The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-10
TWO MEN, PISTOL AND MONKEY
WRENCH BLUFFED A DOZEN
An Incident of the Days When Carpet Baggism Lolieo
in Clover The Slow Murder of
States Rights.

TO the Civil War, we thought a State
WIS Sovereign, and the general gov
crament was simply confederation of
sovereign States, for certain purposes.
Iut State sovereignty is a thing of the
past, and Capitalization walks right over
State lines, bids defiance TO the old-time
idna of States rights, and even snaps its
fingers in the face of courts and laws
Capitalization is highway robbery, in
the most dastardly form; for, under the
plea of justice, it constantly encroaches
upon the rights 81 individuals, communi
ties and even States, talking to Itself
privileges and powers which the Constr.
tuition and Bill of Rights guaranteed 70
them, in the most solemn manner. OuI
form of government is gradually, yet
surely, as L see it, changing from its old
time simplicity of a government by the
people for the people," to a government
fer the monopolists by the money power,
the people being ignored. Modesty, which
in the early days OF our government, com
rIended itself to our greatest, wisest and
bes. men, has lost caste, in aristocratic
circles, and, in its stead, we see AFRO
gaIce, corruption and a total disregard
oil that old-time idea, 1.-The office should
seek the man and not the man the of
fee" BY aristocratic circles. 1 mean
those people who think that money is
the only thing that entities man to
any consideration, or can give him any
standing. The big corporations have
grown to be proud, insolent, domineering
and ove1bearing TO that extent that men
and parties are expected to bow at their
behesss and vote according to their die
tation 1t is only a matter OF time when
thu larger will swallow or absorb the
smaller corporations, and all power will,
as a matter of course, be exercised by the
few greatest corporations; then they will
write the party platform and give direc-
ton to legislation, which will strengthen
their grip on the power already acquired,
cnd embolden them to make new inva
sIcns upon the rights OF the masses. who
are honest and unsuspectlng. e Pluri-
bus Unum' used to mean our general
government composed OF many sovereign
and independent States, but the new
translation is: Our great big Nation
made up of many little dependencies
that may be spanked at any moment, by
TIE agents OF that autocrat who calls
himself President I'm not in politics,
bat l can't help seeing what's going on
remember the time when State sover-
eighty was the boast of our people; when
we compared our sovereignty to that 'old
wire and fig tree" under which one could
not be molested or made afraid; when the
general government paid due regard and
courteous respect to each member OF the
family, not daring to enter any State
domicile without knocking at the door
tar in ny 4 M
ing the quiet of the family. But. now
the general government doesn't even ring
door bell, but kicks the door open
walks right in and takes possession, ant
does as it pleases, with what we thought
was our own.
Are we going to submit to it? Oh
course, It is a sad spectacle to us Older
people, sealing the changes that are tax
irg place, and realizing, as we cannot help
doing, that the money power is gradually
yet surely, crucifying Independent man
hood, and rearing up race of fawning
cringing dependent beings to believe thai
might Is right, and that a bone thrown
to them by the law of wealth Is better
thar whole ham secured by independ
ent. honest toll, under ones own vine
and fig tree We cannot help thanking
ed sons of toll, living out in the country
who are still loving the traditions OF their
ancestors. The money power with all OF
its cruelties. has not yet made them
DESPAIR. but feeling that God is just and
true. and that honest labor will be re
warded they are following in the foot
steps OF their fathers, trying to live plain
ly and simply. yet honestlyy and trying,
nh hn aty,n ina IN mr. rUa a nd N
serve that sacred legacy of freedom which
was their Inheritance. The country Is
eEinently conservative, and very strong
ly attached TO the old time days. If free
dcr, in our land, should ever die its
tinal struggle-its last gasp-will be in
the honest, simple, unpretentious country
homes.
~ great battle is just ahead, in fact,
we are i'm it now 1t is to be fight to the
fnsh, contending for the old-time ways
OF our fathers, when truth and patriot
ISM and honesty were cardinal virtues,
and men were honored and exalted Tor
doing right, and not because they were
gamblers and tricksters in politics.
AS I am on the subject of fighting,
might as we'll say we had quite a mum
Der of battles fought, in North Carolina,
during the Civil War; one OF the last
ones that at Bentonsville, was fought in
Johnston county, and a right smart
skirmish also took place about Morris
vile: accounts of which the world has
heard more or less. But the Davie street
skirmish, which occurred here In Raleigh,
has not been so well written up, and is,
therefore, not so well remembered.
All wars have their causes, and the
Davie street fight was not an exception.
The cause i'm that case was the purchas-
i,g of a carpet for the Capitol during
the days of carpet -baggers. The old time
carpets on the floors in the Capitol were
too dingy and worn for such gentlemen
as Tourgee, Rich, Menninger and other
carpet baggers Ito say nothing OF the ne
grves, who served in the Legislature, or
held offices in the CapitoD, to set their
dainty feet upon; so the Legislature
adopted joint resolution authorizing the
rurchas. of new carpets, and DR.. Men
ringer. Secretary of State, was selected,
ana authorized by said resolution to
make the purchase. Josiah Turner ESQ.,,
was at that time publishing tho "Senti-
ncl.' and was keeping watch, as a good