The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-08-31
THE LATE EDITOR THOMAS
A BRIEF TRIBUTE FROM TUREC
FRIENDS WHO KNEW HIM
WE'LL. -

Carolina. This paper has already given
it's estimate Of the life and services
OF Mr.. Thomas. 1t requested three
Franklin men. who knew Mr.. Thomas
we'll, to write brief tributes or PEN
pictures of Mr.. Thomas as they thought
would be just to him. They are as
follows:
Will Be More Missed Than Any Man
in the County.
To the Editor: Mr.. Thomas will be
more missed than any man who has
lived or died in Franklin county in
half a century. Rejecting upon the
secret of his power and influence, I
have concluded that they grew out Of
two qualities: -.
Cd The unfaltering and unselfish
loyalty Of his support of any cause
that he had ~espoused, or Of any friend
that he chose.
CD The caution with which he
formed his plans and gave his prom
Uses, and the intense persistence with
which he wrought in their execution
He was a partisan, but his align
ment was always with that element
that stood for the best.
He was an honest a with the
courage Of his convictions, and that
sort of fighting quality that first Orr
gained for the fray, and then con-
sidered compromise only when defeat
was inevitable.
His sympathies were as quick and
as tender as a wOman's, and his fresh
heartedness was as a boys.
F.. s. SPRUILL4
Editor Thomas Loved His Fellowmen-
To the Editor: j. A. Thomas died
in the prime Of his manhood, but if
we humber his days 'by heart throbs
and not by figures on a dial" his
was a long life. That he welded al
wide influence in Franklin county and
throughout the State is known of all
men. Why? What were the secrets of
his power? Three things.
LIST. He was the best Democrat I ever
saw. HIS affection for the party was
a passion. His faith in it was abso-
lutte. He was a party man through
evil and good report. No matter what
the party did he stood for his party.
To him the chosen leaders Of the party
were the lords anointed'-prophets,
who could do no harm.
End. His loyalty to his friends. This
was nothing less than beautiful. Moth
ing could tempt him to desert a friend.
I have seen him tried in the fire. In
the face of the fiercst criticism, at
tn risk Of self destruction, he battled
for the man who trusted him, or
whose cause he had espoused.
3rd. His humanity. He loved men.
~ ~ q IlIoh oIIC HILL ~
tears. A plea for pity, a cry for help
went straight to his heart and reused
all his resourceful energies. [ write
with rigid When [ say that
in proportion to his means he gave
more than any mar I have known.
He will be sadly missed in Franklin.
How man poor ones blessings went
With thee beneath the low green tent,
Whose curtain never outward swings"
T. w. BECKETT.
Raleigh, N. c., Aug. %, 100
The Personal Side of Editor Thomas.
OF the personal side of fifteen years
friendship with J.. A. Thomas. ] could
not willingly speak as yet. h sense
Of loss, of obligations incurr~7 and
unpaid, is too strong.
But, I wish that others might know
something of the great usefulness of
his life. His influence was known to
be great. Newcomers have often Won
dered how he held it SO persistently.
After awhile they could understand it
better, for back Of it were years of
service and back of that service was
a great love for his own people.
Naturally as editor of the county
paper he became familiar with all,
but better than that, he was born
with the instinct which loves to make
friends and loves better still to do the
little things Of life for his friends.
Probably no day passed but he helped
some one.
He was interested in all public mat
ters, but his heart was with the peo-
pie Of his own county He was q
leader and his leadership meant uIti-
mate good, but he never got very far
from his folks. Some of US were pos
sibly disappointed at times that he did
not force an issue and draw the line.
But in this he had the greater wisdom
and his way was surer. Quietly he
gave to good movements the steady,
f~rictionless impulse of his own inter-
est day after day. By far the great
err part of his life was spent in plan
ming and working for the public good
as he saw it. Personally I know that
Franklin county could never have
made it's steady progress in school
daNel0nmen but for him and his every