The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-19
NOT A MUD-SL|NG
Capt. Mason's Able Elegant
and Dignifed Speech.
After Post Haser Reynolds had SIurg his Mud,
He Couldn't Stand 10 Receive Cap. Mason's
prObbing and he Left the Hall.
(Louisburg Times.)


Capt. Thos. w. Mason of Northampton on,
had an appointment to address the peo-
PIE here last Tuesday. Ex-Lieutenant-
Governor Reynolds who is holding down
the postoffice at Winston-Salem, turned
up and asked for a division of time. Capt.
Mason readily agreed and the speaking
took place in the opera house. Capt Ma
son being introduced to the audience by
Mr. 7. w. Beckett.
Mr.. Mason spoke for an hour and de-
livered heightened dignifed and truth
full speech to his hearers. He spoke
briefly of the peace, quiet and good
State government that always existed
when the Democrats were in power and
contrasted it with the reign of Russell
ism and Fusion rule during the years
from "a to '9S. He made the crowd roar
when he referred to the fact that some
OF the Radicals who were now claiming
10 be Lily Whites" had been washed in
good 'sweet-scented" Democratic soap.
He hoped to see more of them acknowl-
edge that they were becoming cleaner,
and also hoped to see them practice some
of the ''cleanness" in the future. He paid
a high tribute to the old Confederate
soldier and resented the charge that the
Democrats had been guilty of extrava-
Sance in their appropriations for pen
sions, for the unfortunate insane, the
helpless blind and dumb children of the
State, and for the public schools AS we
have said his speech was on a high plane
and received liberal applause from his
audience.
Mr. Reynolds was introduced by T. H.
Hicks, CT Henderson. He began his
speech by saying he was no lawyer. but
was an neutrality-suspicious. er-at Win
ston- Salem. That he came here to pre-
sent, as best he could, the issues of the
campaign from a Republican standpoint
and that what he was going to say was
not intended to hurt the feelings of any
one. He then begun to attack the APP
preparations made by the Legislature for
various purposes, and INDUCED in the
wholesale charges that are being made
by every Radical speaker who goes upon
the stump. Capt Bill Day was seated
right in front of the speaker and when
Mr.. Reynolds referred to the one hun
dred and twenty thousand dollars, which
it was charged had been squandercd un-i
der his administration of the peniten-
tiary, Capt. Day said. Now don't tell
any thing that is not true This was said
just loud enough for those sitting near
by TO hear it, and the crowd failed to
catch it. This was about the only specs
cihc charge we heard the speaker make.
But one thing was very clear and that
was that while ne made wholesale
charges of large appropriations he stu
diously avoided to prove or attempt to
prove that a single dollar had been sto-
len or squandered by the Democrats. He
told several anecdotes which made the
audience laugh, AMI it was really amusing
to see some of those former Democrats
who got mad because they failed to keep
their office or to get new one slap
their hands and beat the floor with
large stick. Although it had been agreed
that Capt. Mason was to have twenty
minutes to reply to Reynolds. as soon as
he had finished he took his hat and
left the hall, taking his handful of APP
plauders with him. He could not stand
20 remain and hear the skinning that he
knew was in store for him. When Capt
Mason arose to reply however, num-
ter were left in the hall. He said that
he did not come here to sling mud, but
Reynolds had almost pulled him down in
the ditch. He then proceeded TO give the
Radical mud singer" a good drubbing,
but he was not there to hear it,