The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-08-15
= xo,a ABOUT the Editor OF the
= r.,mer and Mechanic.

- aud WtlIe IL h9iilo IL Al Iodue
+. overlooked in the distribution of
masses. But to set OFF these, 1t has
1',l.sd and won the confidence OF the
Ill, of North Carolina. We think
l' i,an pledge Bro. Shotwell the almost
H.niu6us and non-partlsan support OF
a." ,a,nle OF Johnston county, IN his
ti With corruption in high places.
IT"Las done much. but the Augean
-. are not yet clean, let him persist
~. drht until the ring is broken up
and branch and its mansion sold.
No.. neople are with him, and next year
viii prove it.-Smithtield Herald,
peato-rattc.
Tbi. voluntary expression, which
after those in last weeks paper,
exceedingly kind and generous al
,h.1sh unfortunately altogether too
,.rrfal. and attributing to us far more
.,an we can accept. We must disclaim
snrpaSsiug our brethren in any direc-
.on 1t is simple truth that we have
,saIous desire to serve the Old North
s,ar4 and the South, to the utmost and
ri true that this zeal is .disinterest-
Cd No one who knows us personally
will doubt that we could long ago have
WON popularity, personal ease, greater
prosperity for our paper, and perhaps
p@ol.tical prominence, by simply drifting
with the tide,-dodging all doubtful is
sJr,.-.hutting eyes to the misdeeds OF
the rich and powerful. trucking to the
1N~. from Courthouse to State-House.
from Raleigh to Observation-Disclosures
loss OF the welfare of the masses. and
Indifferent 10 the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of
the states present and future interests.
The fact that we did not pursue this
,our>e,-nor ever try to gain any per-
soual profit from our fight for the peo-
ule.-is surely some evidence that we
were ''disinterested We have been
muthmi>represented. There are thous-
auis Of good people in the State who
were to,d,-and many OF them We're led
to believe,-that the Editor of the Far
mer mi Mechanic is ''disgruntied be-
caus. he couldn't get Office" whereas in
strict truth he never asked, sought. nor
in any way solicited any office, or official
favor in his life. There are positions
he would have been glad to get, not
only as a mark of public esteem but
also for other reasons not necessary to
state here. But he has never intrigued
for office. and never will. After work.
IN very hard for Gov. Nance's election,
the writer made Z point of not
gong near the capitol after the cleo
ton. although often cordially urged
bv the Governor. who was a personal
friend. At the last State Convention
the Editors name was presented for the
office of Auditor-General, and received n
very large vote; but he did not ask anv
one to vote for him nor did he 60 near the
convention, nor 60 anywhere. except to
bed,-and it was an agreeable surprise
to learn e. morning that Messrs.
Green (of Durham), Cooke of Franklin.
Fuller, Snow, and perhaps others, had
mai kindly speeches in his favor.
: III regard to the Agricultural De-
parJuent.-many persons have been
told that our structures on the Depart
meut a few years ago, were the growls
u q man who had been denied the ia
vo.~ OF the Department, whereas our
files viii show, and our older subscri-
hers kuoY.-that we began those criti-
cislls while in the full enjoyment of
every benefit the Dept. could bcstow.
W. were its regular organ" its agents
were our agents, and we held it bound
Jy I formal Legal contract, to do
everything in its power to advertise,
circulate, and support the Farmer and
4.r5Guic." and to give six months
notice of II withdrawal of the contract.
What more could we want, All We
had 10 do was simply to shut our eyes,
and praise the Department, the Cover
nor. and the rest, But we saw that
the department WAS not doing the good
which it was created to do, and we
spOhe plainly on the subject. Most oil
oar Complaints were based upon state.
memts direct from the Department,-by
persons who knew the inside facts,
Time has shown that the Farmer ana
-g-,FaHic was right. The last Legisla'
ture recognised it, and r~eorganized the
Dept. i'm a measure. Yet we were MOI
then. nor now, an Enemy of the De
p.r,sueut." any more than we are al
enemy of the Railroads. No Southern
Editor has more earnestly and persist
emily advocated the building OF Rail
roads nor insisted more impartial,
upon giving them all their just dues
rights and privileges. The amount o
iree Advertising for the State roads w
have done duriRg the past dozen year
would paw for a pass for twent.
Years to come. All that we have eve
Denounced in Railroad matters wa
Political Railroadery,' lobby methods
and the packing OF conventions.
In all these things we tried to d
rigbt. and we believe we did right, AM
did good. Time usually shows tn
truth Recently we have had three 0
four renewals by gentlemen who ha
stopped their subscription to the Fa,
m-r and Mechanic during the past tire
wears. One said thought you wer
cranky in opposing the Garfield gush,-
but since recent developments bellev
lie was a d~emagogue and a selfish schenI
er as YOU called nin." Another subscrl
--+,ap+ WaEa rnuuty farmer