DBNOUNCES COR
PORATE GREHD.
RAILROADS RULED THE LEGISLATURE
He Enjoys Being Governor Now That the
Legislature Has Adjourned Some
Hot Shots For the Federal
Judges.

JuuSeS'
The Alliancemen of Wake county
about 100 of them-enj0yed Il basket pic
mic yesterday at the Agricultural and
Mechanical College. They came early,
brought their dinners and stayed all day.
In addition to the members of the Alli-
ancc, there were many people from the
Icity-possibly another 100, including such
"tilers of the soil as Gov. RUSSELL Sec
Iretary of State Thompson, Auditor Aver,
Commissioner MewbOrne State Librarian
Cobb. State Chemist Withers, Sheriff
Jones, Register of Deeds Rogers, Labor
Commissioner Hamrick, Federal Court
Clerk Fortune. County Commissioner
Hill, Clerk r. W. Denmark, Representa-
tives Bagwen and Babbitt, and others.
The morning was spent in going over
he college, the machine shops, barns and
experiment farm. Then came dinner,
served in the college mess hall. After
that, at 80 o'clock. there were speeches
| by Gov Russell, Secretary of State
Thompson and Commissioner MewbOrne,
the two latter being short.
Gov Russell spoke for nearly an hour
and was frequently and enthusiastically
apRlauded.
In introducing Gov. Russell, DIR.
Thompson congra tulated the Alliance OF
Wake county on the assemblage. He said
il was often said that the Alliance was
dead but 'sit seemed to be a long time
about it; that few had gone back, weak
and faint-heart. but the great spirit and
force of the Alliance still lives, notwith-
standing the lessening of members.
q "We have projected every live issue
now before the people. We are here, we
are here to stay, we are here as force.
| Now am going TO do what no man ever
did before. / am going to introduce a
| Governor of North Carolina to speak at
an Alliance meeting. don't know exect-
| ly how much we had to do with making
him Governor, but do know that down
deep in his heart there is a thr6bbing
in sympathy with the people and the
principles for which the Alliance stands"
GOV. RUSSELLS SPEECH.
! Here DR.. Thompson read the resolu-
tions passed by the State Alliance, at its
recent meeting, endorsing Gov. Russell
| in his position on the railroad lease ques-
tion. ~."
Gov. Russell said:
| Now, my friends, it occurs to me, as it
occurs frequently in the case of very
many public speakers, to say first and TO
talk first about that which is the biggest
and most important in their minds, and
that is themselves.
My friend, DR.. Thompson, by what he
has said has compelled me to say some
thing about myself. l don't like to do this.
but l am bound to do it now. l know
that somebody is thinking, after hearing
him, that Thompson and Russell and all
on the ground are getting up some
scheme to boom Russell. Now, some fell
low thinks about like this: Russell is
after our votes and Russell is after going
to the Senate and getting Buffers place,
and he is after something more than he
has got" Now, if you think that, you are
badly off. / am not a candidate for any
Office in this world. l don't know but
would rather be president of nay rice
plantation than to be President OF the
United States. / am satisfied with the
honorS which have been conferred upon
me, and l would not loose one moment of
sleep or suffer one pang or pain if I
could read the irrevocable decree that I
should never hold another office. / am
satisfied. Yes, l am satisfied to serve the
people of North Carolina, whose desti-
MES, in a measure, have been entrusted
to me, and then retire to my home on the
Cape Fear and there commune with the
God of Nature as look upon its turbid
waters as they roll to the sea.
And you are mistaken, my friends,
whoever you may be in this crowd, when
you think l am talking for my own ad-
vantage. l am not; and I will serve that
notice. l will serve another notice upon
you. That is, / am here in this office as
Governor of North Carolina for that
time, and as long as l am here | will |
without regard to party, Democrat, Re-
publican or Populist, stand by the men
who plough their own fields and pay the
taxes.
Now, I am not going to make politi-
cal speech and certainly not a partisan
speech. recognize men of all parties and
say that they are entitled to their.
opinions.