The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-10

Russell's War on the Southern Railway.
In Conference With Senator Butier Who
Advises the Attack ON the Two Railway
Commissioners-Afraid OF the Whites
S0lidifytng.

Advises the Attack ON the Two Railway
Commiasioners-Afraid of the Whites
Solidifying.
The Raleigh correspondent OF the Wash.
! ington Post says in the issue OF that pa
| per OF the 9Th. after speaking OF the case
| of Russell against the railroad commits
! sioners:
| II is current talk on the streets tina,
| this action OF the governor IS the direc,
| result Of a conference and understanding
had with Senator Marion Butler when ne
was in Raleigh a few days ago. There
! appeared al that time a mild attack In
the Caucasian. Senate Buffers paper. on
! Commissioned :. Otto Wilson. because lie
failed to vote for n reduction OF paSsen-
ger fares. IL is further stated. on what
appears to be the best OF authority. that
Senator Butler. at the conference with
Governor Russell. said that the appoint
ment OF so many negro postnasters.
school committeeman. and magistrates.
and the general attitude OF the negroes
since the state passi out OF the hands Of
the democrats in 1894. had given the demo
Gratis the opportunity they desire 10 wage
a campaign mex year on the color line
and attempt TO rally the white people
under the banner OF the white mans
party.
He is further quoted as saying that IL
was absolutely necessary to the continued
defeat OF democracy that attention
should be called to the lease Of the North
Carolina railroad to the Southern for
ninety-nine years. and for the reduction
OF passenger fares and freight rates. for
the avowed purpose OF diverting the
minds of the people from the
The best way to do this. he believed.
was for the governor TO attack the two
commissioners as he has done. 1t is also
currently talked hat Associate Justice
Walter Clark, OF the supreme court has
been the. trusted adviser of the governor
in these proceedings. both as TO the fact
and law.
1t is statd that Justice Clark declared
that If he was governor he would sus-
pend both of the Wilson commissioners.
Messrs. Day and McRae. the retained at
torneys of the governor. are said TO have
advised Governor Russell that he had the
legal right to suspend the commissioners.
Mr.. j. c. l.. Harris. the attorney OF ).
Ohio Wilson, says he has no doubt that
Governor Russell will suspend both of the
Wilson's. Mr.. Harris is a close friend OF
Governor Russell, and he knows the gov
ernor thoroughly. He does not believe the
governor would have commenced proceed
ihgs If he had not been convinced that he
had the power to suspend and that the
facts justified suspension.
Already ii is positively known that the
governor intends to appoint Mr.. John
Graham, of Littleton, N. c., and president
of the State Farmers Alliance, to succeed
S. Ohio Wilson. For the other place
there are a number of persons mentioned.
The most hostile man in the state to rail-
road corporations is Judge Walter Clark,
of the supreme court. He is now making
considerable money with his pen, and IL
is said by persons who profess to know
that he is ready to accept one Of the
commissionerships, although the salary Is
$3.50 less than that of supreme court Judge
If lS reasoned that Clark a G nnrnv Scinn
err, will be in the direct line to be nomi-
mated for governor in 1900 by the anti
railroad forces.
CANDIDATES ALREADY NAMED.
Messrs. V. S. Lusk. of Buncombe; DIR.
]. ]. Mott. of Statesville; J.. c. L. Harris,
of Raleigh, and others are mentioned for
the other commissioning. 1t is not be-
lieved hat Harris is being considered for
the place. He Is too near to Colonel A. y.
Andrews, of the Southern railway. and is
If Governor Russell does suspend the
Wilson's they will refuse to surrender
their offices. DIR. Abbott, the other COM
missioner, will refuse to recognize the ap-
pOintee OF the governor, and will act
with the Wilson's. This will force the ap-
p%Ointees of the governor to bring quo
warranto against the Wilson's to try the
title to the office.
sion this can be had during the next term
of the supreme court, which meets on
the last Monday Of this month. 1t Is
known that the Wilson's will not put any
obstacle in the way of a speedy determi-
nation of the question. and the court is
required by statute to advance the cause.
1t is more than probable that DR.. Alb
bolt will find himself Suspended for acting
with the Wilson's and in refusing to
recognize the a%ppointees of the governor.
1t is known that Senator Butler and
Governor Russell are seeking to organize
a new party in the state. Governor Rus
"a does n Coo opN ohn n Fo~ M 0~4
ton next year between the populists and
rpublicans. because these parties will be
Numerically opposed ON the lease Ques-
ton.
POPULISTS WILL OPPOSE LEASE.
The populist party will be intensely
hostile to the lease. while the democratic
state convention will be captured by Col
onel Andrews. and will say nothing. The
republican state convention, under the
leadership of Senator Pritchard and the
federal ofice-holders, will declare for the
lease. In this view Butler and Russell
expect a sufficient bolt from both the Did
parties to the populist, or anti-railroad
party. to give this party a clear majority
Of the votes, thus carrying the state on
the popular vote and electing a majority
Of both houses Of the legislature.
This result would get rid of the fusion
of republicans n populists by organic
and Butler control of the state and make
a cipher Of Pritchard and emasculate. the
democrats. Butler would succeed himself
in the United States senate and Russell
would succeed Pritchard.
1t is we'll known that Governor Russell
now has no love for Senator Pritchard.
During the senatorial struggle Pritchard
and Russell agreed upon the various per-
sons who were to be appointed to federal
positions by Pritchard, and to state posi-
tons by Russell, each of the appointees
to be the friend of the appointing power.
Pritchard knows that Russell was i'm
pOrtuned to turn and rend Pritchard and
prevent his reelection on the ground that
If he did not do so Pritchard would
lid Andrews and defeat RusselIs fight to
annul the lease of the North Carolina
railroad to the Southern.