State

May 12, 1934 THE STATE Page Nineteen No. 31 Itc&innUl Lee Harris LEGISLATIVE PERSONALITIES THERE can be but little or no doubt that the news that Regi¬ nald Leo Harris is running for re-election to the House from Person County is interesting to all North Carolinians interested in seeing their state become a better place in which to live and have their being. Those of us who know Reginald Harris know him to be a man who strives to do what his conscience tells him to do. Not every legislator, I should say, follows the dictates of his conscience; not every one lets his eyes sweep the slate as a whole when con¬ troversial questions arise to plague the members both in Raleigh ami hack home, but having observed Reginald Harris for four consecutive sessions I here and now state I do not think I have ever seen a less selfish man in the North Carolina General Assembly than the serious-minded Mr. Harris. A broad statement, to be sure, but I'll stick by it because I know and like “Reg" Harris. As Speaker of the 19.13 House Mr. Harris had a job that served to try his very patience and soul, but he stuck to the task which the united Democrats had handed him and by his work in handling the members he stamped himself as one of the best Speakers any session of the North Carolina House of Representatives has had in many years. Never will I be able to forget, 1 am quite sure, the day that Mr. Harris was formally elected Speaker of the House. The previous night — it was in January, 1933, before John C. B. Ehr- inghaus was ever inaugurated as Gov¬ ernor -the Democrats had united 100 |ht cent behind Mr. Harris for the Speakership and as there were less than two-thirds of a dozen Republi¬ cans in the House that meant the Per¬ son member would, of course, be the Speaker. By the time the Democrats had gathered in caucus strange rumb¬ lings from the far west to the effect that Ashe's incomparable Mr. T. Contee Bowie, a past Speaker, and Buncombe’s elderly and handsomely goateed Mr. Julius Martin would con¬ test Mr. Harris for the speakership were no longer bung heard. They had come, they had seen, but they had heard no call for them to serve as Speaker. But to get back to the day that "REG" HARRIS Reginald Lee Harris ascended to the Speaker's dais to take the oath to dis¬ charge the duties of a position that is, indeed, a powerful one in the legisla¬ tive branch of the state government. We who sat at the press table to chronicle the election of another Speaker noticed and com men ted among ourselves over the fact that the corners of Mr. Harris’ mouth were twitching as he slowly approached the Speaker’s dais. He took the oath ami as he sought to express his thanks to his fel¬ low members for the honor conferred upon him he did what few men have done on the Hoor of the last four ses¬ sions of the General Assembly. His voice refused to function for him. He gul|>ed once or twice in an effort to regain his composure, lie failed and in plain view of the assem¬ bled members he gave vent to his feel¬ ings by crying. There lie stood in full view of the members giving vent to his emotions. One could almost hear a pin full as the House’s No. 1 man stood there crying inwardly. Suffice to say, he quickly recovered his com¬ posure und in a few simple words ex¬ pressed his gratitude. When he had concluded the members gave him a rousing ovation in which the assem¬ bled spectators also joined. It was a rare tribute to a man unashamed to express his feelings. I believe that gives you a good picture of the type of man Reginald Harris is. I know he is no actor. I By Wade II. Lucas know he is regarded as a successful textile executive and I believe he could not have stood before the assembled legislators that day and cried unlcs- overcome by emotion; any more than the Sphinx could have done. There was no “put on’’ that day bv an ad¬ mittedly strong man in North Caro¬ lina legislative halls. Suffice to say he made a g«md Speak¬ er. Two or three members, it is true, apparently suffering from pinching shoes, arose during the session to ac¬ cuse “Reg” Harris of hamstringing them legislatively, but they were not the type of legislators who are remem¬ bered as the years come and go. Speak¬ er Harris' committee selections might have been improved upon, but F hard¬ ly think so. No Speaker ever hears universal praise of his committee se¬ lections, but there was a minimum of criticism of the arduous job the Per¬ son County man hud «lone. Then* was the day a certain mem¬ ber from one of the hnrd-hit eastern counties imagined he had seen the hand of Sinister J. Influence encircled about tin* throat of what the Eastern¬ ers once called “the prostrate East.” He anise to cast aspersions upon his fellow memliers as a whole. Sjieaker Harris left the chair to take the floor to refute the implications made, und the man who had in anger sought un¬ intentionally, 1 am sure, to create tin* impression the House had been bought ami paid for, arose to make humble apology after the Speaker hud done with a speech that was a gem. It is seldom that a man after be has been elected Speaker will seek re-elec¬ tion to the next succeeding session of the body over which be had wielded the gavel. I like to believe that if Per¬ son sends Mr. Harris back for a fifth term not only Person but the other 99 counties as well will realize divi¬ dends therefrom. State-minded legis¬ lators ure none too plentiful in the General Assembly, but I think I can truthfully say Reginald Lee Harris is of that breed. Mr. Harris has served his State not only on its Advisory Budget Commis¬ sion, but on the old State Educational Commission as well. That commission did u rather splendid piece of work in clearing the way five and six years ago for the foundation of the State’s present school system.