The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-08-24

duty to them, to myself, or to the party
if / We're to dodge here where preaching
the truth seems to be needed"
The local leader couldn't dissuade him
from his purpose. He told his friends:
Governor Vance will not listen to rea-
son and we will lose the county. He is
determined to speak on the tariff. " When
the speech began, there were not few
among the party leaders who were de-
pressed. All the cotton mill owners and
employees, disaffected on the tariff, were
out The Governor plunged at once into
his subject. He told his audience that
news had reached him that some OF them
were inclined to favor protection-the
doctrine of the robber barons-"that he
may take who has the power, and he may
keep who can"-and he proceeded to make
the greatest tariff speech in North Caro-
lima. He carried his hearers with him,
too, mill owners and operatives in the
MILL as we'll as farmers and business and
professional men. Before he finished he
had them laughing as he recited MARY
had little lamb with variations, show
ing how protection robbed, applauding
his declarations for equality of oppor-
tunity and no taxation for private bene-
ft
Later Governor Vance finished that
poem and read it in the Senate. 1t was
received with shouts of laughter, even
Republican Senators leaning back in their
seats and giving unrestrained way to
their mirth. Here is the poem:
"Our Mary had a little lamb,
Her heart was most intent,
To make its wool beyond it's worth,
Bring Sc per cent.
GA pauper girl across the sea
Had one small lamb also,
Whose wool for less than half that sum
She'd willingly let go.
<AQOlH6T girl WHO 0dQ no Sleep,
No stockings-wool nor flax
But money enough just for to buy
A. pair without the tax,
Went to the paper girl to get
Some wool to shield her feet,
And make her stockings, not of flax,
But out of wool complete.
when Mary saw the girls design
She straight began to swear
She'd make her buy both wool and tax
Or let one leg go bare.
and so she cried Protect, Reform!
Let pauper wool in free!
If it will keep her legs both warm
What will encourage me?'
80 1T was done, and people said
Where'er that poor girl went,
One leg was warm with wool and one
With Sc per cent.
Now praise to Mary and her lamb,
Who did the scheme invent,
To clothe one-half a girl in wool
And one-half in per cent.
"All honor, too, to Mary's friend,
And all protective acts,
That clothe the rich in real wool
And wrap the poor in tax
When he finished the people crowded
around him cheering and applauding, and
from that day to this there hasn't been
a protectionist in that community. The
timid party leader, whose desire for sue
cess made him afraid for Vance to storm
the fort, was the happiest man in the
county, and thanked the Senator for not
needing his we'll meant but not wise adj
vice. II don't blame you," said the Sem
ator to the young man, 'but learn from
this incident the lesson that victories
that are worth winning cannot be won
by being afraid to preach sound Demo-
cratic doctrine any time and all time
When Mr.. Pritchard goes about look
ing for Republican recruits from the
oldtime Wings and their descendants he
will find that they are all like Zebulon
Baird Vance, the old time Wing leader,
and as likely to lend an ear to protection
sophistry as Henry Clay would be to or
ganize the steel trust or any like trust to
rob the people.
Mr. Pritchard's latest hope is an iri-
descent dream 1t will no more be
realized than his 1898 predictions.
WOMEN AND SCHOOL HOUSES.
The Nashville Graphic of last week