The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1905-01-12
THE PASSING or AYCoCk.

The august parsonage who has
the executive office At the
Capitol for four years ID now only .
plain citizen, and whatever Of rover
ence and respect was accorded him
because Of the high Office he he'd
now falls upon another and protects
MIN from censuIe, which, however
L. AMI Will be withheld Or
written mildly because he L. the
enief executive OF the great State Ot
North Carolina. This u we'll. No
good citlxen likes 70 teel that the III
cumbent OF this nigh Office Is with.
out projection against the unwsrrsnl-
vi assaults Of the vicious and the
vulgar. Ayeock's predecessor had
NO such protection, be 1t said u
shame anu lasLlng disgrace OF the
partissns Of Simmons and AycOck.
This by way OF introduction to
what could not with prOprlety he
said before ana should not now be
said were it not Z duty devOlvlus
upon this paper to chronicle facts
and expose errors and Inconsistent
cies on the part Of those who rule.
That there were good features III his
administration and redeeming quail
tiles in the man it Is not the pur-
pose Vt this article TO deny. That
his administration has been q para
gon OF perfection or that the man
AycOck is a saint endowed with
superhuman wisdom and virtue we
do most emphaticauy deny. That
he has suffered the tortures Of .
guilty conscience and tried to Offset
the great wrong perpetrated in over
riding the will OF the people to OBJ
tain and enjoy the emoluments ofan
office which was never his by right
Ii perhaps true. After touring the
State with a bowling mob at his
back tor the purpose OF terrorizing
the weak and the lowly into sub
mission to his mandates to avoid
worse fate, it was perhaps the best
ne could do to counsel peace and
good fellowship, but should not the
golden rule have been as applicable
during his candidacy as during his
incumbeEcys Repentance is better
late than never, but let those who
think he has cornered all the virtue
consider whether the man who en-
couragesl violence to gain politi-
cal advantage is not accessory to
crime when the unlawful taking Of
human life results.
In his recent deliverence to the
legislature occurs these significant
sentences: ~ am led to hope that
We are close to the time when law
lessness shall 60 from among us.
The best way TO safeguard society is
tor good people themselves to obey
the law. We cannot stop
crime by committing it; we cannot
teach obedience to law by disobeying
it; we cannot preserve order by the
means OF q mob" All OF which Is
true; but was it not equally true in
1900? And did not Aycock know
it then? Or has 1t taken his tour
years experience as Governor to teach
him that mob rule is destructive OF
peace and order? We are willing to
give him credit for learning in the
school Ut experience, and likewise for
OF past wrongs. but 1t is in
that he could have been
30 ignorant as not to know the evils
of mob rule as well when feasting his
anticipations upon the prospect of
luxurlating for four years in that
mansion at the expense
OF the Taxpayers as In the agony of
his political demise.
Again says this erstwhile anti-ne-
gro agitator in his farewell address to
the legislature, after repentance, and |
after he has reaped his full reward
for leading red handed mobs up and
down the state 10 intiamed by his
eloquence that actual violence result
ed to many innocent representatives
of the ''weaker race" 'The greatest
need Of North Carolina today is more
labor. 1t seems to me the height OF
folly to continue to bring about
conditions which lessen the amount
IF labor In the State. On the
contrary every encouragement
should be given fair treatment-I
,ven by generous consideration to
top the emigration Of this impor-
ant part Of labor" In 1898 and
1900 . favorite expression with
orators was: 1.-THE only
l.