The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-04-27
MACHINE NEWSPAPERS.
A BIT OF HISTORIAN INDEPENDENT
DAILY NEEDED
How the People are Deceived by the Ring
Organs.
Correspondence to The Caucasian

Correspondence To The Caucasian
RALEIGH, April II.
The attempted consolidation Of
the News & Observer and the State
Chronicle suggests brief history of
newspaper consolidation and Ring
combinations at the State Capitol.
Not to go further, the consolidation
Of the News and Observer was the re-
suit of a shameful political combina-
tlon. Vance was Governor and was
a candidate for the United States
Senate against Senator Merrimon.
The Raleigh News was State
Printer and was Vance's organ. He
dictated its policy and wrote many
of its editorials ridiculing Merri-
mon as a Senator and denouncing
him as tool of Swepson. Hale &
Sanders, two experienced newspaper
men and politicians, started the OBJ
server as a Merrimon man paper.
They We're poor and had no means.
Vance wrote and said that Swepson
furnished the money, but people in
Fayetteville and Wilmington know
that he did not furnish the entire
capital. A leading feature Of the
paper was its extensive correspond
ency from every nook and corner of
the State showing formidable oppo-
sition to Vance's candidacy. At this
he became alarmed, and however
clear it was to everybody else that
these letters from ''the dear people,
were manufactured in the law offices
of Merrimon, Fuller and Ashe, Vance
would not believe it. SO deal was
made. Vance repudiated his organ
and the Observer got the public
printing. This was done too in the
face Of proposition from the News
to do the work 25 per cent cheaper
than the old contract price. The
Observer got the job at the old con-
tract price, swallowed the News at
one gulp, and thus the consolidation
was effected. 1t was just worth a
bonus of $1,000 to Hale & Saunders
and cost the people several times
that amount.
The Chronicle was started by Dan
iels to work the Alliance. He de-
ceived Polk by his smooth talk and
got what he went into to get-the
State printing. He was scored and
hated by Democrats all over the State,
who believed that he had formed
co-partnership with Polk to destroy
the Democratic party. He hobnobed
with Polk on all occasions and went
with him to Atlanta when he cap
tured Hoke Smith. who was playing
the same game with the Alliance in
Georgia. Not very long ago did all
this happen, so that when Smith was
made Secretary of the Interior-as
soon as the telegraph flashed the
news to Raleigh-Daniels was on
his way to Atlanta. Smith was will
ling but wanted some Democratic en-
dorsement. To secure that was one
of the hard things of his preca rious
career. Vance positively refused to
endorse him, but importantly and
promises finally caused him to yield,
and Daniels is now the appointment
clerk Of the Interior Department.
Well, Daniels got his bonus out of
the State printing. The News-Ob-
server offered to take the printing
at greatly reduced price, but it
would not work. Believing that the
next legislature would cut the price
Daniels sold the Chronicle to Tom
Holt & Co. who formerly owned the
News before its consolidation with
the Observer. Holt wanted to be
Governor and wanted an organ with
exactly the start that Daniels ha6
given the Chronicle. He paid g
good round price for it-$S,O 900
About 81 800 of this amount remain.
unpaid, and is not due for a yea1
hence. The paper sunk money stead
lily up to the State convention, wher
the failure to nominate Holt mean
its certain collapse. With Holt de
feated its mission was ended.
was then that its editor Mr.. Jernigau
put some of his own means in thu
concern and kept it afloat until its re
cent suspension. 1t has not consolida
ted with the Observer for the reason
that consolidation is inhibited under
the contract with Daniels. 1t mus
be sold and unless purchased by tn,
Observers stockholders it will b,
suspended indefinitely or will be prin
ed,independently of the News-Observ
er. The News-Observer is supposed t.
represent the Bourbon element il
the State and belongs to julie Carr
Rufus Tucker and two or three othe,
monied men. 1t will be apt to shov
its hand in the coming Senatoria
contest in this State between Jarvis
Carr, Pruden and Ransom. 1t il
the common talk here that this com
bination will defeat Ransom, as tn,
| caucus nominee of the Democrat,
j party.
| When the facts are known to th,
people they will know how little re
lance to place upon the Raleigh or
gans. They make or destroy a.
suits the selfshness, bigotry, person
al aggrandisement and political as
pirations of their owners and ma
nipulators. If somebody with brains
and courage would start an indie
| pendent newspaper here which would
tell the truth and not suppress it, i
would sweep the decks, and suppl,
a long-felt want. Will tell yor
about my talk that l am going tc
| have with ClevIand in my next let
ter.
ONE OF THE PEOPLE
!. HONEST MEN" READ.
!,