The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-19
Why he Should be Elected
United States Senator.
SOLDIER AND PATRIOT
He is Fit and Worthy 10 Stand in The Shoes
of The Great Varcs" Declares
Mr.. John N. Wilson Who
Reviews His Life.
Reviews His Life

AS natural result OF TINS feelDg of
confidence the question of successor
to Senator Pritchard becomes the one
absorbing topic in every Democratic cir
Gle and in the mind of almost every
Democratic voter. Serious, grave and
important as are many of the problems
confronting the next Legislature, none
of them, it is safe to say, excites the
public interest or absorbs the public at
tention to such an extent as does the
pending Senatorial contest. 1t is upper
most in the public mind The people
are intensely interested. They are read
ing, talking. discussing and passing
upon the merits of the various gentle
men who are seeking this coveted honor.
1t is therefore not amiss that the people
should be put in possession of all the
evidence available as to the fitness,
the qualifications, the character, the
standing, the ability and the merits of
each Of the worthy gentlemen who have
avowed and proclaimed their purpose to
contest for this great prize. Whoever
may be the victor the people are en-
titled to name him. He is to serve them
1t is surely as important now that they
should know him as it is after the cleo
ton he should know them and their
interests. They are the sovereigns. From
them the successful contestant must
gain this honor and derive his power.
Is it then improper that they should now
have the evidence, read, hear talk, dis
cuss and consider it in reaching a con-
clusion and commit that conclusion to
the keeping of their representatives i'll
the next General Assembly? Thus pur-
suaded. and with such convictions it is
the purpose of this writer to present the
claims of the Hon. Cyrus B. Watson.
This article, then, is submitted in good
faith, and with a profound and burning
conviction of its truth to the Democratic
reader.
In 1845, fifty-seven years ago, in a
modest home, on an humble farm, in the
county of Forsyth, in the loving arms
OF a fond mother, there rolled and kick
ed and bounced an ugly and noisy baby
whose name was "Cy." Seventeen years
thereafter, when the great war cloud
was gathering in it's wrath and in it's
mad, black fury over this sunny South
land, a youth of robust but medium
build was seen enlisting as a private in
Company K, Forty fifth North Carolina,
and marching TO the front in defense
of this home, this mother and this South
land Shortly after his enlistment, and
after he had given evidence of the
staunch, heroic stuff of which he was
made, he was promoted, and acted as
orderly sergeant of his company, and
served as such during nearly the entire
time of his active service. Three times
the tender frame of this intrepid youth
was torn and shattered by the deadly
missiles of the enemy.
In MAY, 1864, at Spottsylvania Court
House, in the white heat of the thickest
of the deadly hail of shot and shell. he
fell. and went with bleeding, helpless
limb to bed. from which he did not
emerge until September following. After
this with broken body but unconquered
soul he was found again at the front OF
the battles in front of Petersburg, al.
though so disabled and exhausted he
could not carry his gun. When the
lines were broken-when the god of
battle decreed retreat and defeat, he still
chung to his regiment, and with it wit
messed at Appomattox the star of the
Confederates wane and fade and set in
the solemness of that awful hour of
grim defeat.
Broken in body bruised in spirit,
crushed in hope, ragged and penniless,
bearing in his pocket his parole, and
upon his mangled and enfeebled limbs
the scars which have ever since and
ever will remain, he turned from that
scene and that hour, after nearly foul
years of separation, starvation, priVa
ton and suffering, to the modest home,
the humble farm and the good mother
he had left in so. There he resumed
work on the old farm until the following
harvest when, in attempting to cut oats,
he reopened his severe wound which ever
afterwards forbade his pursuit of the ac-
tive work of farm life. Realizing this,
he sought employment as a. salesman in
the mercantile establishment of S. Perry,
of High Point, N c., where he remained
until 1867, when, in handling heavy
cask or case of goods his old wound
was again hurt and reopened with alarm
ing symptoms Again admonished and
advised by his physicians against the
danger of active work requiring ply
steal exertion, he decided to read law.
and in pursuance of this decision went
70 Lexington. N. c., where, under the
late Gen. Jas. Madison Leach, he read
law obtaining his license in 1869 and
locating IN NiuSlOn ONAiiiS NiAS
of the same year, where he has since
lived and grown, not only
in his knowledge of the law, and every
branch of learning, but also in the
esteem and affection of the people OF MS
native county. While. pursuing MS law
course under General Leach he dlscoV'
cred that he was deficient in the hlgher
branches of education, having acquired
only such a limited academic education
as the scanty advantages OF the scnools
of his community afforded prior to 1907.
With characteristic zeal, he determined
to meet and repair this deficiency py
the study of higher mathematics ana
Latin at night under Prof Brooks or the
same town. Thus he divided his time
between the law in the day time under
General Leach and the higher studies
at night under Prof. Brooks. Since MS
admission to the bar, and in the midst
of a busy and exacting practice, he has
read and studied the Latin. the Greek
and the English classics. His mind is
capacous, his memory tenacious, MIS- in
tellect strong and luminous his will iron
and his energy boundless. The ambition
- L; ~ oai NIL the