The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-01-07

UlS II N0o
Badger in Raleigh. l have heard that
Colonel Ruffin's father was a wing
and when his son voted the Demo
cratic ticket in Raleigh that Mr.. BAD
ger, who was a Wing, felt nuTt thdt
his pupil should vote a ticket IN OPP
position 10 him, but young Rufhn was
a man of honest CONVICTIONS ana ne
had the nerve TO vote the way ne
thought was right. That spirit or
Independence was the guiding star OF
his whole life. Soon after he obtained
his license he removed 10 the OZARK
region of Missouri and before the
practice of the law n won dlstlnc-
ton by his fearless enforcement or Ia"
and order at great personal peril. On
August 31st, 1916, he was commits
stoned first lieutenant Of the ozark
Mountain Guard, which was attached
to the First Regiment Of Infantry for
the Santa Fe expedition, and marched
with his command towards Mexico.
when. however, the war ended before
his arrival. His health failing him
in the West, he returned to GoldSbOro
and began the practice or law. In
1851 the Democratic convention nOml-
mated Col. w. l. kennedy, a wealthy
gentleman Of Washington, \. G., for
Congress against the celebrated Ed
ward Stanly, who had ben a memoe
VI AOIlSl CoS clil(C Illo 1
1897. He was regarded a. invincible,
so Kennedy declined and the nomina-
ton was rendered to Colonel Ruffn,
who was then about 80 years old. He
declared that he would accept the
nominations; that 1t should not be said
that the Democratic party could not
find a mar to meet the great Stanly.
John Stanly was n of the mos
prominent lawyers and ablest states
man nf NQu, Rom then called the
Athens Of North Carolina" was the
father Of Edward Stanly. COtempo-
raneous with John Stanly were the
two governors, Richard Dobbs Speight.
father and son, CASTOR, Hawks n
Bryan. John Stanly, on the 9Th Of
, September, 1902, in a duel, fought in
; New Bern, killed the elder Speight. It
J will be sen that Edward Stanly sprung
from a distinguished ancestry. The
older men have old me that he was
one Of the most eloquent orators and
most skillful political debaters and
charming stump speakers that the
State has ever produced. SURPRISING in
. this respect the great Vance himself
He was master OF ridicule n sar-
casm, and it is said that no man could
? tai before his brilliant sa1lies Of
! sparkling wit and humor, n the re-
morseless darts OF his whitening in
{ ~vective. He was brilliant, eloquent
- and graceful as a stump speaker. He
:, was of small stature, red-headed,
stately, graceful n elastic as a deer
in his movement. He was q superb
, actor. I have heard my cousin, Col.
John F. Wooten, who lived in K1nston
and was a Wing and idolized Stan]y,
relate an incident in a speech that he
= made in Snow Hill, Greene county, dur
> ing the Scott n Pierce campaign in
u 1852. He said Stan1y was making q
y speech for Scott, He told the people
= how Scott was wounded in the should
: er at the battle Of Lundys Lane, and
. 10 placed his hand across his breast
like d man who a his arm in q
sling and with the air Of an actor he
walked across the stage. The effect
upon the audience was magical and
the people were melted in tears. One
old man threw his hat in the air and
; exclaimed, It'll be bound for ole
! Stanly; he always beats everybody
This was the kind Of man that yount
Ruffn had to encounter in debate, blu
he shrank not from the confess. TIL
= great Saladin- he daring representa-
tive and the beautiful ideal OF Moslen
chfvalry, never entered the crusade
with a braver heart, with a more chiv
alr1c courage or with o more romanti
gallantry thai did this young knigh
!, OF Democracy enter the contest will
q the great Staniy. Young Ruffn pos
" sessed all the noble qualities Sha
characterized the knight-errant 9
Medieval chivalry: ~fnvincible courage
~ i%nyiolable fidelity to his principle:
- purity Of heart. greatness Of soul, ten
az derness of spirit and yet with IN Eo
% nerve that would have done he'nor t
= Mcdonald orvEey. RufGn was Ia
ne n slender, was awkward and VI
gainiy and had none OF the graces an
accomplishments Of the orator. II
IL spoke with great vehemence and !
III a loud ton Of voice, but he made
v strong. able. sensible speech. He We
bold and fearless in the expression (
ne his views on public questions. BRAY
CT chivalric and a man of Spartan coul
os' age with q srosjess public cbaracte
~ with :: private life without ble.nIsh ar
Or crowned with the sterling Virtues
ne honesty and integrity. lie Has as basil
se, full as Il modest matron ard Il b,ushir
va maiden.
h,Q