The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-04-19

Following is the speech of Hon.
Charles Brantley Aycock, Of Wayne,
| before the Democratic Convention in
Raleigh last Wednesday accepting the
nomination for Governor. After the
wild applause which greeted his NOM
ination by acclimation in response to
calls MIR. Aycock appeared before the
convention and spoke as follows:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
! Conventions:
The language of gratitute ought to
be brief, for inadequacy Of speech is
never so apparent as when it seeks to
convey sense of obligation. am
grateful to you and to the people
whom you represent. l cannot tell
you how deeply so. My past life and
service to the State have so little us
titled the great confidence which you
| show in ME today that | am made
humbly anxious for all the rest of my
life to approve to your judgment the
action of your affections. This nomi-
nation has not come to me unsought,
but l can say with truth that have
sought it in honorable fashion and it
has come to ME free from taint of
contrivance and combination For
the office of governor itself, dignified
and honorable as it is, made glorious
by the records of long line of the
| States greatest and best men, / have
not wished, but | have earnestly de-
| q; r
on the part of the people of North
Carolina which finds its expression in
election to the governorship. This
unanimous nomination is 4 Joy to me,
because the goodwill of my fellow
citizens has ever been a thing of de-
light to me. When | consider the
character, the ability, the service,
the fitness of the gentlemen whom
were named in connection with this
nomination, any one of whom would
have done honor to the State, | am
obligation to you, and with fear of my
inability to meet the demands which
your kindness makes upon me. But
the fight is not mine, nor shall | claim
the victory when it is won. The con-
test this year is to be made by the
people of North Carolina and the per-
sonality of men will count for little.
| The question for settlement is of the
utmost Importance. 1t touches the
race question and deals with condi-
tions, For thirty years our political
battles have been fought from time to
lime along race lines, while we have
sought in vain to make the theory of
universal suffrage to work out good
government and private virtue. We
have found bv actual trial that it can
not be done. Senator Cullom tells us
in his report of the Hawaiian commits
sion that 'sthe American idea of uni
versal suffrage presupposes that the
body of citizens who arc to exercise
it in free and Independent manner
have by inheritance or education
such knowledge and appreciation OF
the responsibilities of free suffrage
and of full participation in the
sovereignty of the country as to be
able to maintain a republican form OF
government"
Our experience has taught us that
the negro has not such knowledge
either by Inheritance or education.
The whole people of North Carolina
have undoubtedly come to this con
clusion. Allparties have in different
y ways and to different eXtents recog-
nized the incapacity of the negro fol
government. In 1875 the people
changed the Constitution at the in
stance of the Democratic party, and
authorized the legislature to provide
for the government of the counties
Under that Constitution the legisla
ture provided system of county gov
ernment by which the justice of the
peace in the various counties were
appointed by the legislature and MOI
elected by the people. These justice:
in turn chose the county commission
ers who appointed the various schoo
committees and passed upon tn,
bonds of the county officers choser
by the people. The counties of West
ern North Carolina gave up thei
much loved right of local governmen
in order to relieve their brethren Of the
East from the iptolerahle burden o
negro government. For twenty years
the Republican party waged unceas
ing warfare upon us against the form
of county government adopted by the
Democratic party. They appealed tt
that desire which has always charac
terized our people to participate il
the selection of the officers closest tt
them. When the Populist party came
into existence it joined with the Re
publicans upon this issue and togethe
= they won victory over the Democra
cy. They came into power with thu
Z distinct pledge to restore to the peo
pie local self government and indeed
the act changing the old system il
entitled. IAN act to restore to thu
people of North Carolina local sci
government" and yet coming into
power as they did upon this distinc
pledge they were afraid to trust the
negro with the government and pu
in the statute provision for the ap
pointment by a judge of the Superio
Court of two additional county com
, missioners, and clothed these will
more power than the other three
; chosen by the people possessed
Fear Of the negro rule compelled th
Republicans and Populists 10 intro
; duce for the first time in North Caro-
lima since the Democratic party abol
ished it under the leadership of tha
:, true hearted and great North Carroll
l nian. Governor David S. Reid, a gov
I ernment bv free-holders, for this &C
distinctly provides that the two addi
tional commissioners shall only be ap
pointed upon the application of 30
citizens, 100 of whom shall be free
d holders. The Republicans and Popu
g lists themselves thereby to some eS
e tent restricted suffrage to those VIII
owned land in order to escape fror
:, the unbearable burden of negro rul