The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-11-24

& 2N1NaEL tuc IO4-F NSS - 49,
strongest men Of ths Democratic paTtT
town and county were there. Fsora The
INC e,ty were Ed. Graham Haywood. y.
I NJ. I.awi-. Judge CantWen. Moses \. Bis'-
see. Quentin BusheV. George Y. Brook,
Frank /. Wilson ana Others whom / 40
not nov, remember. while . host al the
untetriGel from The country Ne7e n
attendance. After q goot deal OF wins
perlne ana undtrtone conversation he'll
here ana there IN the hall. 2 move wa~
made TO the effect that lit y the sense a.
the meeting that the delegates chosen -
attend the Franklinton convention shsll
90 u~ninstructed and vote IS they pleas
in the selection OF q candIdatc.' That
motion opened the ball and the fun corn
mencel IN earnest. The friends OF Mr..
Braacn We're determined 10 instruct th'
delegates 10 vote Ior him fo- 2 second
term. Tor the tvofold reason that he
was entitled 10 Il. ana ought 10 have
an endorsement for what he had done
and tried 70 10, especially in The matte
Of the thirty million bin. Some othc.
delegates prominent among them were
Moses A. Bled-oe. Quentin Bu@bee and
George ". Brooks contendel that the
delegates Should not be instructed.
The fight was long ana persistent anl
in the debate Il cropped out that tsc
the Branch men said) a cut and dried
programme had been arranged TO 0cltat
the denomination OF Mr.. Branch, but II
failed lor the delegates when finally ~
pointed were instructed 10 cast the solid
vote OF Wake county Ior Hon. l.. OF
Branch. first. last ana all the time.
At the Adjournment Of the meeting no
motion wa, made to h-trc the proceedings
published III any paper, 80 beng "a pas
session ot them | prepared them lor the
p r,.au ont on NralpA-l2x- I nFlEi-Hp3 rho
ii the Live Girane," innocentiy suppo--
ing I vas doing i very comInendab!o
thing. furnishing 4 proof sheet OF them,
in the meantime 20 the standard" the
organ o. the democratic party. No roonst
did the Giraffe mako its appearance on
"Wednesday thar l found myself in hot
! water. What l thought was Il most I'M
! partial report OF the proceedings OF the
meeting was termed "oneSided." dis
torted, unfair unjust and = great
many other very uncomplimentary thing.
and I was 20 discouraged al the outcome
OF my first dabble in politics l Wa about
to determine that | would never 70 70
! another political meeting. But pretty
soon here came some 81 lir. Branch'S
friends and con>olea me somewhat by
-aylng, my report was very fine, a1d
very impartial" and very fair" ana
% forth, and so on. and they thought
| did a Very proper thing, and exhibited
an cnterpTising spirit that ought 10 ."
commended ID giving 20 the public Two
| Gays earlier than any other paper conli
publish them. the proceedings Of 30 large
and enthusiastic a meeting OF the Wake
democracy. Of ours l felt better, bot
l was not feeling altogether al ease, be-
cause, somehow | had a presentment that
there was electricity IN the political at
%r4o,pherc and there might b. heavy
thunder and some terrific flashes Of
lightning before the atmosphere was
cleared UP. And my presentiment was a
prophecy. When the Standard came from
the pres, Friday morning II was red hot,
three long columns, besides a great many
little shells, coming from all quarters 81
the paper. were turned loose nDon tic
Giraffe and its insignificant" 'ineX-
p6rienced" and subscriptions" editor ard
the public we're told after the Giraffe
and is editor had been completely ann
hilated that the STANDARD mad ''the power !,
to Kill and 10 make alive"
But while the Giraffe" and its editor
were frequently mentioned it was but too
plain that the thunder bolts were II
tended for other and bigger game. ana
the consequence was that in Il day a
revolution took place that greatly changed
the course of men and things in the
l COiiS iesSlodi dlSlIiCt especially
and largely in the State. The next week
the Live Giraffe" became the Demo-
cratic Press" and during that campaign,
as We'll a. the gubernatorial campaign two
years later, the Press had the benefit
OF the very best help which such men as
Gov. Bragg, Hon. L. OBJ. Branch. Ed.
Graham Haywood and Edward Cantwel'
could find time TO contribute.
Thus l got into politics, and now If
the reader will be patient q few moments I
longer l will tell him how | got out and
thereby hangs a tale-yes, too or three .
OF them-but I will try TO make them
short.
The question of .Ad Valorem taxation
was a live one in those lays and for q
while parties were afraid to take side
on It for the reason that it was con
sldered n dangerous question to be dis
cussed just at that time as the aboii-
tlcnistS were, and had been. doing all
they could to weaken the institution of
slavery. Mr. Syn1e, the editor Of the
raleigh Register. took the ground in his
Eaper that the question was a very i'm
proper one to raise in the then very ;
highly excited condition OF the country.
he Standard the democratic organ came =
cut strongly and unequivocably in favor
OF AID Falorem and published what wax
known as the Working Mems Address"
IN pamphlet form and broadcasted II all !
over Tie State. When. in 1850, the cleo
ton for Governor aud members of the |.
Legislature vas coming on the question
had TO be met by the State conventions
ond positions taken by them. The Wing :
convention met first and passed a reso.
luton endorsing the doctrine OF Ad Val
orem. and nominated for Governor John :
fooi. OF Pasquotank. Mr.. Syme. TO- b. Z,
Ia armon with the utterance of the
convention had to turn Il sonersault on
lne question TO get on the platform. Ia
a short while the democratic contention
met and re-nominated Gov. Ellis and
passed a resolution opposing Ad Valorem. /.
Tue editor OF the Standard like Mr.. =
Syme. was obliged TO turn a sonersauIt 3,
to get on the democratic platform, He 6
was unwilling TO turn and would not