The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-08-16
CAPT. COOKE CALLED DOWN.

His Monroe Speech Did Not Represent
the People of Franklin County--One
of the Best Citizens in the County
Come to the Defence of Her Excel
lent People and Their Affairs.
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
I have just been reading in the Raj
eigh Post 9th inst.) its report of the
work of the Democratic lampoon
brigade sent out on the 3rd inst. It is
now apparent why they sent all their
speakers go far from home to make
their speeches. They could tell about
the calamity "back home," and their
distance from the seat of distress
would enable them to- give loose reins
to their imagination.
It fell to the lot of Capt. G. M. Cooke
to Willy poor old Franklin, his native
county that has so honored him in the
past, and out of whose honest and in
d%ustrious yeomanry he has made so
much of that which goes to make this
life easier. The Post says that he was
in a joky mood at Monroe. Well, Of
course, the writer would not vouch
for the accuracy of the Posts report,
but if it be entirely accurate, we be-
lieve that the whole of it could be
viewed in no other light here than that
Of a huge JOKE. Some of the state
ments would be excessively funny if
told by the Captain to a Franklin
county audience. We want to pro-
test against some Of them and against
Captain Cooks going away off into
other parts Of the State and telling
such things on u dear old county.
But let's see what the Captain has to
say, and we can notice only q few of
these "jokes." We copy from the
Post: Fusion in this part of the State,
said the speaker, has been the worst
thing possible, and the people of the
State have not been brought to realize
what we have been forced to bear.
They have sacrificed everything, even
their helpless children, for a few Off
ces." Now that vas a most excellent
little piece Of fun for Mr.. Cooke to tell.
It divides itself into two parts; first, as
to the burdens of ''fusion," which was
a joke; and, second, as to the sacrifc
ing of children, which was an halluci-
nation, and there is about as much
truth in the first half as in the last.
The people r Wagging along pretty
well down here under the weight Of
the government, which a free ballot
and a fair count has enabled them to
put into power. And by the way, a
large me jority of the voters Of this
county are white people. In fact, they
are so pleased with the present regime
that they will reinstate it more fully
and by a larger me jority in November.
As to the second half Of the question
above: no children have been sacri
feed down here. That statement was
no joke. 1t could not have been a
jock. It is too awful to contemplate.
It must have been an hallucination, a
dream, or something else. Why, if
any person down here should be so
barbarous as to sacrifice a child, the
good people would either hang them
by due process Of law or have them
put in the insane asylum.
But let US look at another passage
from the Post: 'In franklin county,
by standing together, the white prople
were able to put good men in charge of
the county affairs, but the Populists got
mad with Cleveland and what did they
do7 They fused with the Republicans
in that county and elected a negro and
a Northern Republican on the Board
of Commissioners. This Republican
was known to be such an immoral
man that he had debauched his own
neighborhood." Ny MyI That was
an excessively funny joke. / wonder
if it was told with a straight face. If
it had been told in Franklin county
the people would have split their sides
with laughter. Tney would have
wanted to know which one Of our Pop
uIist commissioners was referred TO as
a Northern Rel publican" %debauchee
whether it was the amiable old Mr..
Gill or Mra J. J.. Wilder. For my
part, I find it hard to believe that
Capt. Cooke could have had the heart
to tell such a joke on either one OF
these worthless, so far from home. They
are both grave, heightened cit.zsns OF
irreproachabIe character, and mem.
bers of the church in good standing.
They would hardly appreciate such
jokes as the above. I don't suppose
either of them ever lived outside Of the
no.n-E- a. nucr untna Tho Ronr1hlionn