The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-07-09
TAFT TOLD TRUTH
Buffers Brother Victim
of Scrap Over Federal
Pie.
Only Hope FOR Republicans In North
Carolina y National Democratic
victory Which Would Turn
and S~Coundrvl-
Out.

guest. made a few very pertinent re-
marks in his speech 70 the eood!ers
ana postmaSters
He said among other things that
the policy which impartially excludes
from the BALLOT both whites and blacks
on account OF ignorance cannot be
criticised +" II this IS not an endorse
ment 0f Acknowledgement / do not
understand the English language And
this. too. from the lips OF the man
whom Mr. Roosevelt would abdicate
In favor or and expect Southern Fed
eral officials 10 support for the sue
censorship
He further said. There Is no Re-
publican party in the South. there Is
a little coterie Of politicians who de-
vote Themselves solely &c the selection
Of delegates to the National Conven-
lions. who devote no time and energy
whatever to elections and whose sole
object Is the securing Of FEDERAL pat
ronage. The candidates named, II
they are named. are not worthy Of our
suffrage. The truth is the election is
a mere formality. The only contest is
at the Democratic primary
have no idea who prompted Mr..
Taft on these hard stubborn facts, but
he must have been a born Southerner.
educated, wide awake and aWfully
truthful. for no Northern Republican
could have ever been inspired with
such knowledge. All the fighting pie
eaters in these parts know how sin
cerely truthful the damaging asser-
ton is. but being rhinoceros hided.
they do not themselves feel the awful
stigma and they go on forever in the
same old route Of rounding up con-
Ventions and damnfng the party cause.
They want no large party. aggressive
or otherwise. for 1t might not be so
easily controlled.
And furthermore. Mr.. Taft said: II
do not wish 10 seem ungracious. but
-a,,- n AZ 4 o m q n 7
the Republican party in Nirth Carroll
ma would be much stronger IS a vot-
ing party if all the Federal offices
We're filled by Democrats"
This is also an awfully truthful as
sertion. 1t is said that truth hurts
but the doodlers and postnasters can
not be hurt and they Will go right
along as Of old and fix up delegations
for Mr.. Taft for President If the inti-
nation is handed down from Washing
ton City. They have instinct II not
reason. Mr.. Taft however is very late
in find M out so much of southern
Republican conditions, because they
have existed many years and the de-
clination of Republicanism has grown
With these years. In 1856 when IN
der the Cleveland administration all
the Federal officials in North Caro-
lima were Democrats. Judge Buxton,
the Republican candidate for supreme
Court Judge. came very near to an
election with such strong Republican
counties as Madison and Mitchell and
others giving him No votes at all
In 1888. Q. II. Dockery, under like
conditions. ran D. G.. Fowle very close
for the ~governorship. indeed many
people thought and still believe that
Dockery was elected.
In 1896, under similar conditions as
to Federal offceholders. D. l.. Russell
was actually elected governor by a
goodly majority. But nee then with
all the Federal offices what has the
Republican party come 10 in North
Carolina
In 1900. before the disfranchise-
ment OF the negro and in the face Of
the opposition Of Republican Federal
officials. the Democrats swept the
State. since VIII oh time and forever
it looks as if they Will control affairs
in the state. So Mr.. Taft may see
that he has presidents as well as
promptings to bear out his assertion.
Apparently tie only hope for q
restoration Of Republicans to power in
North Carolina is by way or a sweep
ing National Democratic victory turn
ing all the harnacIes and some of the
scoundrels nut.
Another thing Mr.. Taft may lave
got wind of since his s%ojourn in Wash
ington. D. G.. is the fact that North
Carolina Republicans have a habit of
airing their dirty linen In Washing
ton to the disgust Of decent people
when in pursuit of a postofice or 9TH
er office.
Before the scramble is settled post
office and other inspectors are sent
South to ascertain how much of a
~scoundrel JOIN Doe AS been. The
candidate may be perfectly innocent
and finding that he is charged with
being a gambler. drunhard, bum. en-
bezzler he is so d~umbfoUnded that
he either quits the chase or else files
counter charges. Judging from this
condition Of affairs strangers would
be apt to conclude that there are very
few decent Republicans h~ereabouts.
It is not for me to correct the i'm
preston
In the fight last July at the same
convention which Secretary Taft ad-
between the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
faction and the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
faction about the State Craftsmanship
or pie distributorship. The contest
W2ged warm and the forces were close
~ matched. the margin indeed being
so small that it is said a single county
decided the matter.
Then Senator Marion Butler wore
his fighting toga, q Walter Henry style
of coat. and, as always, was gun-Inetal
all through. He had cast his weight
on the Adams scale. It was enough
and Adams won through the vote of
Sampson county-Butler's home coun-
ty. oddly enough in the following
election Sampson proved to be the
only Republican oasis in the desert
east Of a line drawn betwiXt Charlotte
and Danyille.
What come next2
Matters went along calmly until pie
was cooked and ready to be struggled
for. 1t was a great big piece Of pie
that first got ready. No third termer
there nor any more. The conjuring
Of the third term idea had about ex-
hausued the sleight of hand operator.
The Raleigh post office was the target
to be nit. Several gentlemen entered
the race in the hope of a square deal,
Chairman Adams visited Raleigh in
order to be on the ground and feel his
way. He would be fair With all old
line Republicans and others alike. His
search for enlightment did not last
long. He got a wink and trained back
to Greensboro, thence to Washington
whence he wired. The man took the
train for Washington. Meanwhile Sen
ator Butler so~journing at Morehead
cot the tidd1e-de-Wink and struck out
r -