The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-07-09

will ask you, as believe l have init
mated before, to give the Democracy
of this State your united and enthu-
siastic support, and this State will
increase rather than diminish the
great Democratic majority that We
have had heretofore" prolonged
applause).
MR.. CRAIG APPEARS.
Mr.. Craig, tired, but handsome and
smiling, appeared when Mr.. Kitchin
sat down. At the sight OF their idol
the mountaineers rose Ell masse and
yelled at the top OF their voices.
Every other man and woman in the
house stood and cried aloud with the
supporters of the orator of the West
Graceful, dignified and refined
looking he stepped forward and
waved his elegantly shaped hands
| for attention.
He said
MR.. CRAIG'S SPEECH.
II thank you, my friends, for this
great reception you have given me.
| AS | stand here / realize that | look
upon the greatest body of Democrats
that has ever assembled in any State
in the United States and I come be-
fore this body to pledge to you again
in this hour when you have chosen
another to be your standard-bearer,
| that in the future, as for % years in
the past, all of my talent, whatever
it is, all my strength, is at the COM
mand of the cause of the Democracy
of this State. Great applause.) |
! do not belong to the party for the
honors and emoluments of office. [
claim allegiance to that great organ
ization because it's success is coeXten-
sive with the welfare of my State and
the good of the people that [ love,
and for that reason, in victory and
defeat, always owe and always give
my allegiance to the party that has
saved and that is the salvation of
this State.
A VICTOR IN THIS CONTEST.
"But my friends it is unnecessary
for me to say this, l think that my
record for % years in the past is a
guarantee of my loyalty in hefuture
to the cause of our party. | come
before you especially to thank the
friends who have stood SO loyalty by
me in this the greatest political con-
vention of the States history. They
have stood by me with the loyalty OF
a Spartan and with the devotion and
chivalry of a son of this land of Dixie.
And | wish to say to you tonight,
my friends, that though am not the
nominee of this convention, | feel a
great victor in this contest, for |
have the devotion of the friends who
have stood by me, their heroism,
their intelligence and their loyalty is
to me a heritage and to my children
a heritage that is more precious than
the hOnOrs or the emOluments OF
office; for the honors and emoluments
of office is in it's essence the loyalty
and devotion of friends, and | know
that | have this. | shall never forget
their support. The only regret ]
have about this is. that they have
! given me so much and | can give
them so little. (Applause.) l cal
not express to you in words my graf
itude. I hope that here and hereafter
| | can be true to the cause you love
and demonstrate in my after life that
your affection and your loyalty have
not been bestowed upon one that is
unworthy. We all 60 home with the
determination and with all zeal to
fight for the principles that we love
and for the land of our Inheritance
GREATEST STATE IN UNION.
81 believe that this is the greatest
State in the Union. I know she is
not the greatest in wealth; | know
that she is not foremost in materia
development, but in%he potential en-
ergies of her manhood and bel
womanhood, I firmly believe that
she is foremost in the great process
sioh of the States, and [ hope yol
will pardon mefor saying@here that
believe the men who compose this
convention and who represent tn,
Democracy of this State are the en-
} ergy and moral force that should
guide and that ought guide and tha
must guide the destinies Of this Com
monwealth.
81 thank you all, my friends, for
have among those men that sup
ported me-the men who sc lives hav
been a glory to this State and who's