The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-24

was hlthy great Eastern general COM
niahded him TO stay his hand, For said
'hS general, that bird has a virtue that
gcu 40 not possess. 1T never tmustS its
0e"N III the carcases of its own species.'
ease your assaults therefore on any Re
fuplican; be at least as clean as the vul.
ture.
Wnat malignancy of soul possesses my
young eX-private secretary any wav2
Even the beautiful and silent mountains
OF Watauga where you first saw tho Egbt
are not allowed to rest in peace You
don't like the Tater Hill VIII. Won ware
born under the very shadow Of that
great mountain. IN all the centuries NJ
the past no man before you was ever
obliVious TO his nativity. The poets
Burns and Byron, glittered NEST when
the place OF their birth was the theme.
While Goldsmith has chained the birth
place to the human heart in these words:
And as a child when screaming sounds
molest,
Clings close and closer TO the mothers
breast,
SO the loud torrent and wild Winds
roar,
Eut bind him to his native mountains
more
''Yet you speak of the Tater Hill, the
gem OF the mighty rich mountain, as
being away from the scenes of chivalry
and deeds of heroiSm. Why, upon what
meat has this my little ex secretary fed
that he can forget the hills that bred and
fed him.
About forty years ago when the drum
mer boy was. born at the base of rich
mountain the Tater Hill Kitchens granite
sides were rent. A hero was born that
was to rival all heroes of the past in
storming unoccupied castles. 1t is only
lew years since l had the good for
tune to know much of the birthplace of
my private ex-secretary.
/ love those. great mountains. The no.
hlest specimens of physical and intellect
ual excellence We're born AMI reared
there
Not more than year ago as ascend |
ed Rich mountain i met q tall Saul-like |
patriot who favors my ex-private secre |
tary very much. He stands six feet. FIVE |
inches in height; l at once said 10 him |
Why you favor the Hon. E. Spencer
Flatkburn.' oh, yes, yes, have been
told that often, said he. Ny name is !
Edmund B. Miller, have lived in The
very shadow OF this great mountain all
my lie. have accumulated great wealth.
own five thousand acres of land And
that man after whom my private sccre-
ta1y is built in form and size is an his.
torc charctcr. almost as well known as
the honorable gentleman himself.
The first truly great speech that Spcn-
Ger Blackburn ever made was made on The
Tater Hill. If the birthplace of Spencer bad
never produced but two men. himself
OP-ENINand Edmund B. Miller there is
no reason why he should assail his birth
place. Wry not rather indulge the feel
lngs of rhapsody that the very mention
of the place where one was born strs
lis IN all our souls. What harm has the |
Tater Hill or Watauga County done you?
You may search the pages of history from
Adam down to this blessed day and Spen- |
GER Blackburn IS the only man that has |
lost the tenderest regard for the place |
of his birth
There's no necessity of leaving the dis |
trlct and going to Greensboro for scenes
of chivalry. Old Ben Cleveland of Rev
olutonary glory executed great designs
IN these mountains. Now, Spencer, cease
your assaults upon everybody | have
heard the question put before / saw this
last diatribe of yours
to compliment anybody in your life? I
have heard every candidate in the field
speak of your good looks and withhold
all censure of your many infirmities.
What sort of hear have you that put it
n your mind to assail the Hon. Hugh NJ.
a lineal descendant of illus.
.rlous ancestors, the Hon. Augustus Price,
he son of probabl the greatest lawyer
n the State the Hon lanes McNeill
whose heroic struggle in the battle of life
repes your shaft of malig.
nancy and those splendid representatives
If the lines or hhonorable industry. the
ion Sam Marshall and Wallace Connell? |
Each and every one of them is your
qual. Why not unite as a hand of :
'rother patriots, TO fight the common
oe?"
p. Y. I,!NNEY,
Taylorsville. N. c.