The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-10-02
BUXTON IN. "DE AE''
Making Telling Speeches to
Big Crowds of Voters.
His Telling RidicuIe Of Blackburn. The People
Applaud His Trea'm mt Of Trusts and
Imperialism.
lspecial to News and observer.)

Sparta, N. c., Oct. Hon. ]. G. Bux-
ton, the candidate for Congress of the
Eighth District, the "battle ground" of
the State, reached our town Friday
night in his canvass of this, the trans
mountain section of his district. The
people of the district are to be congratu-
lated on having such candidate and
canvasser as Mr.. Buxton. l was at Ashe
Court last Tuesday, where he made his
opening speech to a crowded room or
ladies and gentlemen, and while you
would not class him as an orator in one
sense, in another he is. His commanding
appearance, frank, benevolent face and
a certain modesty and hesitancy of utter
anee combine to add charm to his
strong, rugged style that is certainly
making deep impression on our prac-
tical mountain people. He presents the
issues of imperialism and trusts IN
splendid and unanswerable argument
heard him at Jefferson, at Spart Friday
night, and at the Primitive Baptist As
ISOLATION at Ennis Saturday, and at each
place the large audiences by close and
intense attention from start to finish
showed that his earnestness and ability
the people after his speech, you hear
nothing but favorable comments on his
speech, his personal cordiality and his
sic.
The District Executive Committee made
a request of the Republican candidate
E. Spencer Blackburn, for joint debate
with Mr.. Buxton some weeks ago, but
the doughty hero of Abe Middleton fame
n tn a
Jefferson, last Tuesday, Mr.. Buxton spoke
and Blackburn was present in the audi
ence and had been invited to speak, bit
refused. He sat in twenty feet of Bux-
ton while he was reading out his record
in the Legislature of 1897, and was as
dumb as an oyster, and when Buxton,
with infinite humor and good natured
ridicule, described e. Spence (who had
been Dragging in his speeches in the
mountains about what big ripple their
mountain boy had made down in the
'sseed tick country where he said Bux-
ton came from, as he drove through the
streets of Winston in a six-team tally
no, with yaller ribbons on the reins, at
tired in red sweater, with knee breeches
and great silver buckles on his garters,
his long hair parted in middle, golf
cap stuck on his head, and blowing a
long tin horn, he was dumbfounded.
watched him closely, and he was as
red as turkey snout while Buxton de-
scribed his personal antics in Winston,
but he did not seem to be ashamed of
his shameful political antics in Raleigh
in voting for Abe Middleton in place Of
a one-legged Confederate soldier, and to
place the cities of Greenville, Newbern
and Wilmington under negro rule Mr..
Buxton makes a strong point here, when
he charges that just such men as Black
burn are responsible for the Wilmington
revolution first and the necessity for the
Constitutional Amendment afterwards.
AT THE ASSOCIATION.
Agreeable to all parties, Mr.. Buxton
spoke at Ennis Saturday after the
preaching for the day was over. 1t was
"a great gathering of at least 1000 men
and women. 1t was the occasion of the
yearly Association of the Primitive Bap-
lists. After services Mr.. Buxton was in
vited to the stand, and for an hour he
held the vast crowd in close attention. 1
have never seen such an ovation at the
close of speech. Ministers, women
and children pressed forward to shake
his hand and bid him God speed in his
crusade against Imperialism and the doc
tfine of converting heather at the muzzle
of a 13-ineh gun. Spencer Blackburn will
not go with Mr.. Buxton, but in his place
two revenue officers and one brandy
gauger have been following him to every
appointment since he left Jefferson. We
will do our duty by Bryan and Buxton in
November. lie left Sparta for Watauga
yesterday, and carries with him the best
wishes Of many new made friends and
several converts.