The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-08
-: -; :: : - 3::;55:::i::
| II. L.

{ nothing infallible about his personal
! opinions except when he makes up his
! mind. On questions of policy he
keeps a judicial head; yet he almost
| glories in the qualification of an i'm
pulse. One of the strongest appeals
that can come to the Governor is that
which is devoid of art-that is he has
a nose" for sincerity.
"Why in the world did you appoint
| that MANI" l asked him once.
Because" he replied, "I love a
! hunch- back, or a fellow who is de-
! formed. That man is smart and capa-
BILE. but he is not like other men. He
! appeals to me. He is interesting for
| his mental deformity."
! In his office, there was never a more
approachable or more congenial man.
Seated at his desk, thrown far back
+, in his chair, the open cast of his face,
| the contagious smile habitual to his
| strong and slightly crooked mouth, the
! easy, almost homely character of his
| greeting and the confidential grasp
! of his hand, make picture of amia-
/ bility and give a sense Of open
J democracy that is completely
charming. While with it all
one knows that he is in the
| office of the Governor. 1t is only
when the smiling mouth shuts tight
.
above the eyes draw closer together in
I moments of thought of conflict that
one can appreciate the old revolu
tionary quality of blood that at times
distinguishes the actions of this man
who. the synonym of a grace that is
! a habit. at times flames with an old
/ fashioned patriotism that burns with
q fire that in any one else would be
almost ridiculous, but in him is
scarcely more than characteristic.
In the davs of the Atlantic and
North Carolina railroad sensation, the
fibre of the governor was shown as
ii had not been before. He stood for
the State, with his face set against
usurpation, dignified, inexorable. He
acted with an audacity that was only
less startling than it was well pre-
conceived. When ii came to the point
of yielding to the Federal court, or
not leasing the road, he sat back with
q fine stubbornness, that brought in
the end the Federal Court to him. No
people ever made more noise and got
less than the Atlantic and North Car
olina schemers. And it was Aycock
, who turned their Vaccinations into
a fasco. Tn the hands of q more po-
litic man they might have turned out
. coup.
1t were idle to say that Governor
Aycock does not like to grant pardons.
Here, too he has been widely criti
cized. Yet it is his prerogative and
his reasons should obtain. That is the
penalty, il penalty lie to the public
in the opening of the door of hope to
despair, which the people paid for his
election. ] do not think that he is
quite understood in this respect. His
principal is this: That the crime is
a secondary considerations; that it is
the man who is punished and not So
ciety that is prtected by imprison
ment: and that he is the Judge OF
when the punishment is sufficient In
the exercise of the pardoning power,
the Governor looks more to what he
can find out of the man than to the
right or wrong of his conviction. There
have been cases in which he has
refused pardons because he believed
the man bad, althou"h technically in
nocent of crime; others in which he
has granted liberty TO men against
whom whole communities were clam
oring for vengeance because he be-
lieved that they were capable of be-
coming good citizens. A man par
doned from the penitentiary writes the
governor thanking him for his re-
lease. THE way to thank me-" he
writes back sis not by letter but by
becoming decent and iustifying my
course before the people"
And right or wrong. the pardons
have been granted without conceal
ment in the light of dav, as he has
done other things. calmly when he has
made UP his mind and undeterred by
criticism.
This is something, woefully made
duate. of the Governor who is going
down the hill to private life. Another
is coming up the path. They will
meet, bow and pass on. I believe that
Governor Aycock leaves gladly; l feel
sure without regrets. He has aged in
office as any man must. He has made
mistakes. chiefly through being too
true to his friends, and too tender in
his sympathies. Those are faults
easily forgiven among those who ap-
preciate man, brave to a fault. the
sympathetic water of whose eyes is al !
ways near the surface. who Is quick
to see and comfort suffering and whose
nature is prodigal of hope.
He will go among his people. SIM
pie, frank and unafraid remembering
the honor that they gave him, ready |
to repay in generous deeds in kind.
He is one of the men who. at the |
bottom of the hill. can risk a return
which he will probably be asked in
some capacity to make: but in any
011 II; n |,