The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-06-24
TURNER THE MAN
So Declares W. a. Self
in His Speech of
Nomination.

| among you is young as Ine yum CO..
| 1t will not be accounted presumpuoI'
| therefore, if l offer the convention "a
| bit of well-considered, wholesome ad-
vice. 1T is this: You will make no mis-
| take if YOU name for the high office OF
| Governor, the Hon, w. d. Turner, OF
! Iredell, the very locality from when
| the next Governor should come, ac-
cording to my geography. IL l nau
! power, commensurate with my oeSiIe'
tic make you know him as he is, Ieel,
| | do verify believe, that you, too, Would
| conclude that his nomination Wouid pc
not only no mistake, but indeed d
mark of the soundest wisdom
And yet, do not claim that he be-
| longs to a higher order of intelligence
or integrity than other mortalss / 90
not insist that he is possessed OF SIN
/ gular or unusual characteristics or ca
| pacities; l do not pretend that he is
one who scars among the clouds OF
moves in the realm of the marvellous.
| speak the sane and sober truth. l
| present to you man without the ap-
normalities and eccentricities of So
called genius, but blessed, in full
measure, with all those qualities which
4 enter into the making or norman,
! sturdy, manly men, with the right sort
| of aims before him and the right sorl
of heart in him.
When the awful blight of unsuccess-
| full war was upon US; when the hldeous
| nightmare of reconstruction oppressed
| and staggered strong men, there went
about to public sales and like gath
| erings in old Iredell a country lad
scarce passed into his teens, proclaim
ing with boyish vehemence that the
/ negro should never rule over the white
| man. This was his profession OF
faith in the absolute and amending SUI
| periority of his race; his oath of al
llegiance to the unconquered and UNI
conouerable spirit of the "old South"
his about of defianc to all such as
| would depreciate her glory or malign
! her honor. From that time unto this
good hour, to that early profession of
faith he has proved true as the needle
| to the pole; that oath of allegiance he
has kept inviolate, and whenever and
| wherever the ISLANDERS and maledic-
tons of those who are enViouS of our
honor and glory have come to his ears,
the same cry of defiance has been
| heard, The spirit of the rebellion, >"
if you please, filled his childish heart
and | do not undertake to say that
this spirit was among the childish
things that he put away when he be-
came man.
Just here let me say that my own
soul is always thrilled, whether in vast
| aSSenDl2ReS OF Wnere only INO VI
three are gathered together, when /
hear the tongue of eloquency portray
the unmatched and matchless fortitude
and devotion of the immortal sons of
the South, who, without the all-poWer-
full stimulus of fanaticiSm or Supersti-
ton, smiled at death in a hundred gil
gantic conflicts compared with which
the great battles of later years are pig
mics skirmshes. Generations will
| orth mill
other wars; the splendid fabric of this
rpublic may crumble and fall, but as
long as men love justice and are
moved by contemplation of the God
like in man, so long will the story
of rebel" heroism and Southern chiv-
airy be told to eager ears and throb-
bing hearts. In the presence of the
veteran in gray, ! am flied with rev.
i erence which royalty could not inspire,
and I feel instinctively that l should
stand with uncovered head.
Tell ME what civic decoration can
add lustre to the name of him who has
freely offered his life for the good of
others? Great as this convention is,
great and powerful as we, the people
of North Carolina are. we cannot add
splendor to the fame of those who
were loyal followers of the stars aud
bars. It is more glorious to have de-
fed death at Gettysburg than to be
Governor of North Carolina, or Chief
Magistrate of this republic.
Mir. Turner has not had the priv-
lege of winning honor amid the pomL
, and circumstances of war; but I'D
, every contest of right against might,
in every uprising against vice and
venality in every struggle with the
foes or order and peace and gooj
government, he has been-Hi in the fore
front of the hottest battle" in the
company OF valiant men.
He is not a creature of impulse; ne
does not rely on bluff or buster; he
is even-tempered and mild hammered
but beneath this quiet exterior there
is the boldness and intrepidity OF the
| lion.
; 1t is said that on one occasion a
huge raw-boned litigant became high
ly indignant over some remarks o.
Mr.. Turner. made in the course OF al
argument TO the jury. The indignant
ltigant accosted the offending lawyer
at the recess hour,-told him thai
| he haG abused mis- privilege. The Of
tending lawyer responded, in a qufel
way, that he had not exceeded his
rights in the matter; whereupon the
indignant litigant retorted with grea'
warmth, "You know you did, holt
you to account,--f want you to un.
: derstand that I don't like it." And be
mold, in a tWinkling, there lay at on'
; place on the floor, a long-tailed coat
t at another, long, lank, litigant anC
standing between. in his shirt sleeves
was the gentle disciple of Coke ant
Blackstone. When the pugnaciou
, sutton gathered himself together ant
! scrambled TO his feet. the offending
!, lawyer said to him, Maybe you don
,, like that" and he didn't,-at any rats
he didn't wait for any more of it.
He was, born and reared. and ma!
spent all his life in Iredell county. ~
is practical successful business man
a pubic-spirited progressive citizen
He is truly man of the people,
= known and loved by his people. ne
is in close touch and full synpa u,
with the industrial and educauonS-
: progress of the State lie has PROVED
S himself q wise, prudent, far&seelna
4 legislator. He is a North Carollrldf
q through and through.
e He has the patience to do litt-'
. things well, and the wisdom ant
: strength to do great things as grra
! men would do them. nc is the EN-
! bodiment of common sense and con
e servatism. He is partisan, when nee(
= | h,,l bro1d and liberal aYf