The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-12
White House Crowd Load
Up With Gas.
EVENTS AT CAPITAL
Men:Who Knew General Ransom Laud
Him as Orator, Soldier and
Statesman and Express Deep
Regret for His
Death.
BY CICERO w. HARRIS.

White House Republicans are already
celebrating Roosevelt'G victory, ex-
Senator James II. Jones says that 'he
news from Indiana is unexpectedly
6, Cd, and he IS likewise greatly slim
ulated by his letters from Connecticut.
He regards both States as very prom
ising and considers it highly probable
that Parker and Davis will be elected.
The Republicans everywhere are put
ting up just now a great big game of
bluff. They know that the election is
yet to be won. Feeling that some per-
sons accept reckless confidence at its
face value, they profess that they are
sure of the result already and that all
tIIat occurs hereafter will merely in
crease the majority OF their electoral
ticket This sort of boastful claim
that rests on no foundation whatever
ought not to deceive the public.
Words Of Regret and Praise.
The death of Senator Ransom was
eccived here with deepest regret by
the older residents in official and un-
official life. At the capitol and at the
metropolitan House, where he was
best known AMI most warmly esteem
ed the expressions on the event were
such as beftted the friendship and ad-
miration in which he was held. Jour-
nal Clerk Mcdonald of the Senate. an
accomplished dnd discriminating
friend and observer, said to me this
morning General Ransora did not
often speak in the Senate, | think, be-
cause he hated the trouble of elaborate
preparation; but he was a man of
splendid natural abilities and had
much influence in the body. He was
simple and economical in personal eX-
pendtures-neveT throwing money
away on banquets and other enter
tainments / heard nearly all of SEN
ator Ransom's speeches while he was
in the Senate, and was particularly
struck with ms two-days' effort on
Mexican land claims, delivered while
he was chairman of the Committee on
Private Land Claims. 1t was a very
thoughtful, cogent, scholarly speech,
interesting in that il gave a history of
land claims and land tenure in Ari-
zona, New Mexico and the other terri
tory The United States acquired from
Mexico
AS Mr. Peter NJ Wilson had not re-
turned here from his visit to North
Carolina L could not get his estimate,
which would be valuable, but | met
Captain Robert Graham on Pennsyl-
vdnia Avenue and elected the follow
ing: Perhaps / knew better thai,
most men the reason why Senator
hanson so seldom made set speeches
in the Senate. 1t was due to diffidepce
and jr part to his high estimate Of the
critical ability of his fellow Senators.
He had the native intelligence, the
scholarship, the eloquence, but he was
I leluctant to address the Senate because
he detracted himself. This timidity,
however, has characterized all the
really great orators. Ransom was one
Uf our most remarkable men In Sc
curing practical results for the State
of North Carolina, getting things, "
as the expression goes, he accomplis
ed more. / think than any man who
ever represented the State in TIE Ser
ate. in the Civil War l was a captain
ir his brigade He W2s a mos eff
cient solder, brave and brilliant and
was more popular than his brother,
Gen. Robert Ransom. On one occa-
sion when the brigade was operating
in the rear of Norfolk Gen. Ransom
sent me word by his aide to build a
fire at bridge, so that there would
be no delay when the men arrived
there. I knew that there were two
bridges and therefore | sent him word
that unless he cOuntermanded | would
lralIe q fire at both. This pleased him
The subjoined from Col. Henry c..
Williams, of Wilson, now residing here
for q part of the year, coming as l.
docs from one of Senator Ransom S
most intimate friends and one who did
auS much as any other man to secure
his first election to the Senate, will be
read with interest all over North Caro-
Ina: Ransom was a Scott elector in
1852. His difference with the North
ern Wings on slavery made him after
wards q Democrat. He voted for Bu-
chanan in 1856. Elected to the lower
house of the Legislature before the
war, he was q member of chat body III
1861. He had been inclined to the
view of preserving the Union as long
as possible. But gave his heart and
hand to the Confederate cause and
served it with distinction. When the
war was over Gen. Ransom's courage
and conservatism made him the man
of the hour in the dark days of recon-
in his native State. num-
Der of the most prominent citizens of
me State had been thrown into prison
ransom went to United States Judge
Efooks, at Elizabeth City distant
IfCn MS home, and the latter issued
Wflts or habeas corpus for these citi-
HchS who were among the best men
III North Carolina. This was the first
reIleI secured by the good people of the
state IN lhose dark days He was sent
TO the United States Senate three terms.
ana was one of the fifteen members of
the electoral cam M ;se,ic,, -, +Io ~, an,