The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1907-05-02
zEBULON B. VANCE TO HAVE STATUE.
Monument to North Cardinals Wit and
Statesman.
IN THE CAPITOL AT WASHINGTON

In tribute to the memory OF Zebulon
Baird Vance, soldier, war governor,
aud senator, the North Carolina legis-
lature has authorized the erection of a
statue in the marble pantheon of the
tional capitol. The selection was
made with practical unanimity, for
am )ng the states great dead the strik :
ing personality of Vance stands head
and shoulders above them all, He was
a natural leader of men. Sprung from
the people, he had that rare pathet-
ic knowledge that gave Lincoln his i'm
mense power, and no man has ever so
possessed the hearts and held the affec
tion and admiration through long years
of arduous public service in peace, war
and tue dark days of reconstruction as
did Zebulon B. Vance. Few states in
the Union can show similar devo-
tion. What Tell was to Switzerland,
what Bruce was to Scotland, and Will
liam Of Orange to Holland, was Vance
to North Carolina. That was the elo-
quent eulogy of Senator Ransom, and
history will write the endorsement of
his estimate.
He had the magic gift of oratory.
But 1t was not alone the lure of purple
words and tinkling musical phrazes
that gave him his marvellous power
over his auditors; the dramatic appeal
came from rugged honesty of purpose
and deep sincerity. of utterance, shot
through with flashes of shining wit, ir-
resistibe humor, and apt anecdote.
His speeches were like bayonet charg-
es. He wasted little time on the skir-
mish line, but, like true burn fighter
plunged with deadly earnestness into
the thick of the fray. 1t was the secret
of his success. In the campaign of
1876, upon his third nomination for
governor, his political enemies, hope
less of success, resorted to charges of
political corruption. His reply was
the essence of drama. Before an i'm
mense gathering at Raleigh, in the
State House Square, he held up both
hands in the light of the sun, and with
a solemn invocation to Almighty God,
said they were white and stainless, that
not one cent of corrupt money had ever
touched their palms. The effect was
electrical; his answer carried irresisti-
BILE conviction, and the charges died
the death of calumny.
While Colonel of a North Carolina
regiment during the civil war, occur
red another instance of his oratorical
power. The time of enlistment Of a
large proportion of his men had explr-
ed, and they had made preparations to
return home. On the day of their
proposed departure they gathered 10
hear afarewell talk from their colonel.
Vance mounted box. he told of the
South's Titanic struggle for independ-
ence in simple, effective words that
went straight to the hearts of his hear
ers and drew tears from their eyes.
When he concluded, the discharged
men rushed to enlist again in the ranks
and their patriotic enthusiasm carried
with them many of the fathers and
brothers who had come to accompany
home the released soldiers.
After his admission to the bar he
quickly won a reputation as a winner
OF verdicts. In addition to firm and
large knowledge of law, he was a keen
Judge of men, and his exhaustless flow
of illustrative anecdote, repartee, wit
and humor made him almost irresisti
before jury. Whenever Vance wat
to appear in case people focked fol
miles to hear him. He was the terror
of the courts in which he practiced
judges found it impossible to preserve
order amid the roars of laughter tina
always punctuated Vance, speeches t.
the jury. One bailiff made it prac
tice to shout just before Vance woulC
reach the climax to funny story
: "Silence in the court, and would him
self lead in the laughter. Such rep
utation for wit and humor did Vanc
achieve that some of the judges alway
/. insisted that he address the iur
whether he desired to or not. Once
Judge took umbrage at some remar
made during the course of the case an
warned Vance he was treading yer
close to contempt of court. Quick as
flash from Vance came the retort this
he had tried very hard not to show hi
y contempt for the court.
His sense of humor was irrepressiblt
One day in his class at college a stale
dignifed old professor as an illustri
tion in physics was telling the student
Il of the possibilities OF dilapidated oil
mill that stood on the banks of a mes
= by stream. Breaking into the prosin
}. sentences of the old man, Vance,
tones of deep earnestness asked:
Professor, do you think the oil
mill is worth DAMP"
While the campaign for prohibitio
was at its height in North Carolina
- Let me send you free, for catarrl
just to prove merit, trial size box
DR.. Shoop's Catarrh Remedy. 1t is
snow white creamy, healing antisept
balm Containing such healing mgr
dents as Oil Eucaliptus, Thymoil, Me
tho. etc it gives instant and lastir
s. rehef 10 cafarrh of the nose and thrna