The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-07
NO RULE OF CLERGY
North Carolina Voters Cannot
be inundated.
A Voice From PoIkviIIe in no Uncertain Tones
Gen. Julian s. Carr Urged for u. S.
Senator.

Hill-Billies learned that Clark is elect
ed? Has the information ever pereotated
through the roots of their hair, that he
received more votes than were ever be-
fore given for Chief Justice? Is John
C. Kilgo aware that talk is cheap, but
it takes money to buy land, or to defeat
an honest, scholarly, patriotic man, who
aspiros to the Chief Justiceship of this
grand old State? The money was used,
but with all the rawlings of men who
fell outside of the breast-works by
losing railroad jobs; and all the sophistry
of railroad magnates, the common, the
unterrified have registered their verdict;
the child is born, and his name is Walter
Clark.
We all acknowledge the ability of DR..
Jno c. Kilgo and some of the other de-
famers OF Walter Clark. But We fear
that he has a zeal not according to
knowledge Is he not the same learned
divine that dug up the bones of Jeffer-
son, the Sage of Monticello, and paraded
him as an agnostic? If he were such,
God send us more Of the same kind!
Jefferson. as all students Of history are
aware, was an infiexible champion of
civil and religious liberty.
While 1 am not an agnostic, l don't
believe in the clergy having charge of
State, schools and everything else. DR..
Kilgo has a perfect right to vote as he
pleases. to formulate and enunciate any
religious opinion he pleases; and l, as
layman of his church. have the right to
enter a disclaimer. AS to the charge OF
corruption IN politics, we are aware that
the trail of the serpent is over them
ALL I agree that the man who sells his
vote is not worthy to WELD the ballot,
and the man who buys vote should be,
not only dsfranchised, but punished.
Where | voted, the negro was eliminated.
AS / have been teaching here twenty
years, nearly every man could read his
ballot. No man is bought at Polkville,
and any man who imaglnes he can coerce
them, can come here and give it trial.
AS they are, generally freeholderS.
about six feet high, and weigh from $50
to 225 pounds, you can imagine it would
take something out of the ordinary to
effect their intimidation. Four Demo
Gratis scratched Judge Clark. One was
man of 200 pounds corporosity, who man
ages 600 acres of land, and is a deacon
ia the Baptist church. The other was
like unto him. and both were bold and
outspol1en. The other was physically
frail Methodist circuit rider. who is a
Christian gentleman, and l don't know
who was the fourth man. But 1 do know
that 200 just as brave, just as learned,
o1 i,tc frin 10 foH
Clark.
A few preachers, a few trusts, and
few newspapers can no longer cast a
glamour before the sturdy yeomen of
North Carolina People are beginning
to read, and, consequently, beginning to
think Priest-craft will 90 for dark and
barbarous ages, but it is played out on
the threshold of the twentieth century.
l am member of the NJ. e. Church,
South, but l am sorry to say that many
of cur ministers are either open or covert
foes Of popular education. A howl has
assembled to high heaven in favor of what
they call Christian Education" True
Christian education | endorse, but Will
fight sectarian interference with the COM
mon schools as long as L can change a
hand into fist.
We have in this section, been annoyed
more by preachers and by bench legged
specimens who have symptoms of engag-
ing in the ministry; than anybody else
They think no man must teach who is
not a Methodist and some Baptists
are just as bigoted. The law provides
that teacher, man or woman, must have
besides, the literary qualifications, a
good moral character.
If n teacher is sober, and otherwise
moral, is learned and has a tact for
teaching, I don't see whose business it
is whether or not he or she is a mem
Der of any church. Anybody exacting
enough to require church membership as
a requisite for teaching, would be bigoted
enough to require him to, also, belong
to "our church" How would that work
in a public school compound of Method
lists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Jews and
Roman Catholics.
What we went is education, and the
badge Of illiteracy forever removed from
our escutcheon.
Now, we want a word as to our next
Senator. He must be Democrat, ripe
in experience, able, learned. and pa
triotic AS one who meets all these re-
ouirements, we commend you to General
Julian ). carr. MOI WORD nave we 10
offer against the chivalric Hoke, the able
Osborne, the patriotic Watson, the elo-
quent Craig, or the peerless Overman.
But Carr was an old soldier, and from
'61 to 1902 the call of his country has
been as the voice of God. He is an elo-
cuent orator, a financier, manufacturer,
a farmer, a promoter of religion, and a
patron of higher and popular education.
When the State University, Trinity Wake
Forest Davidson, or any other college
has needed his bounty he has nobly re-
sponded and he has been the patron saint
of popular education. In 81 he offered
$500 for the township that polled the lar
gest vote for the bepeficent measure
that allowed the State to duplicate $500
for tax voted of $500. making $500.
When our last Legislature, melted by j.
Y. Joyner. c. D. McIver, G. H. Mebane,
DR.. Geo T. Winston and others, offered
library fund of $40 per school for all
who would raise SO per district, Julian
s Carr gave SO to each district in his
county. Now what is it that he has failed
TO help? He is alive to the interests OF