The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-10-01
NORTH CAROL|NA|S SCENE OF STRANGE
 POLITICAL BATTLE
Gallant Confederate Veteran Being Opposed by Repub- lican Lady for His Seat
 in Congress
By CAROLYN VANCE Special Correspondent Of The Age Herald Copyright. 1929. by Tho Age-HeraldD


 wasnlngton, September 30.-The politest political passage d'armes ever witnessed is today expressing the attention cf North Carolina.
 Maj. Charles M. Stedman, courtly southern gentleman and democrat, is defending the seat he now holds in the national House of Represen- tatives against the lady-like assaults of the republican nominee. Mrs Lindsey Patterson, also of gentle southern birth.
 The soft tongued strategy both use in the campaign sounds strange in- deed. in this day of more or less violently vituperative politics. He bombards her with bouquets. She, too. avoids the use of brickbats in favor of more amiable ammunition.
 Mrs. Patterson is one of the very finest women in the state" is gal lantly typical of his remarks.
 Major Stedman Is noted for his charming manners. and he Is the politest man ever knew" is gra- ciously characteristic of her.
 The Imperial Fifth district is where this bouquet battle is fra grant with the flowery compliments which are showered promiscuously about. The place glitters with the golden opportunities which are scat tered In such free handed manner.
 To Get Women's Vote
 Major Stedman not only belts Nils opponent with praises, but he works in a lot of subtle flattery on the women voters with an experienced hand.
 I'm afraid I am going to beat Mrs in, 10 al ha. cause you know all the ladies will vote for me-" he boasts. twinkling- eyed which only goes to show how incorrigible masculinity persists in spite of age. Major Stedman is im- pressively eight-one years old. Among his indifferent looking colleagues in the House he rears a satisfyingly statesmanlike figure.
 Below the shining white nimbus of hair appears an intellectual ex- panse of forehead. brows avalanch- ing snow-like over eyes bespeaking vigorous life. A patriarchal beard completes an imposing appearance. An aura of venerable romance sur rounds him also because he is the last Confederate soldier in Congress. He fought under Lee from the begin ming of the war to Appomattox and
 
 Full of Energy
 Mrs. Patterson is a whirlwind or energy. Her motor car, which she has named the Washington Spe- cial' and in which she announces she hopes to ride to Washington, will be in every part of her district between now and election day. Already She has motored 5000 miles Tn the I'm perial Fifth" There are eleven counties in the district and Mrs Pat terson figures she will have spent a week in each.
 The opponents in this campaign are well matched as far as family and tradition are concerned. Major Sted- man is from a family that has been prominent in North Carolina for gen erations. Mrs, Patterson's grand father was General Patterson. whose cousin. Betsy Patterson, married Jerome Bonaparte. Joseph Bona parte was her grandfather's friend and many of the furnishings in the Patterson mansion in Winston Salem. North Carolina. came from Joseph blue rooms of the White House were originally given by Napoleon to Joseph when the former was King of Spain. They were brought by him to this country and given to General Patterson, who in turn presented them to the White House.
 Plenty of Antiques
 The home of Mrs. Patterson Is said to contain the finest collection of antiques in the south. Her special hobby Is antique furniture Her library Is the collection of four gen. erations of book lovers. She is a