The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1905-12-14
Communicated

| lately came into possession Oi lhe
bound volume No. , OF the Greensboro
Patriot, weekly newspaper pu6lisneo
from June, 1888. to June. 1884. IL was
published and edited by lawyer, YIN;
Swain, who was O man OF strong anu
independent mind and clear and fOrceIui
language. This was ~ years ago. i.
was interesting reading and 1urnlsheo
me much pleasure. | saw no reference 10
Nat Turner insurrectiOn nor the falling
stars, but pretty much all else OF the "ags
and body OF those times is contained III
it. 1t was suggested that some EXTRACTS
from it might interest people now living
and have accordingly selected some, viz:
Leonard Henderson of Williamboro, the
great Chief Justice for whom the town OF Hen
derson was named, died Aug. IL. 1888, full
OF age and honors.
From every source that can afford us any
information we have come to the conclusion
that Robert Potter now in Jail, will be elect
ed to represent Granville county in the next
legislature of the State Should this turn out
to be so the Governor will of course release
him that the people who thus strikingiy man
lfest q desire for his services may be served
bv him.
1t did turn ont that this Robert Potter
was elected to the legislature by the peo-
ole of Granville while in Jail but was not
pardOned by the Governor; that he re-
manned in Jail for nearly 3 years for a
crime for which the law did not then but
does now provide adequate penalty. This
was perhaps the most celebrated case
that ever occurred in the State, the late
Lewis X Wiley of Oxford, bling one OF
those against whom the crime was COM
mitted
The Fayetteville market quotations
are given, beginning with brandy at 40
cents per gallon, ending with whiskey at
30. Cotton is quoted at and 8, corn
% and 60, wheat 90 and 80, iron AZ
and ), bacon and coffee IA and 16.
John Randolph the celebrated Eir-
cinia statesman. died May oath, 1888,
and emancipated his slaves by his will.
A letter from James Martin OF Stokes,
who was United States soldier at the
battle of Guilford Court HOuse-describ-
ing the battle. He was 81 years old at
the date of the letter, May, 1888.
There was powerful agitation looking
to amending the constitution. Each OF
the Ga counties (33 counties have been
created since) had representatives and
senator in the legislature-and nearly
half the counties did not pay enough tax
to pay the salaries OF their own men,
bers in the general assembly. The whole
white population was 472 900. The ex-
pense of the State government was then
$50 900 per year. 1t is to be noted that
while the white population has increased
fOurfOld in the II years since the expen-
SOS OF the State government have in
creased thirty-fold.
The custom was for members Of the
legislature to publish a circular soon
after it adjourned giving their attitude
on public questions. Commenting on the
account OF himself given by one HOuld-
er Of Johnson county, the editor says:
The Eastern part of the State is divided
into an almost innumerable squad OF COW
pen counties which do not pay tax enough
to compensate their own members for sitting
IN the legislature and voting against every
measure. etc, and yet these penniless scOun-
drels who come from the frog ponds of the
east will unblushingly promulgate it to the
world that because the west wanted power
20 save the State from bankruptcy it shall
not be given them. The soul of such q man
Josiah Houlder might be put in nut
shell and then have ''rooms to let
The subject most discussed is ''Old
Hickory" and his withdrawal of the de-
posts from the United States bank and
placing them in the State banks. Great
Indignation prevailed. He protested to
the Senate that it had no right to criti
else him for it, upon which the comment
runs thus:
Andrew Jackson is not content to become
| through the shameful cOnnvance of the PEG
| pie one of the most rash, reckless, bold anG
| corrupt tyrants in the world: but he has now
| set about stopping the mouths of all who
may da re to oppose u barrier to his desolat
| ing propreSs. He has even had the impu
icnce for which old as he is, he deserves to b.
taken into the Senate Chamber and held by
| the nose till each senator should slap his
| chops and spit in his facei-we say he has
| even gone so far as to con lure up among tnt
| magcians of that Shiny emporium, imperti
| nence enough to send a 10 column protest
| to the Senate disclaiming any right on thei
| part even to enqre into his official &C ts. HI
| has not only seized upon the entire treasure
! of the nation, scattered part of it among in
| solvent, broke, breaking and partizan banks
| but now seeks to denounce the Senate fol-
| even daring to ask him why he did so. Thi.
| miserable production exhibits the President
| IN the light OF the most besotted, imperti
| nent and tyrannical tool in existence
| This reminds one of the source from
which Roosevelt is said to have got hi,
meanness. Not from his sweet anC
sainted Southern mother" sezee, blu,
from his-old Dutch daddy" The Jack
son members of Congress We're called
Collar Members Bankruptcy was tn,
talk OF the time, and such depression ",
OF this day and time never saw.
| A committee with numerously signed
petition called on "Old Hickory" who il
| reported to have said this to them: III
the name of God Sir, what do the peo
pie hope to gain by sending their me
MORALS here? If they send ten Thousand
of them signed by the men, women ant
children and bearing the names from al
the grave stones, will not relax a parti
Gle from my position
Almost all kinds OF questions are dis
cussed in its pages. One article sets fortl
the number of people who have lived OF
the earth and demonstrates that Their
had then been five for every square foo
of land in the earth's surface.
| David l.. Swain was governor, Judg
Badger and Bedford Brown Senators
Cholera was raging in many parts of tn
United States and Mexico The buildin,
of a railroad from Roanoke to Fayette
Vile was continually written of; but Their
was not foot of railroad in the Stat
nor a telegraph nor a telephone nor al
electric light nor a street car nor a sew