The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-11-25

A JUDGES CAMPAIGN EXPENSE.
n tbe midst OF the many
l;ttIe odds and ends that catch
the eye Of the laity among the
tented statements of campaign ez-
penses required to be filed, by those elect
ga. with the Secretary of State is a lit
tie odd end that winds UP the statement
Of his honor Associate Justice Walter A.
Montgomery.
II relates to an amount paid by me to
Richard Burgess to be used at speakngs
for the purpose Of disabusing the mind
of a person of an unjustifable prejudice
against me,-$5.0O"
That it was n shallow prejudice root
less and groundless as water~lily is
attested by the mere pour bore OF the
amount that was issued toward its dian
iation. Even then the end should have
been effected with less money. For
everybody that knows or that knows OF
Judge Montgomery is conscious
of the fact that there can ex-
list no prejudice against his good
name that should not be blown
away by the mere expenditure of cent
less breath. 1t should not be matter of
dollars. The existence of unjustihable
prejudice against such a man as Judge
Montgomery is its own strongest refuta-
ton. But all these reflections are merely
metaphysical from which let us rapidly
pass to the physical aspect of the case.
And under this division of the subject,
if your honors please, we rise to ask how
many speakings did Richard Burgess
attend. If two, then there was an aver
age allowance of $3.50 if three 81 ,666666
-ad ininitum;if four,just $1.25 each;if
FIVE 81 each. Let Richard Burgess stand
forth and say if he attended as many as
five speakings for the purpose of dis
abusing a person of an unjustifable pre-
judice against Justice Montgomery, at
an average of 100 the speaking.
And secondly under the physical diyi-
expenses Of said Burgess at each speak
any stock in the theory that
he could effectually disabuse on
an empty stomach. Then we have
two facts: he came, he ate. Taking the
cheapest dinner there is put down by any
man of those elected, namely the Senator
from the 2Sth district to-wit ID cents,
Richard found himself after dinner eve
want to be fair) with 50 cents. All this
is ON the basis that he walked to the
speaking, walked back and ate only one
meal at the minimum rate recorded by
all candidates, j. e., 10 cents.
Now then the subject being rid Of its
complexities, we have clear sailing. Rich
ard Burgess with the 50 cents tackles
his man FIVE separate times or if only
once (then Judge Montgomery would
not have put "speakings') $4S5; then it
must have been at least twice, in which
case 2 dinners 80 cents on the minimum
basis. would have left $4.10.
This $40 must, first have been used
all by Burgess, second all by the disa-
bused or in common by Burgess and the
disabused. If the first then the dis
abused received nothing, argument alone
having sufficed; if the second then Bur
CESS received righteous reward for his
gifts in argument say 1926, and the dis
abused necessarily the other $2.35; il the
third then the work of Burgess was the
work of love, the disabused receiving the
whole $4.70.
And here we find ourselves having cir
cled around after the fleet Jack
rabbit of theory back to our starting
point, namely that prejudice that can
be wiped out with $470 is not worth
wiping out, and for that matter there
can be no prejudice against Judge Mont
gomery that is worth wiping out.