The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-05-12
CHARLES 8, AYCOCK.-
Continued from Ninth Page. }

party for State Treasurer in 1896 and
made most effective campaign. He is
a strong speaker and a wise and exper-
fenced legislator,
Progressive, far sighted, dilfgent and
painstaking, he has originated and advo-
Gated much of the important legislation
OF the past twelve years. 1t is not too
much, to say that no Senator has, during
that period, contributed more to the en-
acrmsnt of wise and sanitary laws or,
been moved by more conscientious de-
votion to the highest interests of the
people OF the State. At home, his good
sense, kindness Of heart and constant
helpfulness to every individual and cause
which appeals to his judgment or his SYM
patty have given him the respect and con-
fidence of his constituents III
1t was with such parents and with
such kindred that the boy began life.
The home was quiet one in which affec-
ton, order, industry and frugality were
linked with clear thinking. directness OF
speech. devotion to duty and deep re-
ligious conviction.
The community was wholly agricultural
The owners, or their fathers or grand
gathers, had cleared the lands and
brought them into fine state of Guilt
cation. The crops were usually good be-
cause cultivated intelligently and indus
triously. The largest land owner was
capable OF doing as much work as his best
hired laborer, and took pride in doing it,.
The farm hand who could keep pace with
his employer in cotton chopping time was
the recipient of warm congratulations.
Work was looked upon as the. first duty
of man, and woe betide the luckless far
mer who, forgetting the primal law OF
life, permitted his cotton to become gras-
sy. If he escaped having his crop auc-
toned off to the highest bidder at the
depot some Saturday evening, in the
presence of his neighbOrs, 1t was only
because he bound himself in the most
solemn terms that the next Saturday
should find it clean.
Prosperity smiled upon the community
and as wealth accumulated more land was
bought and larger crops we're raised, The
only investment regarded as wise was the
purchase or Improvement OF land. The
population was homogeneous. The origi-
nal settlers were OF English stock. The
scanty immigration came from the same
source. and was confined to the occasional
arrival OF an individual or family from
neighoring county. They were strong
and vigorous people, independent. indus
tricus and religious. They had not much
OF the culture derived from books, but
they had culture which cannot always
be obtained from books. They were well
informed on political questions, kept in
touch with the great movements Of their
day. advocated and praeticed as opportu-
nifty permitted the education of their
chilSren. exhibited q patriotic interest in
the welfare of the country, and when
soldiers were needed gave their best and
bravest to die for their principles.
Il They were an undemonstratiye people.
Simplicity OF speech as well as Of life,
characterized them. Deeds. not words.
might have been written as their motto.
They stroye to be accurate and literal in
their statements. Exaggeration or hyper
bole was foreign to them. a flood was
to them "a tolerably heavy rain" an
enormous crop, "a fair Yields" great
speech "a good talk II one was i'll, ne
was mot very we'll" and If he was we'll,
he frequently described himself as Just
/ up or $50 as to be about
They had courage of a high order, but
never vaunted it. 1t was of the quiet
sort that makes itself felt when occa-
sion demands A typical Nahunta man,
in one Of the battles Of The War Between
the States, engrossed IN the business in
hand, went his steady gait In the direc-
ton of the foe, under storm Of shot,
when. not hearing his comrades, he
turned and looked to see what had become
OF them. and found they had stopped a
hundred yards or more behind him. He
yelled to them at the top Of his voice
Fellows, why don't you come ON" and
stood his ground until they came He was
never able to see the point Of the compli-
ment his Captain paid him In camp that
night; his only feeling seemed to be one
OF good humored contempt for the fell
lows" who wouldn't come on
The hospitality Of the community was
proyerbial 1t was kind and unostenta-
tious, but open handed 1t was impossi-
BILE to escape the kindly, cordial impor-
tunity extended on all sides, and 1t was
no infrequent thing for twenty-five guests
to sit down to dinner in one Of the modest
homes Of that community
1t was expected Of course, that every
man should take care Of himself and his
family, and in the rare instances in which
this expectation was disappointed, the
thrlftless or lazy might soon have it borne
in upon him. ia some iridefnable way,
that his further stay was not desirable,
and ere long took his departure. The
tricky and dishonest felt the frown Of
public condemnation, and could not thrive
in that pure atmosphere.
The hand of charity was always ex-
tended to the unfortunate, hnt only to the
deserving. Indiscfiminate giving was felt
to be a wrong to the recipient as well as
to the community.
When sickness or misfortune came the
spirit Of mutual helpfnlness was a guar
anty that no harm should come to the af-
flicted one, and the neighbours volunteered
to do the blowing, chop the cotton, or
gather the crop, as need required.
There was in all classes deep-seated
regard for law and order and strong
attachment to democratic government. No
more democratic community, both in prin-
ciple and practice, could be found among
civilized men, and coupled with this was
the spirit Of instant and determined oppo-
sition to misrule or oppression, which is
always found where democratic principles
dominate.
The virtues of this community are
traceable in great part to the strong hold
Of religion upon the people. The Primi-
tive Baptist faith, strongly Calvinistics
had many adherents, and was the con-
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