The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-24


some part at least, into repetition
of the monotonous clap-trap abuse of
the people of the South because they
do not stand ready to kiss the hand
that smites. This was not true in
any sense of the speech of Mr.. Fair
banks, who spoke upon a high plane
and with something of the tone that
is found in the later public speeches
of Mr.. Mckinley. His speech, indeed,
was rather full of generalities, but
there was about his utterances a
breadth of view that left no room for
littleness or partisan bigotry. He was
not pharisaicai, but preached higher
and nobler politics for his own as
well as other political parties. As a
candidate for the presidency Mr.. Fair
banks was, of course, guarded in his
eutterances, but he was statesmanlike
and broad if not scintillating or cap
waiting.
But that is more than can be said
or the speech of the other visiting
tatesmen. Mr.. Dixon, a Republican
Congressman from Montana, who was
born in North Carolina, seems to take
himself seriously as a missionary from
Montana to convert the benighted
people of his native State. Within
the past two years he has three times
been invited to speak in North Caro-
lima and each time he has had no bet
ter conception ofthe proprieties than
to lecture North Carolinians upon what
he is pleased to call their political
bigotry He is smart and a good
stump speaker-and he knows it. AT
the great Reunion at Greensboro he
married an otherwise excellent speech
by declaring that North Carolina was
proscriptive and narrow-minded in
politics, and evidenced it only by prov
ing that it elected Democrats instead
of Republicans to Congress. Again,
in January at the banquet given by the
High Point Commercial Club, Mr..
Dixon proceeded in no very pleasant
tones to berate the people of North
Carolina because they didn't advocate
protection and all the other doctrines
of the Republican party-talking too,
mind you to gathering in which nine
tenths of the banquetters We're Demo-
Gratis who had gathered in a broad
spirit to do honor to distinguished
member of Mr.. Roosevelt's Cabinet
and other prominent visitors from the
National capital. Here are some sam
ola ~ ha
in Greensboro:
81 wish that every business man in
North Carolina were here tonight. The
habit of voting the Democratic ticket
is like the opium habit; it is a pretty
hopeless case.
but / feel that there is, in spite
of the Democratic habit, a different
atmosphere from which was breathed
fourteen years ago.
During the % or "a years that l
lived in North Carolina the Demo-
cratic machine had peculiar system
of logic. Some Democrat who aspired
to be a country justice Of the peace
would holler Niger and would de-
stroy every argument that wisdom
could advance.
1.-The Democrats of this State killed
the goose that laid the golden egg
when they passed the constitutional
disfranchising the ne
groes. The opportunity is yours gen.
tlemen.
You have only to enter in and pos
sess the land. The business man of
Greensboro would blush to meet in |
the dark the type of man who COM
poses the Democracy of the North"
That was taking" speech, no
doubt, in gathering of Federal office
holders and fellows who are hoping to
make connection with the pie-counter. |
But such comments are unworthy of |
q man holding high position, both be-
cause they are not based upon condi-
tons as they exist and because it is
not gracious for a returning son to
come back to caricature those who |
have built up this great State while
he has been seeking wealth and hon
prs elsewhere. After jumping on"
and thus misrepresenting the policy /
Of the dominant party in the State, Mr..
Dixon then proceeded to take whack
at the Republicans present-his
hosts:
II want to offer little brotherIy
iuNICe 10 you IellOWS down nome mere.
The weakness of North Carolina Re-
oublicans has been in the fight for
Federal offices. A man who is a Re-
publican for an office is a mighty
poor one and has neither courage nor
yalor. Always remember that there
ire lot of other boys in the rear
who would like a little wee taste them
selves
And they do say that Harry Skin
Ter and Hiram Grant and Duncan
md Harkins and Undertake and
Blackburn and all other pie-eaters
md pie-hunters had the dry grins as
hey were forced to applaud this casti-
CATION at the hands of an honored
guest. They We're too polite not to
applaud the condemnation of them
selves rubbed in" by their invited
guest, though the guest seemed to
nave forgotten the duty to a host not
20 uncover the naked deformity of
hose whose hospitality he enjoys. /
Take away the men who have been in
the fight for Federal Offices and
here wouldn't have been enough Re-
OublicanS at that banouat f0 have