Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1898-09-22
AYCOCK AND THOMPSON.
DEMOCRACY'S CHAMPION VIC
TORIOUS.
The Cynical Cy Is Completely
Routed and Scathingly Exs
posed: It is Surmised
That He is Done For.
Cor. Of the Charlotte Observer.

"Thrice armed is he who hath
his quarrel just To this fact is
largely due, without doubt, the
great campaign victory at Con-
cord Monday, won by Charles B.
| Aycock, for the Democratic party,
over Cyrus B. Thompson, the
lieutenant general of North Caroo
lima Populism, and second only in
rank to Commander-in-Chief Mar
ion Butler. DR., Thompson is an
Infinitely more attractive and ele-
quent speaker than Butler, having
all the latter's virulent sarcasm
with none of his rambling tedious
ness. He Is impetuous and has
the gift Of humor, which Butler
lacks. He can tell a story with
fine effect. Indeed, he is nothing
like the "Dry as-dust' Butler is
on the stump, 1t is easy to believe
the current report that he is the
nonpariel of the Pcpulist party 5
campaigners.
AS strcng a man as be is hard
to overcome in his contention for
any cause-just or unjust. 1t re-
quired a man equal y as strong to
face him. That man was found
in the person Of Mr.. Aycock. He
is fully the equal of his opponent
in eloquence, wit and sarcasm.
This latter quality, however, Is
not so Spanish as Dr.. Thomp
sons. There is a flavor Of keen
but kindly humor to it. Aycock
is naturally stronger campaigner
than Thompson, nd, ''thrice
armed" by the justice Of his cause,
he is invincible.
The Concord speaking was more
than local event. The nun ber
Of representatives. of the press pres
ent was unusually large. Among
others were Maxwell Gorman, Of
the Raleigh Post; F. B. Arren-
| dell, of the Raleigh News and Oh
server; II. B. Warner, Of the Lex
ington Dispatch; J. D. Barrier, OF
the Concord Standard; j. B. Sher-
rilI, Of the Concord Times, and F.
j. Reid, Of the Salisbury Watch
man, Their report will go out
through the length and breadth OF
the State. This gentle passage at
i arms at Concord, then, was really
state event.
The Observer is tempted to pre-
dict that the Populists will call of
these Joint debates. in the future.
Perhaps not. Perhaps they have
gone too far to back without
confession, by that act, of cow
; ardice. The temptation will b6
: strong, however. The Concorf
speaking WAS Populist date in 8
Populist stronghold. Mr.. Aycoch
t was there not of his own seeking
, The invitation came from the Po
pulist campaign committee to serc
;. some Democrat to meet their Go.
p Hath of Goth there. The Popu-
S list committee evidently believed
} that Thompson was impregnabl'
with his charges of incompetencJ
4 on the part of his Democratic pre-
/, decessors in the Secretary o
5 States Office. The doctor has ev1
: dently moved heaven and earth II
: : his efforts to trump up SOM
S charges OF lnetflclency and OF gfos
r negligence by former Democratic
Secretaries of State He attack
Mr.. Cooke, living, and Mr.. Coke
0 dead. These charges are Thomp
sons 13.-inch shells, and he is ex
: pected by his committee to bloy
up theDemocratic party with them
b He paints a lurid picture of thi
b alleged negligence in such a wa.
E as to insinuate and suggest actua
q fraud, even theft. He has pnb
r lished these charges in the Pro
I gressive Farmer. and reiterate
. them in his recent speech at Gin
IS ton.
y Mr.. Aycock met him in full til
:, = with ex~Secretary of State Cooke
letter, which has just been publish