The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-02-05
OUR RALElGHLETTER
POLITICAL AND OTHER NEWS FROM
THE STATE CAPITAL.

General Satisfaction Expressed at the
Election of hon. Lee s. Overman for
United States Senator-Discusslon
of the Whiskey Question Warm
A Reformatory to be Established
Child Labor Bill viii Probably Be
Enac.ed-Other News of Interest
From Our Law makers.
RALEIGH, n. C.. February ?, 1903
The solution of the Senatorial problem
on the sixty-frst ballot, after three
weeks of caucusing and fruitless ballot
ing, by the election of Hon. Lee S. Over-
Democracy of North Carolina, and not a
single complaint has been heard.
1t was a clean, honestly conducted
contest on the part of all the candidates,
and no suggestions of unfair methods or
dishonert practice has been heard from
any quarter The vote on the last bal
lot GOverman 10. Watson So. Craig III
showed that six former Watson men and
only three Craig men went over to Over
man at the final wind-up. So. Mr. Over
man does not owe his nomination to Mr.
Craig or to Mr.. Craig's contingent (over
half of whom had already gone to Wat
SOM, but to the independence and judg-
ment of those who, after vainly voting
for Mr. Watson night after night and
seeing that he couldn't win, turned to
Mr.. Overman; whom they believed they
could elect.
One month from next Wednesday it
will be Senator Overman and ''ex-Sena-
tor Pritchard Every Republican in
the Legislature voted for Mr. Pritchard,
and he received p votes, Mr.. Overman' s
vote on Friday at the joint session OF
the Senate and House being 1873.
Senator-elect Overman is exactly forty
nine years and one month old today, in
the very prime OF life, and there is proba-
bly, no man in North Carolina better
qualified at the very outset of his career
to fill the place to which he has just
been chosen.
This is not the first time the Democrats
of the Legislature have nominated Mr..
Overman for the Senate. He was the
caucus nominee eight years ago to fill
the unexpired term of Senator Vance, but
was defeated by Mr.. Pritchard, whom
he now, in turn defeats for reelection.
Personally and socially our new Sena-
tor is a most cOmpanionable and Iowa
BILE gentlemen Possessed of sufficient
dignity (and not burdened with that
generally unpopularpossession) e manly
physique and handsome face richly
stored mind and eloquent tongue, and
with legislative experience that will
now stand him in good stead, he will go
to Washington ar well equipped per-
haps as any new man ever sent to the
United States Senate. And he will soon
take a high stand among his associates
there-as the successor of his own father
in-law (Mr. Merrimom and OF the great
Vance, whose private secretary he was
for several years while Vance was Gov
ernor of North Carolina.
LEGISLATIVE LORE.
The whiskey question, precipitated by
the introduction of the Watts and Lon
don bills, and discussion during the past
week before the joint committee, is red
hot and still a-heating. The whiskey in
terests are unquestionably stirred up,
the distillers, wholesalers and retailers
all classes of them. And well they may
be, for there has not been such a wide
spread temperance sentiment in the
State and among the legislators in a
generation as that which exists now
The meetings of the joint committee on
Propositions and Grievances, which
were addressed by scores of leading men
and women, representing all callings,
were SO largely attended that the legis-
lative hall could not hold all who would
have entered if they could. 1t now looks
as though a compromise bill, retaining
most of the important features of the
Watts and London bills will be reported
and passed.
Liquor cannot now be sold in two
thirds of the counties of the State, and if
such bill as the temperance people ask
for is passed John Barleycorn must soon
bid farewell to North Carolina as a IL
censed commodity at least. The liquor
men have number of lawyers here fight
ing the efforts of the temperance people.
An industrial school, or refOrmatory
for young and inexperienced criminals
and neglected or forsaken or homeless
youngsters prone to go to the bad, will
be established. This result is due to the
efforts of the good women of the State,
representatives of whom have secured a
favorable report for $1,000 appropria-
ton to erect the initial building and dor
mitOries. 1t is anticipated that site
with considerable area of farming and
timber lands will be donated The coun-
ties will be required to support the in
mates until the institution gets on sell
sustaining basis, each county cohtribu-
IL L.