The news & observer., 1905-12-14
Editorial correspondence


1t WAS an occasion of rare interest to
the new county, which had been or
ganized only a few years previous,
and named for the best-loved and most
honored statesman North Carolina has
known since Nathaniel Macon laid
down the Senatorial toga to spend a
few quiet years in retirement after
more than thirty years of continuous
public service. / do not recall that
any new county in North Carolina was
before named for a great man while
ne was still in the flesh. 1t is dan
gerous thing ordinarily to name a child
for public man until after he is dead,
but not dangerous If you name MN
George Washington or Zebulon vance,
This was illustrated by the case of
an enthusiastic Democrat in Buncombe
county a number OF years ago. Mr.
Hezekiah Gudger was a popular young
Democratic legislator and during
campaign when Xxi" was "walloping'
the Radicals to suit the taste of the
Democrat from Sandy Mush. new
boy baby was born and promptly
named Hezekiah Gudger. Time passed
on and Hezekiah lined the Radicals.
When the news reached Sandy Musn,
the father. who had given his son the
name of Hezekiah, fastened to Ashe-
Vile to find out if the report was true
He learned that Xxi had gone over
to the enemy and he went back to
Sandy Mush as fast as his steed could
carry him. Fortunately in that case
the boy had not been baptized the
Sandy Mush man would have said "he
hadn't been sprinkled'D and returning
home he called for his son and heir,
sent for his relatives and neighbors,
and putting the boy on a chair in
their midst. made this announcement:
Friends and neighbors: You
know that some years ago, during
the campaign when Hezeklah
Gudger was giving the dern Radi-
Gals hail Columbia me and the
old woman named this boy XII
have Just learned for certain that
Ki Gudger has deserted and Jined
the enemy, and me and the old
woman has sworn that no boy or
ours shall be named for any Rad
ical, much less renegade Rad
ical And so we have decided TO
unname this boy. We hereby
name him Zeb Vance as we
oughter have done when he was a
minute old, for that is Demo-
cratic name that is as unchanse-
able as the law of the Medes and
the Persians Hereafter this boy
shall be called Zeb and the first
son of a gun, who dares to call
- 10 - fnr
funeral
And with that ceremony the BOY S
name was changed and he wears
worthily the name of the great Com
moner of North Carolina. The d1iter-
ence between that father and mother
and the fathers of the county of VANCE
was that the manners of this county
made no mistake they had to rectify.
From the beginning of the agitation
until the county was formed. there
was no thought of giving it any name
but that of Vance, and 1t worthlly
wears that honored name. Governor
Vance was proud of the distinguished
honor done him in naming this coun-
tv for him and in December, 1885,
he came here, in response to cordlal
invitation. to address the people ana
to thank them for the honor they
had done him. 1t was a proud day
in the history of Henderson and /
gladly accepted an invitation to come
with the Senator and join with those
good people in honoring him. He made
la notable speech on immigration and
opposed the Jealous talk then heard
that the State should send agents
abroad to secure foreign immigration.
He did not believe in the plans pro-
posed and spoke strongly against them,
declaring that we ought to preserve
our heritage for our children ana
children's children. He said that he
thanked God the huge trees that Raj
eigh's colony saw on Roanoke Island
were still standing and gave it as his
opinion that the folks of North Caro-
lima birth and the other Americans
who came here to make homes would
find that they needed all the land and
would develop every Interest of the
State without running the risk of the
isms that would follow in the wake
of an influx of foreign immigration. 1t
seems a little singular that the immi
grafton agitation then was uppermost
and that it is commanding large
share of attention now. One of the Sc
crets of Vance's strong hold on the
people was that he always declared
his convictions with courage and
plainneSs. Nobody who cared for his
opinion failed to get it. Those who
agreed with him, rejoiced that their
view was approved by one so infiuen-
tial those who disagreed with him re-
spected his convictions and his SINGER
ity The longer l live the more l, be-
| lieve in men who have opinions and
seek to serve their generation by CIV
| ing expression to their convictions.
The gum-shoe and lodging politicians
| now and then succeed while they live,
| if they have talent and genius, but
| they do not live in the hearts of the
people or in the history of their coun-
! try There was no call for Senator