The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-07-05
RALEIGH LETTER.
GoR>fAN NEWS BUREAU,

Dresident) to greensboro next Week,
where he will make a political address
| on the evening preceding the assembling
| OF the Republican State Convention, ana
the announcement OF State Chairman
Spencer Adams that Secretary OF the
| Treasury Shaw (who would like to be
| the presidential nominee OF his party
| has consented to make several speeches
| in the Eighth and Tenth congressional
districts during the approaching cam
paign. Secretary Taft will speak next
Monday night instead OF Tuesday at the
| convention. because he has to fill q pre-
| yiously made engagement in Ohio on
Wednesday, and must leave North Caro-
lima Monday night or early Tuesday
morning. Consequently a much larger
number OF delegates than usual will ar
rive for the convention the day preceding |
| the beginning of the work OF that body, |
which will be principally characterized |
by the fight between the present office |
holding element and the Blackburnites |
for control Of the State organization.
This being an off year in State politics,
with only one official prize in the politi-
cal grab-bag there is not much doing,
except in the county and congressional
contests. Even the choice of legisla-
| ture this year, which will have the selec-
ton OF United States senator, is dis
counted by the fact that the election OF
that high officer will be merely formal
and q very perfunctory affair, because OF
the candidacy of only one aspirant, Sen
ator Simmons having no opposition.
4 little gin.er is being injected into the
local campaign (that is to say, the pri-
mary in this county over the nOmina-
ton OF candidates for State senator,
sheriff and county commissioners, and in
consequence OF proposition to cut down
the income OF the principal county officers
| who now receive fees instead OF stated
salaries. 1t is alleged that the county
clerk, the register OF deeds and the sheriff
OF Wake county are all receiving net in
come in fees of over So, 900 each annu-
ally, while the sheriff of Wake did realize
, over So 900 year up to two years ago.
when the legislature reduced his commits
siOns for collecting taxes, in excess OF
$4,000, which cut off $4,000 from the
, | amount he had been realizing from that
source The proposition is to change
, the law in it's application to Wake and
7 | the other larger counties and give these
] county officers all regular fat or stated
: | salaries, all in excess of that amount to
: be covered into the county treasures and
q thereby Tighten the county tax rate.
Although the Indications are that this
will be done, there is no lack OF candi-
> dates over the prospects, there being four
/ for the shrievalty, all of whom will be
S glad to get the 5000 year which that
e official will probably be hereafter al
l. lowed In Guilford and some other
# counties, | believe, the fat salary law is
4 already applicable to the sheriff and some
other county officers.
1t would be q good thing for decency s
sake and for the welfare of many poor
and ignorant people if this fat salary
rule could be applied to the army of mag
istcrial scavengers of all the counties. 1t
is little short of highway robbery, and
If much more oppressive, if a small portion
J. of the reports are true, for these short
t tail element OF the justices of the piece
f. | to set their legal traps for extorting fees
4 | and costs out of the thousands of poe 1
people who are mulcted by them all over
. | North Carolina, through the alleged
l! trial of trivial cases trumped up in
u many instances for the one and sole pur-
!, pose of bleeding the defendants, who are
n dismissed upon the payment of costs,
: but who are sent to Jail if the costs are
q not promptly paid. 1t is rare thing
for some of these little grafters to turn in
enN @nney at al into i tbs. county treas &.
" cry e-hunting constable, to line thei
y own individual pockets Why not cut
It down the number of magistrates to only
O as many as are needed and then pay 8
v lew good men reasonable salary il
J. each county to fill the places? This is nc
. passing observation 1t is q serious and
y very real question, as many people per
: sonally have knowledge of, and it is q
reform within the province of the next
3, legislature which would meet with the
G | approval and hearty commentator OF
S the great majority of our people all over
4 the State.
g Wake county will be represented in the
g next State senate by a man who will
probably make one of the most efficient
and popular senator's the county has ever
had, Hon. John c. Drewry, who accent
l. ably served in the house four years ago.
s Mr.. DreWry is one of the most successful
= and capable business men in North Caro-
lima and he is man of high order OF
@ ability and learning, a graduate OF the
- University OF Virginia, where he also re-
ceived his degree in the law. However.
l. he has never practiced that profession
u the last twenty years of his life being de.
e voted chiefly to building up what is now
: his large insurance business. For fifteen
e ! years he has been one of the most promi-
: nent figures in Raleigh business and mu-
nicipal affairs, this city owing to him
more than to any and all other men the
beautifully paved streets and sidewalks
which are so much admired by all who
visit the capital OF the State. Those who
know Mr.. Drewry well and are acuuaint
ed with his private life and personal
traits OF character will tell you that he ia
a man IN thousand-so far above the
average Is he. But, like nearly all men
II VINO really amount to anything and who
o do things, he has made some enemies
IL | ana minority plnmnnt hos
!. to get out an opponent to contest for the
l. senate with him. The old cry of this
X crowd that no lawyer should be elected
# to the legislature had to be changed to
e lit the circumstances of the case. and so
they have been endeavoring to put insur-
: ance men under the ban. 1t was laugh
able TO discover recent, that the man
r whom they trotted out against Drewry
e is not only lawyer but an insurance
Il agent as we'll All of which gives addi-
+, tional evidence OF what an ass the aver
i age demagOgue and constitutional kicker
V can make OF himself in Democratic pri-
s mary II every county in North Carolina
q could induce one of their citizens of the
r Drewry calibre to serve in the general as
S sembly. we would have Legislature here
r next winter that would really be worth
p while
e The annual convention Of North Caro-
n lima farmers begins here on Tuesday of
: next week, July 10th, and continues
three days. There will be thirty ad
V dresses delivered during that time, m ostly
on subjects OF peculiar interest to farm
ers. Among the speakers will be three
. connected with the United States Depart
: ment OF Agriculture.
i During the three days convention OF
;, the general farmers organization there
!. will be meetings held by six divisions of
=, that organization, or rather OF six asso-
S Citations whose members are also identi
4 hed with the general organization, to-