The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-04

| proposition to establish a new coun-
| ty. This was particularly true of
that section adjoining Wake. 1t was
sive7 for them to go all the way to Fay
etteville to court and to attend to all
business, and they determined to have
new county at every hazard. Most
of the folks who were leading the
| fight were Scotchmen of the class
that prayed: 80, Lord, make us
right, for thou knowest, O., Lord,
when Scotchman gets wrong he is
very wrong They are even harder
to turn when they espouse
right cause, and in the demand for
the new county they felt that they had
right and justice on their side. AND
so they put getting the new> county
above all political questions and fore
ed it to the front by refusing to think
If anything else. illustrating now
they had the new county on their
mind this story is told:
In 1854 a distinguished candidate
for Congress had an appointment to
speak near the Wake line, and great
crown was out to hear him. He was
thinking about the greater national
questions that were then agitating the
country. The people were subordina-
ting everything to the question OF
new county He was anxious to avoid
committing himself on the new
county question and the people were
equally interested that he should de-
clare his position. To be sure cam
didate for Congress If elected could
new county, and therefore he reas-
oned that there was no justice or
need for him to discuss question for
state legislators to settle. But the
people had made up their minds that
they would vote for nobody who
onposed the new county for any
office.
Besides. It was a delicate situation.
The people around Fayetteville and
in Southern Cumberland were strong
" opposed to the creation of the
county of Harnett-just as strongly as
the people of the upper section were
resolved to have the county or bust.
If the candidate for Congress should
say in the upper part of the county
that he favored the new county, he
would make himself solid there, but
when the news travelled TO lower
Cumberland his name would be Den
mis- there. And SO he nerved himself
to escape the issue. And the people
nerved themselves to make him speak
out and declare himself.
He began with a magnificent intro
duction and a discussion of the con-
stitutional divisions of the power of
government, but the people were not
satisfied and a venerable and infiuen-
tiaf citizen rose and asked if he might
ask question.
Certainly" replied the candidate
for Congress.
..How do you stand on the HORNET
Question:" ~
+ If a hornets nest had fallen upon
the speaker and every individual
hornet had begun to get in his work,
the speaker would not have squirmed
more than he did when this question
was shot at him as from a cannon.
The crowd waited for reply, the
speaker was as one stricken dumb. The
crowd, seeing the dilemma, determined
to give him no quarter and with one
accord they began to cry out:
How do you stand ON the Hornet
question:"
In vain did he attempt to discuss
the tariff, internal revenue, or other
national or constitutional questions,
for at every turn he was pelted by the
pitless question:
How do YOU stand ON the Hornet
question:
Up to this good hour that candidate
has not answered the question hurled
at him, he finished his speech without
attention, fastened to his buggy and
from that day always lodged when
anybody demanded to know:
How do you stand on the Hornet
question:"
Fifty years have elapsed. If any
body had asked any of the 5000 or
5000 people here today: "HOw do
you stand on the Hornet question:
the answer would have been that they
unanimously voted the people of this
good town and county princes of en-
tertainers, and were thankful that the
county of Harnett was established, if
for nothing else than that they might
attend this semi-centennial celebration
of it's creation. This has been the great
day in the history of Harnett county.
1t was happy idea to conceive the
celebration of the important event in
the history of this people and of the
State. 1t has been happily executed
by the progressive and public spirited
citizens of the county They have
welcomed more than 5000 guests here
today, and they have served dinner
for every guest, and a dinner fit for
kings or other hungry epicures And
such dinner. Every substantial and
delicacy that thrifty Harnett farmers