The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-24

the appointments and had his local com
mittee to invite any Democrat to re-
ply, but he showed his unfairness in
insisting on Mr.. Aycock speaking first
at each appointment. The courageous
young Democratic giant did not demur
at Concord, but at Hoods Swamp he did
insist upon the arrangement usually
agreed upon by men meeting in joint de-
bate and told Dr. Thompson that it
was nothing but fair that he should open
at Hoods Swamp inasmuch as he, Az
cock had opened at Concord, but the
lodging Doctor remembered that thirty
minutes rejoinder at Concord He knew
that he could not stand one hour and
a half of it, so he declined but finally
agreed that Mr.. Aycock should have
forty-fve minutes rejoinder. He will
never do this again for that forty-five
minutes at Hoods Swamp was the UNI
happiest three-quartcrs of an hour of
Dr. Thompson's political life. During
that forty-five minutes he suffered all the
pangs that ever came to Il defeated an
tagonist he literally died in the realm
of joint debate. He was riddled from
the soles of his feet to the auburn locks
that cover his head. He was
knocked out more completely than gen
tleman Jim Corbett was knocked out by
the great Fitzsimmons.
He fell with Il dull thud. He counted
the minutes us they passed by, each
bristling with the sharpest arrows that
ever stung a debater He sat, mute,
dumb, motionless, before he could re-
cover from the sting of one arrow he
fol hn Stin Of
sible, inGincere, unenviable position was
unveiled before him in all its hideous
trickery and political debauchery He
was told with killing emphasis that he
had slandered men who were better
than he. The very ghosts of Coke and
Saunders, and +. NJ. Aycock seemed to
stand before him and point to records
of chivalry, courage and integrity as re-
futations of his reckless ISLANDERS. He
was told without the mincing of word
that he would not have the personal
courage to stand before Matt Ransom
even though he had one foot in the
grave, and tell him that he was polish
ed hypOcrit." He was subdued and sill
enccd by the keen lash of truth in The
hands of the brave and brainy Aycock.
1t was Il terrific castigation, the vast
crowd stood brcathlcss and spcll-bound,
the neighbors, friends and companions
of the brilliant AycOck seemed almost
dazed. He was their idol, but he had
scaled loftier heights of elOquence, of
power and effect than they had seen
him scale before. He was terribly in
earnest, the clouds had wept over the
scene, and he had stood in the DRILLING
rain until he was wet through. His
physical strength almost wavered, and
his friends were for a moment deeply
concerned, but i'll reply to an admontion,
he said, mo, if / die here fighting for
the white manhood womanhood and
childhood of North Carolina, the sacrifice
will be rs noble, as honorable as if /
had died i'll defense of my country s
flag" He paused for just moment and
continued. His close was electrifying;
it was touching; it was the ebbing of Il
mighty tide that had swept everything
before it. 1t was the receding echo Of a
storm of logic, of truth and justice that
tore down the fusion structure; it was
the last flashes of a blaze of eloquence
and power, that had burned the bar
riers away and left only smouldering
remains of the great defender of the
unholy traffic in freemens votes.
The heart of that great crowd of coun-
try yeomen swelled up until it broke
into mighty volume of applause that
cleayed the passing clouds.
Dr. Thompson was visibly effected,
his hands trembled, his lips quivered, but
the sparkle had gone out of his eyes.
His voice was harsh, there was no
melody i'll it; no earnestness; no feryor.
He quickly pulled down the curtain be-
tween himself and the rejoinder of Ay-
cock, and spent his - minutes of re-
joinder in talking about the Secretary
of States office, finally reitcrating his
charge that the Democratic party OBJ
tanned its campaign fund for years from
this office, forgetting that during much
of the time he himself was member
of the State Democratic executive COM
mittee.
The victory of Aycock was so com
plete, so far-rea ching, so unquestioned,
that there was not man in all the
vast audience that J. could find who did
not concede it.