The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-08-27

ence With Marion Butler Chairman
Wilson and OthO Wilson Ordered BE.
fore the Governor TO Show Cause They
Should not be Depose
Especial to The Messenger.)
Raleigh, N. c., August 25.-Two
weeks ago in Senator Buffers room
here he and Governor Russell had a
long conference, as was stated in this
:. correspondence. The result of that
conference is made public today. To-
day Russell sent to Chairman James
w. Wilson and to Otho Wilson, Of the
railway commission, letters in which
they are notified to show cause in
writing on or before September 1st why
they should not be suspended from Of
flee. They are further notified to be
present at the executive office that day
in person or by counsel The letter to
each is long. That to Chairman Will
son says that many persons make alle-
cations that he is joint owner, with
A. b. Andrews, first vice president
and general political manager of the
Southern railway for North Carolina"
of the hotel at Round Knob; that this
property is worthless as a hotel, save
when designated and patronized by
the Southern railway as an eating
house for passenger trains; that for
several years it was unused; that some
agreement has been secured from the
Southern railway to abandon other
eating houses and designate Round
Knob as the eating house. that by vir-
tue of such agreement Wilson has been
able to lease the hotel to Otho Wilson,
or to his mother through him, for Otho
Wilson's profit; that Major Wilson has
a son in the employ of the railway at
MorgantOn, appointed at his request.
The governor says if those charges be
true as to which he says he expressed
no opinion, then the questions to be
determined are: First, whether Major
Wilson has acquired any interest in
any way in such railway company in
violation of law, and, second, whether
he has become disqualified to act as
a fair judge or commissioner.
The letter to Otho Wilson says many
allegations have. been made that the
HOlel dl ItOu1lu hIlOD Is JOlUtly OWuGQ
by j. w. Wilson and A. B. Andrews,
said Andrews being, as the governor
puts it, first vice president of the
Southern railway and it's active and
general political manager for this
state;' that Otho Wilson either in his
own name or that of his mother leas-
ed the property from Wilson and An
house, and occupied it in May or June;
that before such rental of this property
the railway company maintained eat
ing houses at Asheville and Hickory,
but promptly closed them and stopped
eastern and western trains at Round
Knob. Then the governor says that if
the material substance of these allie
cations be true the questions to be de-
termined are as follows: First have
you not become agent or emp1oye of
said railway in violation of law; Sec
ond, have you acquired any interest in
any way in such company in violation
of law; third, have you become dis
qualified to act as a fair and impartial
judge or commissioner.
The governor says in both letters that
the act of 1891 creating the commission
makes it his duty to suspend from Of
flee any railway commissioner who
shall be the holder Of any stock or
bond of any railway company, or, be
agent or emplOye of any such compa-
ny, or in case any one of them shall be
disqualified to act. He also says in his
letter TO both that under the law the
governor not only has the right, but is
required to suspend 4 railway commits
sioner who commits a breach of the
statute above cited and the governor
may do this as in case of other execu-
tive removals without notice to the
person interested, but he says he will
not decide this matter until there is
full opportunity to be heard by way of
denial or explanation or Justification or
. other defence"
Senator Butler publishes these let
ters in his paper and writes an edito-
rial, of course endorsing what the
governor has done. He says: There
are also statements Of other obliga-
N tions. These commissioners have plac-
-ed themselves s1nder the railways
\ whose rates they should have been un-
trameled in fixing, not only by riding
& on free passes themselves, but by So
1icitng and using free passes for men,
bers of their families. by having their
areight hauled either free or at reduced
rates and one by having his son "a
minor) employed by the railway COM
pany and promoted out Of his order
over the lads Of others" Senator But
Ter goes on f., say: There are other al
legations which, if true, render them
unfit to act i'm partially in matters OF
great Importance to the public. The