The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-07-31
HENDERSON, n. c., THURSDAY, JULY 81, 1902.

tenure of Office to provide room and
shelter for these unfortunates, who
had either to lie in the com mon jails
or rely upon the charity and gener-
osity of friends. I am here to say
that in doing this we performed a
simple duty to humanity. We are
proud Of it, and a God-fearing and
a God-loving people will applaud and
sustain US in doing it.
During our tenure we have eappropri-
ated and at the end of the present fiscal
fiscal year will have spent over hun
dred thousand dollars more than the
Fusionists appropriated and spent
during the four years of their tenure
of Office for pensions to disabled Com
| federate soldiers. Who will complain
of that?9 Who will begrudge this
| pittance to these old heroes?
The Republican party has voted
through Congress this year bill ap-
propriating one hundred and forty
million dollars for pensions to
Union soldiers. The Republican
party has voted through Congress
this year, another bill, pensioning
certain persons who left the Confed-
crate army and joined the Union
army, and it is said there will be
| paid out under this bill about five
hundred thousand dollars annually
in North Carolina. The amount
North Carolina will have to contrib
ute towards the payment OF these
pensions to Union soldiers during
the present year will reach between
twenty and thirty thousand dollars
| We do not criticize or complain
of just pensions to Union SOL
diers. but it would be ungracious in
deed in that party which has voted
these liberal pensions, and to the
payment of which we will SO largely
contribute, to the brave men who
followed Grant and Sheridan, to be-
grudge the little mite which we have
| felt able to contribute to relieve in
part at least the pressing needs of
the brave men who followed Lee and
Jackson.
For these three great objects-edu-
cation, charity and patriotism-we
have made these extra appropria-
tions, and for these three great OBJ
jects this additional money has been
spent.
Does the Republican party propose
to 20 before the people and say:
The Democratic party has done too
much for education, it has done too
much for the afflicted, it has done too
much for the old Confederate soldiers,
kick them out and put us in power
again. Put us in power who. when
we were in power during the gloomy
days OF reconstruction, turned a
stony heart to the appeals of the af-
hicted and built no hospitals. Put
us in power who, during those dark
days, closed the doors of the Univer-
sity of the State and, while levying
enormous taxes for education, built
no school houses and spent no money
for schools. Put us is power who,
when we came back into power near
the dawn of the twentieth century,
failed to catch the spirit of the times
and not only did nothing to advance
the cause, either of education or
charity, and when we retired from
power left both OF these great inter-
ests of the State in a condition of de-
moralization and paralysis.
On account of the insufficiency Of
the revenue to carry out the will of
the people with respect to these
three great objects, the present ad-
ministration has been compelled to
borrow two hundred thousand dol
lars. While the necessity for this
loan is to be regretted, this money
was borrowed to carry out the en-
phatic mandate of the people with
reference to the schools and the asy-
lums, and every dollar of it has been
spent for the schools and the asy-
lums. This is not the first time there
has been deficit of revenues to meet
appropriations in North Carolina.
The Fusionists, when in power, al
though they made no extra arpropri-
ations for common schools and the
asylums, had also to deal with the
deficit. Not deficit of two hundred
thousand dollars, but of two hundred
and fifty thousand dollars. 10 meet
this deficit they sold one hundred
and forty thousand dollars of North
Carolina bonds, which the economy
of Democratic administrations had
accumulated in the Treasury as 3
sinking fund so pay the public debt,
and used the proceeds from the sale
of these bonds TO pay current ex-
penses.
ahen they turned the Legislative
department of the goverme mt over to
| hoI 70 cAl1 hr,rHrad ND
ten thousand dollars more bonds TO
pay the debts of the penitentiary
contracted under Russell.
Nothing could better illustrate the
confidence of capital in the Democrat
ic party in this State than the fac
that our present excellent Treasurer
. was able to borrow money TO NEE
this deficit for the common schools
{ and asylums in New York upon his
, simple assurance that the State
would repay it.
have not said these things in de
fense OF the present State admins
tration. 1t needs no defense. It.
t record defends it. 1t is only neces
sary that there shall be no mis-state
, ment of that record. 1t is an admin
istration of which the people of Nortl
= Carolina can be and are justly proud
$ 1t has been prudent, conservative
E and progressive. 1t has been eco
5 nomical in the expenditure of tn
e peoples money. 1t has not misap
propriated one cent OF the people
r funds. 1t has kept every promis
B. which the party has made. and thi
e convention will but voice the wishe
q of those it represents and it will d.
b itself honor in giving to it heart
o and cordial endorsement.
0 And how few words about Ma
e tional politics. The Democratic part
r was born when the Nation was born
e 1t has lived through all the annals c
: our history as Nation, and will cor