The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-04-25
RejoInder TO the Daily Ne~s-Oo
servers Figuring OF
Figures"

ssFirures,r-says the adage,-"do
not lie" This seems to depend upon
who has the handling of them. Ger
tainly they a be twisted to miscoior
the truth. and to squint in the d.
rection of error. As was remarked by
one of our legal friends recently, IN a
very different connection, any lawyer
with "a turn for figures. could easily
foot them up TO suit any side of a ques-
ton: or both sides.-if employed so
to do.
The Editor Of the Farmer and No
chaaic. being neither Il lawyer, nor a
cutter of figures. on paper, or otherwise
is content in dealing with PUBLIC ques-
lions to take his stand on the simple
platform of fact, principle. and common
sense. The present controversy arose
upon the OJserrer', rebuke to certain
Democratic papers for allowing them
selves to be betrayed into the belief
that such a thing could possibly be,'-as
that the Governors Palace, when III
nally finished, furnished, and furblsh-
d,'-should largely exceed the original
estimate. As we were named as chief
offender. we answered that such were the
lessons of history.-that such would be
the case if we may judge the Future by
the Past; inasmuch rs that none OF
- S,o.o IntllTp.,c StatA Railroads
State canals, etc, etc, failed to far ex-
coed the original estimates, ere finally
finished. This We repeat, and the facts
are with US. Of course it is easy for an
adroit attorney to pick n or two out
of a dozen illustrations. and foot up the
figures to suit himself especially where
there has beer no final settlement to
show the exact cost or he may pounce
upon some tritling error and with much
cackle, proclaim-"Aha! Your figures
are wrong! Here are tro cents on the
other side Of the column :"
The Ncics-O Lserrcr. after critically
casting "a crickcts eve" owe our illus
trations (of the w~ell-known rule that
public buildings almost invariably cost
more thai was promised by thrr Fp-
iectors.) -selects the State peniten:.iry
and the Western Insane Asylum Tor
cackliny purposes, as aforesaid. a to
the first it admits that the truc figures
are hard to get but it introduces with
much flourish Alfred Dockery's estimate
in 1879. just so! But the reader Will
remember that Dockery made his report
eleren years after the cork was begun!
The first issue of bonds to build a peni-
Tertiary was $4,000 in 1868. Every
body remembers how the old Sentinel
(edited by Rev. w. E. Pell and Maj.
Seaton Gales,) and in fact the whole
Democratic party, howled over the in
crease of cost, the purchase of ''Kildee
Lassiter lands" the purchase of the
HEX, L. p. Bayne s. Co." Lockville
property, etc., ETC.! Very likely Dock
cry talked of 5000, 900 in 1S79-ten
years after the State had gotten her foot
into the trap. 1t is a lesson of history.
So in regard to the Western Asylum.
The original suggestions were moderate
enough: running from sl50,0OO to $780,
900. If anybody had proposed to build
a S4UO, 900 structure at the start. he would
nave been hooted at. But very soon the
figures grew in size, as is customary. 1t
was decided t. locate tie Institution at
Morganton. on lands belonging to Col.
5. Mcdowell Tate, Maj. Jas. w. Will
son. and others. Sam. Sloan, of Phila-
dclphia, was employed to draft a plan.
He sketched a perfect palace. He is
the same (Pennsylvania) architect enl-
ployed to plan the new Governors Pal
ace which is to ornament a wealthy sec
ton of Raleigh. Sloan made a written
report putting the cost OF the Asylum
at-''from 1915 to $500. 000." His clos
ing words were-"Th.re need be no
apprehension that the cost will exceed
the sum named"
Bricklaying began in 1876; and the
Building Committee in 1877. 70 mally
assured the Governor that the total cost.
as set forth by the architect would mot
exceed 10000"
Now, as is well known. the cost large
~ exceeded that, and the editice is only
partly flushed. The Obserrer admits
to s265,00 already spent. and thinks
so 600 more will finish it. But, as in
the case of the Governors Palace that
paper omits the cost of the large force
of convicts. bricks. freights, grounds,
etc.,-much of which is yet unaudited.
We have been assured by gentlemen
well ycrsed in public matters that all of
our figures were underestimate. rather
than eXaggerations.
We have not a doubt that time will
prove our estimate of the total cost of
the Governors Palace to be very near
the marx; unless. indeed, the influence
of public opinion make itself felt. If
the latter be the ease, the work of the
Farmer and Mechanic will once more
have done a service to the State.
No Republican ever doubted our
Democracy, and no Democrat has Lad
reasonable ground to challenge it. Two
years ago certain persons,-(of the
"toady" class, always to be found
around a Governor seeking to win his
smiles, and the crumbs of official favor.
by assailing those whom he dislikes.)-
stopped their subscriptions to the Far
mer and Mechanic on the pretence that