The news & observer., 1897-02-21
THE COVERT ASSAULT ON WILL
MINGTON'S AUTONOMY.

| In a news story which appeared in
yesterdays News and Observer, the
public were informed of the contents of
/ bill before the committee on Cities and
Towns to amend the charter OF the town
of Greenville.
| Secondly, it was informed Of the con-
tents of bill to amend the charter of
Wilmington.
The story, if we may Judge from our
reports this morning of the House pro-
ccedings, seems to have been the moving
cause of some excited speeches on the
part of some members who rose to ques-
tons of personal privilege
The remarks in the story above re
ferred to touching the proposed Green
vile charter, did not seem to cause any
comment. Touching that bill, be it said
that it was originally proposed, accord
| ing to the sections printed, to put the
town of Greenville under the control of
Police Board of three men, who, with
out submitting the matter to the people,
were empowered to issue bonds for mar
ket house, electric plant, water plant,
etc. A more iniquitous proposition was,
perhaps. never seriously put before civ
| ilized men. After the caustic comments
of AIessrs Walters, Cathey and Pagan,
| Mr.. Hancock succumbed by adding an
amendment giving the citizens of Green
Vile chance to say what money they
should spend and how it should be spent
Beyond this, we called attention to the
fact that Captain Walters informed the
committee that records of the Police
Department here would show that
Cheek, one of the proposed Board" had
been apprehended when he was II citi-
zen of Raleigh for shocking and i'm.
moral breach of the peace in the open
market-place-a act that cannot, per
haps, be even referred to with strict de-
cency in the public prints Was Mr..
Cheeks name removed? Instead of this,
the only criticism made was one by Mr..
Hancock, in the shape Of
a frivolous question to Mr..
Eddins, which question will be re-
membered by those who were present.
Aside from this disgusting pleasantly,
there was no seeming result from the
charge referred to by Captain Walters.
| But the Greenville charter seemed not
to have been referred to in the House
so let that go for the moment-with the
| comment that it received yesterday.
The story Of the Wilmington charter
| seems to have been the cause of griey
| ance, and the criticisms made together
with the men who made them, we will,
from our report. take up seriatim.
Mr.. Roberts pronounced false 1.-The
(alleged) charge made by the News and
Observer that his committee Cities and
Towns) had acted without a quorum"
The News and Observer made no such
| charge and for the sake of clearing up
| this point, let us reproduce here just
what we did say. Here it is:
"This bin passed it's first reading
and was on the calendar for sec
ond reading 1t was reported favor
ably from this same committee on
Cities and Towns. Capt. Walters
never heard of it until he saw it on
the calendar nor did any Democratic
member of the committee. Neither
Cathey, Pagan, Smith, Eddins, or
Walters, of the committee, ever saw
it until it was reported favorably.
| 1t seems nothing less than an Internal
imposture, and an unheard-Of one at
that-that the Governor of the State
should be appointing the board of
aldermen for any community of pe0-
pie who come together in the form of
a city.
1.-THE light should be turned on this
unsparingly, and whatever sneak
business may have been practiced,
should be boldly and mercilessly ex-
posed"
We made this statement upon the in
formation of Captain Walters, who yes
terday, staunch man that he is challeng-
ed, without avail, the accuracy of it in
the following language:
''Mr Walters said that he and the
statement had never read the charter
of Wilmington in question, repeated
III, that a bill to amend the charter
had been referred to the committee Of
which Mr.. Schulken was chairman;
that Mr. Schulken had turned this
over to him; that he was informed by
Mr. Sutton Of New Hanover that Gov
ernOr Russell wished to see the bill;
that he gave it TO Schulken to hagd
to the Governor; that last night Mr..
Sutton gave him typewriter copy
of the bill; that he had never before
read the bill; that Messrs. Pagan,
Cathey and the others had never read
it, ia
Later in the discussion, Mr.. Walters
said:
"No one had made any positive in
situations; that the only charge made
for which he was responsible, this be-
Il, I5.G GtoJ L.