The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-08-28
GRAFTON ON VANCE.
Continued from page three.)

proper TO enter the political aren;
AGAIN, Il temptation WAS offeet
him. which would have proved II
TesiStlbIe To "ne less incyrurtibl'
than he. \ man Of acknowledge
influence in the new Republican party
III the State, and whom Governor Vance
well knew as Il blunt olltspoken man
and who had been his friends. visited
Charlotte and sought Il private inter
view with his. He informed Vance
that he was there II offer him the lead
elcShip of the Republican parity in NORTH
Carolina, as one who could direct pub
he sentiment. You are poor" he said.
"and we viii So that YOU have plenty
Of money. IOu are under political di>a-
biliJies, amd we viii have them 1T once
removed. IOu are ambitious, and we
will see that Won take n seat now vacant
in the United tSates Senate. You can
persuade your friends, it is bptter. for
you and them to have the control than
to leave 1t to such man as we NOW have
no. said Vance, with emphasis. Il
am not ready to sell out vet We'll,
gooy-ble.' said the temper II ALWAYS
knew You were q dunn fool and left.
Later, during Governor Holden's i'm
parchment tlial, in 1871. his incorrupti-
an example II the people, We're put to
the test; and he WAS called on to meet
a more subtle temptation. 1t caIne AT
time when for some reason he was in
greater need of money than usral. and
a friend, who was with Inn daily. no
ticed an lInWGnted depression about
him. His mail was handed fli1l. and in
1t a letter from Raleigh. He read and
le-refld lit, with knitted brow. What is
the matter Governors his friend asked.
lie replied. Il am in particular need Of
money just now. and here is a letter
from Il friend of Governor Holden's of
fering me a large fee to help i'm his de-
Tense. Now i know he can get better
lawyers than | am. and | am satisfied
this offer is made to my personal infu-
ence with the members of the LegiSla-
tule thrown an THE scales for him. | feel
that i would be 4 prostitution of that
influence, ANA | must refuse the Offer
As the result OF the action caused
by the IGiden-kirk wan, and by a de-
rarlnlned effort the Democrats captured
the Legislative branch of the govern
melnt in 1870, and about the first Of Sep
TENDER OF that wear Governor Vance.
not W~1thStanding he was still under polit-
zeal disability, was elected to the United
States Senate, beng lTefelred to Gem
eral NJ. w. Ransom, who had so distin-
gaFShed himself III the var between the
States. and Hon. \. 5. Mellimon, dis
tinguished as 81 lawyer and Judge. and
in political life. But Governor Vance
was 50 obnoxious 20 Republicans at the 5
north, because, as president Johnson eN- 5
ut, 'of the rude eloquence of his ,
.proclanation during the war; and be ]
,auSe he Was the acknowledged war GOV s
OF the South, refused him his seat 5
II the Senate. After long waiting and ]
lndInG the tantaliZing hopes he'd out to u
nm. from time to thine Of the removal |
II his d1sa bilities to be vain. he resigned =
us contingent night to be Senator, and
Iellelal Hanson WAS elected in his {
slace. This soldier and statesman. a y
,orn dlplomiSt, had not been dong in the a
senate before he succeeded in having Ii
Namce's disabilities removed. II
here was another vacancy mn the Sen 4
tie to be filled by the General Assembly, II
n the fall of 1872, and he was the IA 5;
candidate Of a large majority of i
rs party for the seat; but a few Dem Il
cratic friends of Judge Merrimon's o
.oltei the action of the caucus, and :
he Republicans in the Legislature, g
lverfills their votes from their party ~ y
andldate. helped them to elect Merri- =
This was the greatest ~disappoint- -.
rent Governor Vance experienced in his :.
career; and for Il time he was -
ally depressed. The sympathy Of his j.
lell!s, whose love for lrim was in ii
raj bonyancy, and the growing de- ~
LandS of his family, requiring constant "
Dor, soon restored his equaninity. IN in
of what he was able ITO accomplish, Is
ter he became Senator, six wears of
ter, when he was near 40 wears old T.,
'1INit. V I1taPo WIS StOS- III
Dry not 50 great as it had been. and Oh
WtIstandlng Nhat Judge MerrmEn ie
ade Il fsllthful and able Senator. it TO
ems a nlaffea' for regret that so many ca
*iltS OF vance, life. ES II champion of Ii
e south and of low taltff, We're lcSt all
the country by his failure to get thu fir,
his party intended for him six and Dir
CHIT years before. tn
But a great work was reserved for ro'
m no do IN North Carolina. The Judi ]
II ana executive branches of our State NJ
were still i'm the hands OF tha an
lpublcans. Notwithstanding the vioor- an
$ campaign made by Judge Melrfmon fft
1he Democratic candidate for GOV ~
nor, and his associates on the ticket. in 81.
4. In 1876 THE conservative Demo ! ,:
people of the Stinte looked for no
melody to lead them TO victory. The ba'
es of the masses turned toward Vance op'
them leader in the struggle: some III
Mtlclan suggested that his nomination ,nt
''lId not be Wise, because he dad made ntS
eilqeS among some whose Sympathies ~.
manned with the Union during the wan. aann'
q among friends of tleSertenS because ~
has vigorous prosecution of the wan n,a
4 they proposed the names of mem of NJ
pnence who had not been so pro No,
mced nm their views. or whose com of
ct at beast had excited mo such preiu- enn
:. Long before the meeting Of the bI
trends from all sections he
ote ldNn on THE subject of Icing 4 NIT
ldldate. myself among the number. and
candnd reply WAS. that having had all and
honor there was to be had from erS.
ng governor. ut would be a great per- mel
'al sacrifice TO have ITO make the cam owe
IS; but the people had done so much Sen
ll mtlat he could not refuse if there poll
.uld be Il popular demand for him to dull
THE candidate. Some Democratic nea
VSpapels, as well as the politicians re- how
red to. We're ON the side of prudence. tina
favored he nomination of otThene spoil
when the delegates, u~iteGmates and and
er representatives of popular. senti- his
m full numbers, assembled here III t
vas seen that there cohld be but ONE as y
ilt. The people demanded Vance. and ing:
ody elise. The names Of other eond Tor
We're before the conventions: Inn, NJ IRON
end of the first and only roll call war
out of 966 votes We're announced for aSal
That night NE made a speech to pow,
urge crowd i'm front of the National lanu
j. NOW the Agricultural building. nc- are m
ing the nomination. 1t was yeoy il
lest. and mO.e serious THAT his nni
'ches We're won't ito be, and ;m- anu
ased hls hearers with the ora yitv IF ~
work before him and them. He sci VIZ
said ANYTHING that SnundeJ hn,c4e,, tleS,