The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-05-17

Governor Russell, in an interview
yesterday, tiayed Richmond Pearson,
who is attempting to defraud Con-
gressman Crawford out of his seat in
the lower branch of Congress.
Governor Russell was discussing
the recent State Republican conven-
ton, when he consented to make pub
lie his pronounced views as to the
Duke of Richmond, who is contesting
the election of Mr.. Crawford, and
whom Republicans as well as Demo-
Gratis admit has not the slightest just
grounds for contest.
The Governor openly charges Pear
son with attempting to steal Con-
gresham Crawford's seat, which he
characterizes as contemplated lar
ceny."
His Excellency has seen the hand
writing on the wall and asks:
'sWhat is the use of our making
the great issue as to honesty in cleo
tions if our party should perpetrate
such fraud as this?''
| Pearson, it will be remem bered,
was the chairman of the platform
committee in the Republican State
convention, and he it was who word
ed the resolution relative to the State
administration, which ignored the
Governor.
The exposure and denunciation of
Pearson, coming as it does from the
man who holds the highest office
within the gift of his party in the
State, will doubtless have its effect in
Washington before Republican Con-
gress.
| The Governor said:
"Pearson's attempt to steal the
Ninth district does not hurt his repu-
tation. 1t only sustains it. But the
late Republican convention in per-
mitting Pearson to smuggle through
a resolution commencing himself and
his contest, but for the fact perhaps
that most of the convention did not
know it was in the platform would
have disgraced the Republican party
of North Carolina. Here we are in
North Carolina charging truthfully
that the Democrats are sweeping
things by force and fraud; that they
have put upon us an election law that
is meaner than the Goebel deviltry.
The State convention meets; it ap-
points a committee en- resolutions
and platform. Pearson schemes to
get himself at the head of the COM
mittee. He fixes the resolutions,
Especially the one which extols him
self, and commends his contemplated
larceny. And then what sight for
the gods! A platform denouncing
fraud and demanding honesty-this
platform prepared and reported and
read with a sickly effort toward the
dramatic) by man who has been,
is now and was at that moment max
ing the supreme effort of his life to
disfranchise by bald fraud all the
voters of the city of Asheville and to
steal seat in Congress by methods
substantially as lawless and desperate
as those which are known OF all men
to prevail in the non-suffrage States. ="
'.But, Governor, Pearson expects to
make it party vote on the ground
that he is straight Republican,"
"Oh, yes; of course. Party politics
are coming to that, are they? Stand
up for any villainy, no matter what,
if they call it a party matter. Law,
right, honesty, decency, equity, JUS
tice, all to be ditched to put in con-
testant because he promises to be a
Republican. When did this man get
to be Republican? Those of US of
the old guard who stood by the party
in the days of its defeat and weak
ness, when none of us believed that
we could live to see it in power, have
not forgotten this mans career. His
father was Whig, Union man, an
intrepid judge in the days of secession
and war, and a Republican. The
present Pearson, because of his
fathers merits, got office and re-
mained a Republican as long as his
father lived and the Office lasted. The
Office failed, the father died, the Re-
/ publican party got beat and Pearson
+ turned Democrat. Like other apos-
tates he tried to wipe away the past
by extreme servility to the present.
He joined in close communion with
the politicians who hated his father,
pursued him with relentless rancor
and bounded him to his grave. But
he did not get his expected pay from
C the Democrats. They were strong
e enough not to need him and proud
enough not to want him. Then he
began to plot against them and got
. into Congress by running as an inde,
pendent. After his election to Con.
gress he denied that he was Repub.
1 lican, saying he carried his politics
e under his hat. When be became sat
y istied that the Republicans were
strong enough to win, be got out
from under his hat and went tt
c sneering at the men who, through al
= the years of defeat, without the hope
5 of reward, had followed the party
: flag.
: The truth is, he was fairly beaten
= His real complaint is that he didn't ge
Y votes enough. The plain men of th'
# mountains have had enough of him
n They know that he has nothing il
e common with them-no sympath,
n with their struggles, their labors OF
e their wants. They don't care to b.
Y represented by man who, as the,
t know, would not willingly sacrifice
y the mint in his morning julip to saw,
Il them and theirs from the pangs o
d the damned"
e ''Do other Republicans. Governor
l. think about Pearson as you do?"
Yes. Col. Lusk and Mr.. Smather