The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-01

has been broken for another like
building. The new court house. stand
ing back of the noble shaft erect
ed to the memory of the signers of
! the Declaration of Independence. is a
model building, suited for the public
! purposes of this great county, lacking
nothing of perfection except larger
| court-room The City Hall, the Post
| office, the new and enlarged churches,
colleges. schools, factories, mills and
hundreds of private residences are of
modern and imposing architecture
that would do credit to a city with a
population OF 10000.
4 < \
In the last State convention. by
some provdential or other good de-
| sign, the delegations from Mecklen-
| burg and from Wake, were given seats
! side by side. Each county had 80
notes.-the largest cast in the conven-
| ton They voted together on almost
every ballot for the winning candi-
| date. and the all-nght session and
concord in voting made the two big
| delegations feel that they were as
| close in spirit as in location in the
| convention. Representing the two
! largest counties in the State, which
embrace the two cities having the
! largest white population, both OF
which are going forward as never be-
fore in their history, it is fitting that
| the people of these two counties and
| cities should pull together Tor good
| government as well as material prog
ress. 1t was in part to renew the
comradeship of the all-night conven-
ton with the Mecklenburg delegates
and TO catch inspiration from the
| Democratic cohorts of this county
who intend 10 give majority of p.
800 or 5000 for the Constitutional
Amendment that brought me to Char
lotte at this time when they were
welcoming the Democratic candidates
on the State ticket.
y y =
A short telegram told of the fine i'm
| preston made here by the candidates
on the State ticket. 1t was the first
opportunity | had enjoyed of hearing
our standard bca! ers. The day was
perfect Just such Il day | guess that
insp' cd people of this good county
! to adopt the resolutions that have
made Mecklenburg famous. The
| Steel Creek band gave patriot thrill
TO Dixie" the handsome courtroom
had been prettily decorated by Mrs.
+. 5. Garrison, Mrs. Luke Seawen and
! Miss Julia Alexander with flowers and
United States flags. a large bunch of
carnations for our next Governor"
adjoining the speakers stand. Chair
man Mccall, who is a wheel-horse
and pulls heavy load with the ease
| of percheron. presided over the
l.
| in an admirable manner. In fact, with
all due respect to the candidates, /
must say that the speeches of intro
duction were so fine that it put the
candidates on their metal to equal
them. Mr.. Heriot GARRISON and Mr..
| Charles w. Tillett ] had heard before.
and expected the fitting and eloquent
| introductions which they made OF Mr..
| Grimes and Mr.. Gilmer. 1t was the
| first time | mad heard Mr.. j. A. Bell.
of the Charlotte bar. who introduced
| DR.. Dixon He is man who is going
| to be heard from in North Carolina if
| he lives long and serves his party as
well as he presented DR.. Dixon. He
! has point. pith and humor. and an
engaging style. | never saw him be
fore, but | am banking on him. for
his happy speech showed head full
| of sense.
1t Is not my purpose 10 write nj
| length about the speeches but to give
merely an idea of the impression they
made on me. My friend Hon. Chas.
| NJ. Cooke, Zone of the wisest and best
men in North Carolina, by the way)
had a story he used to tell decidedly
| well about an old constituent who was
wont TO talk great deal about what
| he called the ''neverage" man, mean
| ing the average man. When was
younger thought that men were very
| unlike and had the notion that the
| speech that would impress the bank
er might not similarly affect the me-
| chanic. and that what the farmer
would delight 10 hear might not thrill
the lawyer. That notion would have
! been dissipated today if never before,
for the same appeals that moved the
! old soldier in the garb of the farmer
! brought tears to the eyes of the learn
| ed lawyer. and the cheer of the me-
| chanic and man who handled large
| sums of money were spontaneous. II
| is as true of politics as of n touch of
! nature-it makes the whole world
/ kin. There is a leavening and level
| ling influence in Democratic truth that
makes all Democrats one in spirit and
one in purpose. and that proves the
doctrine of Jetferson's equality that
some folks have been trying 10 tear
! down since 1776. There is a mighty
| power in doctrine that puts the man
in broadcloth and the man in over; u Is
in the same earnest struggle for the
! government that blesses each alike
equal rights to all and special privil-
| eye TO none"
Mr.. Grimes was the first speaker
| here. He has not been trained to
| public speaking, but is rapidly devel-
oping real talent. He speaks with
! clearness and elegance, and with di-
rectness and sincerity that makes a
fine impression upon all who hear
| He has the courage and bravery of
his great father, and when he tells of
| the armed men who in November
| 1898. had TO band themselves together
! to protect their wives and daughters,
| the picture is so clearly drawn that
! YOU seem to see the grim and deter
mined men and their rifles glistening
the moonlight. He appeals to the
! Western and Piedmont voters to assist
! the East by legal remedies, but with