The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-03-23
MARION BUFFERS RIAL.
EICH SPEECH.
CONTINUED from page ID

wagted TO ave aim the opportunity
to repeat In my presence what he .aa
reported by the Democratic press To
have said.
II wired the Republican County
Chairman OF Rutherford County 70
challenge the Democratic County
Chairman for a joint discussion on
that day. When I reached Ruther-
fordton, was informed that the
challenge had been declined.
Oyerman Wants to sake Hands With
the "Sameless One"
"On my way from Charlotte TO
Rutherfordton. on Monday morning.
20 meet my engagement. IL turned
out that Senator Overman vas on the
same train. He came TO the door OF
the smoking car. where I was sitting
talking TO several gentlemen, there
being only one vacant seat left I'm the
compartment. This man Overman
deliberately came into the smoking
car, and held out his damp, fabby,
c0wardly hand TO me. and said, Hell
10, Senator. how are your This was
the same miserable coward who had
been reported by the Democratic
press as having gloried in the fact
that he would not even call my name
in a public speech, but referred to
me as the 'nameless one.'
81 did not, on that occasion, ex-
press my contempt for his low cow
hnn ~
to destroy the opportunity OF getting
him into joint discussion before
the people on that very day. When
| reached the town of Rutherfordton,
Mr.. Overman went to the same hotel
that my committee had placed me
at, and | soon found that Mr.. Over
man and his County Chairman and
I and my County Chairman were to-
gether in the same room, being the
lobby of the hotel.
sion and Butler Denounces Him.
There and then | had another
challenge delivered to Senator Over
man and his chairman, which, after
a hurried conference between them,
was declined. This news at once
spread to the thousands Of people in
town, who had gathered to hear one
or both speeches. AS the news spread,
| was informed that a large number
of Democrats denounced the conduct
of Mr.. Overman in refusing to say
in my presence what he had been re-
ported to have said in his speeches
elsewhere.
MIR. Overman started to the court
house with his chairman to deliver
his speech, and only small part of
that great crowd followed him.
Three-fourths of that tremendous |
audience, estimated at from twenty
five hundred to three thousand,
crowded in and around the opera |
house to hear me speak. There at
once went up demand that 1 should |
hear. Then the cry went up, To
the baseball park, and so it was de-
cided, and We went to the baseball |
park, and there was not man left |
On the courthouse square nor in the |
streets of the town.
"In that speech I denounced SEN
ator Overman as he deserved to be
denounced. I called out to any
friend of his in that audience to go |
and tell him what I had said, and |
that l would wait for his return and
would repeat what I had said about
Mr.. Overman to his face if he had |
the courage to come. I also de-
nounced him for going to the court
house along to there abuse me and
say things that he did not have the
courage to say in by presence.
Overman a Physical, Mental and
Moral Weakling.
When my meeting at the baseball
park was over, and returned to the
hotel, 1 learned that Mr.. Overman
mad cut his speech short and caught
an early train out of town. I was
also told by some one who heard his
speech that he did not say, on that
occasion, what he was reported to
nave said in other speeches. In
any of the false statements and abuse
he had been guilty of dealing in else
where while I was in the same town.
Can any man guilty of such
conduct command the respect of
a single fair, brave, North CAROLYN
ian? (Great applause.)
Mr.. Overman has succeeded in
getting into the class with Josephus
Daniels and Furnifold Simmons, and
indeed, has succeeded in getting
down in the mire deeper. This man
Overman is, in fact, a small man,
vain man, and fraud of very low
order. I am told that he is proud
to think himself as resembling Daniel
webster; that he has often been
caught looking into a mirror and