The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-01-29
OUR RALEIGHLETTER
POLITICAL AND OTHER NEWS FROM
THE STATE CAPITAL.

The Senatorial Contest Still On-AII
The Aspirants Sure of vict0ry-At
This Writing 1t Is Anybody's Fight
Other rlatters of Interest.
RALEIGH, n. c.. January 26. 1903.
As usual with the North Carolina Leg
islature, very little business of general
interest was transacted before the third
week of the session. Even the Democrat
ic caucus could not agree upon nominee
for United States Senator earlier-and
that fact of itself has operated to clog
the legislative machinery.
THE SENATORIAL CONTEST.
And the baby is not yet born!
The caucus having adjourned Friday
night until next Tuesday tomorrow
night, it is a political impossibility to
elect United States Senator before We'd
nesday-and the chances are that he will
not be elected then unless some combine
is effected or understanding reached that
does not exist at this writing.
While Mr.. Watson came within six
votes of receiving a majority on the last
ballot taken there were nine votes not
cast, SO that on full ballot Q4S) there
is an apparent majority against him of
twenty, even assuming that he will hold
the 81 votes cast on the last ballot Fri
day night, which is three more than he
received on the first ballot that night.
1t has been remarkable how closely
and steadfastly Mr. Overman's Sc sup
porters have stuck to him, none of them
wavering, with the exception of one
hitherto (who came back and two on
the last (53rd) ballot. 1t is predicted
that they will return to him Tuesday
night If SO, Mr.. Watson will be still
further from the goal. tits therefore diff
ficult to see a way out of the deadlock,
so long as the voting is confined to the
present candidates, unless all Of Craigs
supporters leave him at once and divide
between Overman and Watson. And in
that not impossible event, what? The
Overman men say that all OF the Craig
men who would vote for Watson at all
have already done so. If that is true,
and the seventeen left should go to
Overman, he would be nominated And
there you are!
These facts and possibilities are eluci-
dated in order to show that victory has
not yet perched upon the banner of any
candidate for Senator. Indeed at this
hour it is anybody's fight still. Watson
is a great worker, personally, in his own
cause, and his friends are devoted to him.
1t would be no surprise to see him nomi-
mated, but it is by no means a certainty
that he will be named Tuesday night.
Ii no result is reached then, why, look
out for your dark horse!' He is here
as fat and handsome and magnetic as
ever. True to the candidate from his i'm
mediate section, he cannot prevent the
Senatorial lightning from striking him if
it takes a notion to do it.
However, taking everything in consid-
GRAFTON as it exists at this writing, so
far as my knowledge extends, the chances
will measure swords for the last time
Tuesday night, and one Of them will
probably be our next junior United States
Senator. But this result will rest chiefly
with the Craig contingent.
OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST.
Senator Joe Brown, of Columbus,
has again introduced his prison parole"
bill which failed to reach the ratification
point at the last session of the Legisla-
ture. 1t is a splendid BILL that gets
right at the heart of the question in
volved is approved by Gov. Aycock and
many of our leading men, and ought to
be enacted into law.
''To provide for the preservation of the
song and game birds of the State is the
title of bill now in the hands of COM
mittee that is of interest and concern to
land owners and hunters and lovers of
birds and most of us are. 1t is designed
to regulate the killing and shipping of
game BIRDS With some amendments it
will probably pass.
A bill is in committee that peculiarly
affects merchants and store-keepers. 1t
proposes to amend the present revenue
law, in re merchants tax, as follows: On
sales of 81 900 or less, so cents, on all
over 81 900, so cents for each 81 900.
AS it now stands merchants are taxed 80
cents on sales of less than $500; $1.00
on sales between $500 and 81 900; $50
on sales between $1,000 and -, 600;
$3.50 on sales from $4,000 to $1,000,
and so on
Another bill to amend the revenue law
affects the State tax on liquors. 1t pro-
poses to levy on every gallon OF vinOus
liquor five cents, malt liquor three cents,
whether such liquor is bought as princi-
pal or agent or through a commission
merchant. The present law imposes
tax of $50 for each six months on those
selling less than five gallons; 500 on
those selling more than five gallons, and
$25 for each six months on sellers of
malt liquors exclusively.
One of the most interesting and impor-
tant pieces of proposed legislation is that
which will be designed to prohibit the
| employment of very young children
(under twelve years OF age) in cotton
mills and other factories There appears
to be little doubt that the recommended
| ton of Gov. Aycock, favoring and calling
| for the enactment of such law will be
followed. And just here it is of interest
| to note that the new Governor of South
Carolina, Gov. Hayward, who was in
| augurated less than week ago, makes
a similar recommendation to the Legis-
| lature of his State, where one year ago
such bill failed of passage by two votes
in one branch of the General Assembly
after passing the other by a majority of
one. (They have annual sessions of the
| Legislature in the Palmetto State, but
are about to change to biennial sessiOns)
Both Governors base their position upon
| the broad ground of humanity. Most of
the mill owners do not object to such a
law, and many will welcome it. Some
few are bitterly opposed to it.
| Another measure recommended by our
Governor along the same line is likely to
encounter more opposition than the
other, because it involves interests and
affects business which the anti-child la bOr
law would not, and that is the PROPOSE
| ton to limit the hours of labor in facto7
ries-tO regulate the operation of indus
trial plants by labor legislation" as a
legislator at my elbow suggests. This
| bill has many strong friends, however,
| and there s going to be an interesting