oratory upon oratory;
then spake the
delegate from duplin
b;/ j. £. do roulhac liamillon
The North Carolina Democratic
Convention of 1880 was in session in
Raleigh. Two things made it notable.
The attendance was so large — about
three thousand — that the Hall of the
House which was scheduled for the
meeting-place could not hold it. and
the meeting had to be held outdoors
in Capitol Square. The other notable
thing was the platform. Contrary to
all precedent it consisted of one long
sentence. It was as follows:
“Resolved that the Democratic
party of North Carolina arc in favor
of an honest and economical admin¬
istration of the government. National
and State, under the Constitution and
laws of the United States and of the
State of North Carolina, and rely for
their success upon a free ballot, un¬
trammelled by military interference."
Come to think of it. another notable
feature of the Convention presents it¬
self — that of the nominating speeches.
There were three candidates for
governor, Thomas J. Jarvis, who had
succeeded Vance as governor when the
latter was elected to the United States
Senate, and was a candidate to suc¬
ceed himself, Judge Daniel G. Fowle.
and General Alfred M. Scales, but the
real contest was between the two first
named. Each had ardent admirers and
supporters, and each was confident of
receiving the nomination.
The call of roll of the counties be¬
gan, and while the vote was being
recorded, a chosen representative to
make a nomination would make a
nominating speech when his county
was called.
It is related that the following were
samples of these speeches:
THE STATE, AUGUST 1 1 . I9S6
When Bertie County was called, the
chairman of the delegation thundered
out:
“The great old county of Bertie
comes before this convention to cast
her vote solidly for her favorite son.
She desires, Sir, to cast her vote for
that gentleman, who. as a boy. earned
his own livelihood, that gentleman,
who at a matured age, by the sweat
of his brow, between the plow-handles
added materially to the support of his
family, that gentleman, who, when the
shrill clarion of war was sounded
throughout the Southland, leaped to
the front rank of his countrymen, and
today, as a consequence, carries his
arm limp at his side, that gentleman,
who, in the dark days of reconstruc¬
tion, stood almost single-handed and
alone against the enemies of the State,
that Christain gentleman, who is to¬
day recognized as one of the most pro¬
found scholars and eminent lawyers,
that gentleman, whose very name will
create enthusiasm throughout the
State, from where old Ocean hymns
his eternal song to where the great
god of day sinks behind the murky
outlines of the Blue Ridge. Need I say
that I refer to the Honorable Thomas J.
Jarvic of the county of Pitt?"
When Duplin County was called an
alcohol-laden delegate leaped to his
feet to begin an oration, but was
pulled down and suppressed.
When New Hanover was reached,
Duncan K. MacRarc said: "Mr. Presi¬
dent:
“The grand old county of New Han¬
over does not desire to cast her vote
for a plow boy, nor for an eminent
legal scholar, nor for a poet, nor for
a great soldier, nor for a man who
stood almost single-handed and alone
against the enemies of the State in the
dark days of reconstruction, but she
docs wish to cast her solid vote for that
horny-handed son of toil, the Honor¬
able Daniel G. Fowle. of the county
of Wake."
It was well known to practically
every member of the Convention that
the Honorable Daniel G. Fowle of the
county of Wake, had studiously
avoided manual labor all of his life,
and the appellation caught the car of
the bibulous delegate from Duplin,
who was instantly upon his feet, and
was recognized by the president be¬
fore he could be pulled down. He
shouted:
"Misscr Chairman: I've seen Dan
Fowle’s hand, and I desire to say that
there ain't a damned corn on it."
Unfortunately the speech nominat¬
ing Scales has not been recorded.
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