The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-10-10
OUR RALEIGH LETTER.
OUR CORRESPONDENT VISITS THE Ma
TI0NAl CAPITAL.
Abuse of Presidents-One Way to
Create Assassins-Preside in Per-
sou-Friendly to the South, But
"Benefactor's Day" at Trinity
Various Other Matters of Interest.
ON Our Regular Correspondent.

RALEIGH, N. T., Oct. I. l9UI.
Your correspondent spent last week at
the National Capital, and while there
gathered information which will serve as
the basis for several letters in the future
that will treat of certain North Carolina
men and measures political-when the
proper time cones.
| found the politicians cOngregated
there, all making love to the new
President, who seems to be entering
practically and optimistically enough
upon the discharge OF the high duties
which he was so suddenly and unexpect-
eddy called upon to perform less than a
month ago.
ABUSE OF PRESIDENTS.
There have been few Presidents during
the last half century who Gf the gossips
and Smart Alexis were to be believed)
were not more or less Influenced by a
power behind the throne"-a number of
them have at least enjoyed (?) that repu-
tation, though in most cases. make no
doubt, it was a rank piece OF injustice
done them.
Why, up to the very day Mr.. Mckinley
was shot some OF the yellow Journals
kept up the campaign Islander of declar-
ing he was the "tool' and 'pupput' OF
Senator Hanna and was the slave OF
and "owned body and souf' by the
trusts.
Indeed, you can turn to the files OF at
least a few North Carolina newspapers,
not q year old, and find similar asser-
tons against one of the very best men,
that ever filed the Presidential office.
M
these very papers are today theaoudest
and most pronounced OF those which
have lauded the dead President most and
paid him the highest tributes-at the
same time and in the same breath con-
victing themselves as liars or hypocrites
ONE WAY TO CREATE AssAssINs.
There is entirely too much of this defa.
nation of personal reputation and honor
of character assassination in politics, and
it ought to stop. If on6hundredth part
of the Infamous charges brought Tin
print and on the stump against every
candidate for President from Lincoln tt
Roosevelt was true, all of them were
grossly undeserving of the office and ut
terly untitled to perform its duties-a
long term in the peneitentiary would
have been more in keeping with the
deserts justly due them, apparently.
honestly believe that the license allowed
a certain class of politicians and news
papers to villify and abuse the head O
our great Government and his subOrdi
mates occupying high positions in manag
ing the affairs of the Nation, has had anC
will yet have more effect in creating assas
sins without plan or purpose or ar
rangement, SO far as the stability of tn,
existing form of government is concerned
than all the clansmen, yclept" anarchists
will ever manufacture, in this country
And, in a less degree, the same is true il
State politics.
PRESIDENT IN PERSON.
But started out to say that the yellow
newspapers and politicians have not, a
yet, announced the "owner'' of Mr.
Roosevelt Chats the way to pro
nounce it). From all that could b.
learned in conversation with many OF tn
Washington newspaper correspondent
(the best informed set of men on this con
tinenD, it is actually possible that NJ
political boss OF Teddy" will be trotte'
out-fOr the present at least-and ever
the yellows are about willing to ADM
that Mr.. Roosevelt will be President 'i1
propria persona" for awhile.
But he will unquestionably be a candi
date to succeed himself and therefore sur
to form certain alliances to further tn
effort to secure the nomination in 1904
1t is hardly likely, though, that boss
Platt of his own State will be given tn
seat of honor at the table OF his politica
affections. And yet Mr.. Roosevelt owe
Senator Platt much-for had he no
forced the Vice Presidential nomination
upon him lin order to kill him off as
Presidential candidate, it is true) h
would not be President today, and pos
sibly at no time in the future.
FRIENDLY TO THE SOUTH, BUT
The fact, the one fact alone, that Pres
ident Roosevelt's mother was Southern
woman, in sympathy all through tn
war with her kinsmen of Georgia in fight
ing the battles of the Lost Cause (thou3
residing in a Northern State, the wife G
a Northern and Union man) will Away
weigh full measure with her son in hi
affections and i'll seeing political justic
more evenly meted out to our section
| And he has said that he 'gloried" an,
was proud of the career of two OF hi
uncles who did conspicuous service in tn
Confederate navy and army-under til
| immortal Lee, of whom Roosevelt ha
written in the art preventative, descrit
ing him to be the greatest soldier an
captain the English-speaking race ha
produced, on either side OF the ocean.
| The prospects are that the South has i
the new President natural friend VIII
will desire to do US justice and help us i
/ oil Nd l.,
O faithful portrayal of the mans req
out these natural incinations.
But there is no need for much of TIL
"gush' that is stopping over" in certai
| sense in so demeaning ourselves as to pu
a stumbling block in the way of GU
friend and cause him to exclaim. "Say
ME from my 'friends',''
As before stated. he will be candidat
for the Presidential nomination of III
party three years hence. He will nee
delegates and votes from all sections
pull him through. And there are SON
States which would see him hanged frs
| il the politicians there thought him TO
friendly to the South and the flag whic
his mother is said to have flown from
window of her apartments in New Yor
City soon after the war-according to
story which many of the Southern paper
have seen fit to publish during the la.
week or two.
Therefore, hardly think it either ia
or wise to call upon our friend the Pres
dent to renew the assurances OF his affe
ton for US every morning before breaI
fast. 1t will add naught to his frien
ship for us, while the omission will d
tract nothing from it, and at the san
time he will have avoided the useless O
portunity of furnishing an excuse to d
signing friends of rivals who are eth
hostile or indifferent to US.
Yes; let's go little slow on this ''slo
ping over business. Already some
the Northern Sc. A. r. posts are vie,
ing with alarm the anti-Presidential u
terances and writings OF Mr.. Rooseve
along this line. Let's not alarm the
into paroxysms of terror at present. NJ
iced into their fool mouths too much
this sort OF unhealthy diet at present.
'BENEFACToRs DAY" AT TRINITY.
Last Thursday was Benefactor's d.
at Trinity Coil;ge, and was observed