The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-01-30
Col A. K. Mcclure.


Raleigh News aud Observer
No min in American journalism
has played Il more successful
part i'll rke history of the country
Tor more than half century than
!: the veteran Pennsylvania editor,
Col. A. X Mcclure. who was last week
rendered /, banquet upon the occa-
sion OF his eightieth birthday. He
began life Democrat. an intimate
and associate in his Young manhood
with the strong men who were lead
ers in his State He has attended
every National convention since 1856
and was an artive participant in sew
eral He Supported Lincoln for presi-
dent and cont inued a Republican until
that party 6egan its determination
to reconstruct the SOut lprn States
upon lines of hate aud prelu,lice.
After that time he returned to his first
love As editor Of the Philadelphia
Times for Il long term OF years, Col.
Mcclure preached gospel of Ameri-
canism and Democracy. His reply
to Mckinley in II noted tariff debate
left little to be said OF the illogical
position OF protection us exemplifed
in the Mckinley bill. He took the
keenest interest iii he restoration and
Industrial development of the South
and often visited this section as a
disintereste1 friend. His speech at
the Exposition in Raiei gh twenty
years ago is still remembered and
the man is held in pleasant reroIloc-
ton by those who catne to under
stand his breadth and his apprecia.
ton OF the struggles. the South
WAS making to regain it's old pros
perity and reach .out for larger in
dustrial life He was a friend who
saw the progress and commended it
and his words and his writings helped
in Il day when faith in the South and
new capital were needed. He always
had faith that the best would prevail,
and now in his golden age Col.
Mcclure is still the optimist. Clos
ING his address at tie banquet. he
said:
Il am pre- foun1ly grateful that my
years have been extended until we
! have again Il complete reunion with
the South, not the union of States
but the union of hearts and interests,
which presents today the greatest
Republic of the worlds history, and
Il government founded on the liberty
Of law
My State, my country and the
world are all vastly better to:lay in
every attribute Of bpnefirent advance
ment than ever in the history of the
past and the world has the best civ
ilization today that it has ever pre-
sented. When all tie many blemishes
which are common to all peoples our
civilization today is more beneticenr
than ever before. and our own great
Republic. whose flag now waves from
the snow clad mountains of Alaska
to the Orient and West Indies. is
grHndest in every attribute of nation
a.itN.
This is the great patrimony for
our children and our children's chill
dren; a free government founded in a
nation of homes to whose people the
sweetest words are home and mother.
The nation whose foundation is in
the homes of the land has the high
est gift OF endurance and in our ad-
vanced civilization, with the woman
hood more honOred, beloved and pro-
tected than i'll any other cline, the
hand that rocks the cradle is the hand
of destiny"
1t is beautiful to see a strong man
grow old with grace and without pes
simisn 1t is natural for men who
have shaped policies and had large
share in public concerns, who gradu-
ally see younger men take their
places to have misgivines as to the
fitness OF these younger hands to
guide safely. Too often the old re-
gard the '"evil day. as just ahead
and regard only the old times as the
good times. This is natural. 1t is
all the more inspiring when a man
past his four score years is as buoy
ant i'll faith and optimism as when
he was-in the flush of mature and
masterful manhood.