State

Tar Heel History By Billy Arthur ‘Our Bob’ 'Todays fist-talking politicians couldn't hold a candle to the folksy campaign style of former Senator Robert R. Reynolds. NoIhmIv these iLhm atnpaigiis like "Out Bob" Reynolds did — I'niled States Senator Robe 1 1 K. Reynolds. ill. и is. I lu* Asheville Democ i.il'suni-oiMiiic, hand-shaking. lolksv si\le debuted in HMOwIicii. .is.niilii.il ini- known |iisi onl ol l.nv school, lie gained гее og- niiion h\ i n n n i пц lot prosecuting alien nev in .1 ihrcc-countv Weslein Noilh < .nolin.i Su|M'iiiH CoUfl ill'll li 1 tll.ll li.nl 1 1 .«- ditionallv voted tor Ri'piihlii .ins. Rev Holds 1 1 1 1 1 erl like* $20 filing tee .illonli him .m oppoi i n 1 1 1 1 \ io niri’l the people .mil make speei lies in everv township in tin- « list i n i ll was also ipiii kt e heap and legal advertising loi a new lawyer i*pen lor business in Asheville. spec ial wrappeis piinled up tor the candv. ( .ot the pi iniing «lone on credit. I*. и h piece ol e anils was wiappe«l in a pin eol paper . Ihmi inn the pi in ted plea. •Ask voui daddy io vote Гог Bob Reynolds.' Well. I got on ni\ horse and Sena lor 'Our Hob ' Reynolds I center) in his a son ol dial gieat and lovely state ol North ( iaiolina.” Reynolds also bad with him a "North < aiulina Neat Bonk," containing the names ol elec led olli( ials. professionals. Inisinessineii and olliei prominent Tar Heels. When lie got to Paris, he I rough l 1.000 post cards, addressed them to the folks hac к home and mailed a batch Iroin eac li | н n I . asking lot their stip|>ori. The cards siieamcd home from Port Said. Boinhav. Singapoie. Yokohama andothei foreign plac es. He ran second in the priinaiv. but c hose not to call for a innoll. Г wo years later, be polled voles in an unsuccessful bid foi i In* I'.S. Senate. Bill politics was in his blood — riatu- i allv. 1 1 is father had been Buncombe ( iountv clerk ol cour t, one urn le the lax col¬ let tor and another uncle the Asheville chief of police. Reynolds, himself, liked to mingle with people and bad liecouie well-known as а с i iininal lawyer and public speaker. As a speaker, be drew widely Iroin his davs as. i vagalxmd. I le rode a bicycle over nine h ol Kuropc. was jailed as a spy in Italy, tossed the Sahara in a sheik's robe. I be iiiountaui lolk were staitled when be told ibem honestly and convincingly; “I don’t want this job pist to serve von. though I rc-c коп I c an do that as well as anybody. I want it lot the money. I'm a voting lawvei. and I need the experi¬ ence. I want to gel it at voni expense.” I I is lianki less was appreciated, and he was elected, hut before his term ended, Reynolds aunoiuic c-cl as a t andidatc lor Congress. “I bought an old llea-bilten. swav- backed Iioisc-. blind in one eve. got me a Texas saddle ami two huge saddle¬ bags." be often recalled, according to various ncw-s|Ki|K*i and inaga/inc inter¬ views anti the Imok Dixie Demagogues. "1 didn't have any money. I went down to tlu- Asheville Candv Kitchen and talked Mr. I'beobold into letting me have 10.0110 sin ks ol led-.md-wlulc pep- pennuit c andv on credit. I bad my own HaJiin^lon office circa 1938. staved on it lot tluee months. . . He c tisst tossed the clistiic t. tiding Up even i reek and gorge and down even ■ oou and possum n ail. stopping at even home and sc hoollmuse. introducing himsell and passing out candy sticks to all i hildien. Yet. lie lost. The popular vote lailed to tlcieruiine a wiunci. and the siibsei|iieni convention favored the incumbent. He even t atiipaignecl while* on a trip around the world in 1021. when he bad annoiim ed bis c audid.ee v lor lic-uli-nant gover not . < >nt e alMMitl ship, be learned there were НИ» far Heel soldiers bound for Panama. He rounded them up. made a spit iled speee It and then wrote the par¬ ents ol eac It: "I saw (your son) today and we bad a long talk, lie's a splendid boy and will serve lust ottnlrv tioblv. as befits joined a mule team in South Africa, trekked the* ( Cltlial \inerican jungles and was c baiulM-rinaid on a cattle boat, lu addition, be was lit town overboard as a stowavvav. louglit an alligator and was a book salesman, cowboy, hobo, side-show batket. wrestler, actor and repot ter. All ol those adventures took plat e Ik'Ioic he was e aptaiu ol the track team, plaved football and got his law degree at the I niversitv ol North Car¬ olina at ( hapc l 1 1 1 1 1 . Ills most memorable campaign stunt t ame hi I9S2 while burlesquing and unsealing I'.S. Senator and one-time North Carolina Governor Cameron Morrison in the Democratic primary, l ire wealths Morrison, a Rockingham millionaire, lived at the Mavflovvet Hotel in Washington and owned a Rolls Roycc with rhaulfcin . Reynolds stumped the state in a dilap- Пч*> (iKiili N C !«.. ■■•Illnini Hu* Sliilc'/NovomlsM T'42