The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-02
The Railroad &C.

Concerning the Governor Palace -
tie remains TO be said. The people "re
almost of one mind in disaplroval 81
the project at this time but tie ""EN
goes on all the same; the Phlladelplli
architect has drawn elaborate plans Tor
a three story edifice, of imposing front /;
th- Railroaders are surveying the OLD
palace grounds which they expect 10
occupy as soon as the Deputy removes
10 the more stylish New Palace /:
Messrs. Fray 81 Morson, Principals OF
the City Academy, are looking for ne"
quarters the parents of COO children in
| the Graded school are wondering if the
gain OF a palace will necessitate 100000
taxes to build a school house; and tic
ReI ublicans are rubbing their hands
over the fine text for defamation they
will have next year.
Relative to the Ner,- O6Se"rer's part
inc paragraph. VIC deem It proper 10 ex-
press our surprise that the editor OF that
paper. hould have INDUCED II With
much rhetorical flourish. he parades our
reference to Alfred Dockery's report on
the Penitentiary in lo19,"-and then
nounc with a lofty air-"Dockery
died in 1873. From this you al see
the inaccUracy of the Farmer and We
CHANCES figures"
Now. would any u suppose, after
all this effort to make a point" on US,
that the figures aforesaid actually came
from the Neu.- OJserrer's own state
ment: Any one who chooses to refer to
that papers editorial. on April 81, will
fni this paragraph prominently set
forth:
The chairman of the Penitentiary
Board. Alfred Dockery, says, in Doe
..ument Is, session of lS19-that the
commissioners are satisfied the Peni-
Tertiary can be built for much less than
was supposed"
This statement was never corrected,
and we last week accepted it for fact
not dreaming that the critical NerS-
Observer, which is understood to pride
ITSELF on figures ETC.. would make
SO broad an error and leave il T.
ed,-particularly while repeatedly le,
turing the Farmer and Mechdaic on N
accuracie.. The editor of the N.-D. .
a lawyer, and the law says no mar Ia
take a~dvantaye Of his otcn ,or ny.'
much less should an editor take advail.
tage of a brother editor to complain q
inaccuracy when the latter simply az.
cepted his own statement.
The Editor of the Farmer anil NJ
chanic is not a lawyer, and. like many &
greater man, has no special tern fol
figures" But he endeavors to state
the truth, fairly and squarely /; and Ii,
man can say that he ever failed to d,
so. 1t is best, of course. to be ~strictl,
accurate, even TO the precise dollar, day
and hour,-where there Is any dispute
as to facts. But in the present case tn,
facts are too broad and undisputed foI
any such p%articularity. It is an OLE
trick OF the casuists to cloud a suojGc
with such an array of figures and sta
tistics as to mystify the common obser
yer. Scripture tells of some ancien
characters who were very particular
about the tithes of mint. anise-seed
and cummin; but neglected. OF tn.
weightier matters uf the law. Tit
poet describes a class ii
sWord-catchers, that live on syl.bles:
"Comma's, and points, thrs act rts,ty risht;
LAS tho 'twere a sin to rob hem ~ heir might !,
The Farmer und .Kcchanic endeavor.
to speak plainly, correctly, and for til,
good of the public-tllc whole State
the South. Sometimes we make mis-
take. sometimes are misled; SOM
times are unjustly accused. But GU
us for a round dozen years. VIII ADM
that in all of our controversies we wer,
on the side {. the people. and that tim,
in the end justified our view.
Scores of men have told us-'W,
used to think you were wrong and p c
JUDGED about the Ring" the "Agri
cultural Dept the Fish, the w. j
Best trick to capture the w. y. G.. II
r., the Syndicate, etc. But time ha
opened u eyes We replied that mel
living at the capital have better oppor
tunity to see the secret and seltisl
: springs of public action than men at
|, distance.