The news & observer., 1897-02-13
,swtNsoN SERVES HIS PAPERS
REYNOLDS Makes impeachment hreats
and Crashes His Teeth and Orders
Locks Picked But Finally
Comes to His Senses.

There were other developments in the
Swinson matter yesterday. Having pass
ed a bin to get rid of Mr.. iSwinson, there
was no legal way to bet the bill abolishing
Mr.. Swinson ratified until next Monday.
This troubled the revolutionists and ne
grophilists for time, but not for long.
They had s1nelt blood and were ready
for ANYTHING. They waited until Mr..
Swinson had locked his office and gone
out for a few moments, and then they
sent a lock-smith, picked the door and
entered his Office. On returning to the
Office and finding that this lock picking
had been going on, Mr.. Swinson stepped
M to Lit. Governor Reynolds and pre-
scented the following letter
81 respectfully decline to surrender the
office of Enrolling Clerk of the Gem
eral Assembly of North Carolina TO
which I have been elected, duly sworn
and inducted into, and have vested
right to, on the ground that no legislative
body has the right to abolish an of
fee for the sole purpose Of vestmg an In
cumbent
an the second place | respectfully de-
cline to surrender or turn over the pa
pers and records of said office, as there
is and cam be no successor during my
continuance in Office and no one who
is legally authorized to give me valid
receipt for such records and papers.
A. L. SWINSON,
Enrolling Clerk.
'srhis, Feb. II, 1897"
Not only did the revolutionists pick
the lock. but one of Mr.. Swinson's Re-
publican assistants, A. G. Lehman, went
into the Office in his absence, enrolled
the bin. and then carried it to the Speak
er and Lieutenant Governor for ratifca-
ton. When Mr.. Swinson learned Of this
insubordination, he dismissed Lehman,
sending him this letter:
Raleigh, N. c., Feb. u.
MIR. A. G. Ilehman, Assistant Clerk,
Sir: You are hereby notified that you
are discharged from service and forbid
den access to this Office, for misconduct
and assuming unwarranted authority in
this office by reeeipting for bills to Chief
Clerk OF the Senate, without my author
ity and endeayoring to have same enroll
ed and ratified, in same way.
This Feb. II, 1897.
A. L. SWINSON,
Enrolling Clerk.
Mr.. Fl. E. King, Chief Clerk Of Senate:
This is to certify that the above has
been delivered to A. G. Lehman, and
you are directed to strike him off pay
roll of this Office,
Feb II, 1897.
A. T.. SWINSON,
Enrolling Clerk
Mr.. Swinson also protested in person
against what he termed the vandalism
of the lock-smith who was picking the
lock of his private desk drawer which
he was endeavoring to do. Lieutenant
Governor Reynolds replied that in pick
ing the lock and entering the room, they
were acting under the orders Of the At
torney General, and that they would get
into his private drawer if they had to
take a pick and pick the desk to pieces
and hold Swinson for the desk. The
lieutenant Governor also told Mr.. Swim
son if he did not stop fooling with this
Legislature, who would not tritie with
him much more, that they would
impeach him, and it would not take them
but about twenty minutes to do IT, and
then he could never hold office i'm the
State any more.
Mr.. Swinson protested against this
high handed procedure and left the build
ing. He still carries the key TO the desk
that contains number Of bills that have
passed both houses, and been recelpted
for by him 1t also contains all receipts
from Secretary of State for all ratified
bills After Mr.. Swinson protested a.
gainst having the lock of the desk pick
ed, the Lieutenant Governor said 20 the
lock-smith: Better stop. We wall ap-
ply to the court and make Swinson
give up the keys"
These proceedings, this revolutionary
business, all this scandal grew SOLELY
OUT OF SWINSON'S REFUSAL TO
APPOINT TWO NEGRO CLERKS.
1t is fair sample of the Reforms be-
ing dealt out at the expense of the peo-
pie OF the State by the Republican bri-
gade led by the Lieutenant Governor,
and Hileman, following as a close sec
ond with the boiling Populists who vot-
ed in the House last Saturday to down
Swinson WITHOUT A HEARING OR
AN INVESTIGATION. Again on
Monday night last, because they antici-