The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-04-17
T

the great peoples convention. The peo-
pie were there and they were not
bossed or gagged in any great degree.
They nominated four men OF the peo-
pie, IL not more-B. r. Lacy for state
treasurer, j. Bryan Grimes for secre-
tary Of state, and Mr.. T. f. Toon for
superintendent of public instruction,
and G.. L. Patterson for commissioner
OF agriculture, all excellent selections,
and three Of them real, every day
farmers. The people appreciate able
and worthy n useful men OF all call
ings, and do not urn down such men
because they are lawyers. The last
issue of the North Carolina Law Jour-
nal has this:
THE recognized leaders of the diff
ferent political parties in this state in
the present campaign are lawyers.
They o only LEAD the legislation, but
in the governmental control OF the
commonwealth"
This is to a great extent true The
bar is always foremost in public affairs
and good lawyers have not been at any
time Indifferent to the welfare of the
country or to the supposed honors that
gather around official life. 1t is a fact
nov Is it has been in most of the
history of North Carolina, that the
leaders were lawyers. We know from
present observation that it has been
so since 1910, and history tells the
same thing back 20 colonial times The
lawyers are gel ~ patriots and
stand by liberty and good government.
The decidedly able young man who
heads the ticket is a lawyer of I'M
blemished name and fairest record,
and he is a lawyer. So is Mr.. w. D..
Turner, candidate for lieutenant gov
ernor. Mr.. R.. d. Gilmer, candidate for
attorney general. is. of course, a law
yer. We believe these three are the
only lawyers on the state ticket. The
state will be we'll served by these gen.
tlemen of the bar.
The convention, like all similar
bodies, did not snow appreciation of
the editors and owners of
Two worthy members of the State
Press Association, Messrs. London and
Britt, were candidates for offices they
were well equipped for, but they failed
of election. This shows a conspicuous
Indifference 70 the voice of the press.
When editors learn to be more indie
pendent of party aspirants and self
appointed leaders they will be more
highly regarded and will not be so
often ignored. AS this is written by
one who never wanted anything in his
life from q nnrtU m a nnlitJR1an and
who never wore any mans collar, he
canno be suspected of being gangrened
by disappointment or indulging in a re-
past of sour grapes" The press is
potential everywhere outside of North
Carolina.
The Messenger is particularly graf
flied to see that Major Edward J. Hale
was appointed one of the delegates-at-
large to the national convention. There
will be few of the delegation from
North Carolina who car measure with
him in judgment, extensive observa-
ton, ~soundness of principles and
ability.
AS we ook at it, the democracy of
North Carolina is united. 1t wears
10 AioiiAN q lllfSIil Ny
the people for such is the meaning of
it. Lincoln stole a New England
teachers saying in a Yankee school
book published in the thirties-that
this was a government of the people
and by the people and for the people,
and, like Daniel Webser had done be-
fore him in other particulars, he used
it as his own in his Gettysburg short
speech that the north regards as i'm
mortal, but gave out no sign that it
was not his own mental coinage. The
North Carolina democracy are really
leaders more than the led. There is a
vast dea of independent thinking
among the true democrats of North
Carolina, and he is a wise leader who
understands the people, who discerns
their movements and knows their
thoughts. Hurrah for Charles B:
Aycock-the man of high morale, of
noble aspirations, of pure life-Patriot,
Statesman, Orator, North Carolinian.