The Caucasian., 1897-05-27
GOV RUSSELL 70 A. GoIYoa

| GOV RUSSELL 70 A. teIYoa
TIE stsss Ssss.u.s Oi.ss TIE S.s.rs
) pss ns. s~s.. t.f---ss,.s sA..
re hs.svsvss As-rs a--
some weeks ago the North Caro-
lima Christian Advocate CON nn.p,. 4
on the ''ga year lease" IN sueh q
manner as 10 indicate that that pa
PEI leaned TO the position of ,hs
Southern k.ll~sy Gu the lease a ae.
ton. Governor Russell sav the
comment and then wrote sae editor
q letter with \ Q, a aest that ac would
publish II. Nothing Vas heard from
the editor for some days. After 6
lapse OF time be uAs asked about ,as
Governors letter. HIS reply. in sub
stance. vas that II had not been pub
hshed because Il WAS not tho pol
icy Of the paper 10 deal with such
matters rs the letter referred TO.
This Was . peculiar reply-a reply
OF course which the editor OF
the Advocate had a perfect right 10
make-but nevertheless peculiar,
for the paper assumed the right TO
deal with such matters" when II
ADVOCATED THE CLAIMS OF . big mo-
nopoly, but could not assume that
right when . presentation OF facts
uSfAvoRAELE To the monopoly wAs
involved. The Governors letter Was
as follows:
RALEIGH. March. -. 1897.
To the Editor OF the North Carolina
Christian Advocate, Greensboro.
\. c.,
DEAR SiR:-When q paper like
yours, representing . high moral
standard takes a position agAius,
the material interests of the State
and puts its opposition on moral
grounds, | am disposed TO ask that
you listen to a reply in behalf Of the
people Of the State. The substance
of your contention is that the State
like an individual, owns most OF the
North Carolina Railroad and that
the State leased il to the Southern,
and having done SO it has no right
now to say that it has made q bad
bargain and seek 10 annul the con
tract.
| Please bear in mind that the State
did not make any contract with the
southern Railroad; the contract OF
the lease was made by the North
Carolina Railroad Company. But
it is true that the State stock Was
voted for the lease. The State can
ouly act through agents. Now the
State contends that its agents and
:1c Southern were guilty of FRAUn
In this transa..iv.. a.. i's s:ec's
acted negligently and wantonly IN
performing their trust, that they
permitted them selves to be grossly
imposed upon by misrepresentation
aud false pretenses OF the Southern
Railroad Company; that they made
because 1t was not authorized By
THEIR PRINCIPAL, the State; tha,
they exceeded the delegation OF pow
er intrusted to them by their prin.
cipal, the State and made an alien
alton OF its property without its au
thority. Now, all that the State
asks is that it shall be permitted "a
make these allegations in its owr
courts and to join an issue with the
Southern Railroad Company to b.
tried and det rmined just like ANY
ordinary controversy between ordi
} nary persons. This is all that tn,
State is asking and this is Just wba
J the Southern Railroad Company il
trying to prevent.
l Now, will you please put yourself
in the position Of the State. Suppofs
yourself 10 be the owner Of q piec,
OF property and that You had dele
gated to an agent authority to man
age it, but no authority to sell IL; and
that without your authority thii
agent does sell il and sells il So
cretly, and keeps of bidders and il
guilty Of questionable and apparent
ly fraudulent conduct in making tn.
sale and ntgligently suffers himsel
to be imposed upon by the purchss.
er and conveys away your propert,
for q grossly inads quate considers
tion. Will you please tell me wher,
, is the moral wrong in your coDipJ
into the courts OF your country AND
: seeking relief by resembling the con
tract of your a9entf This is all tha
the State is asking.-simply th,
poor pr v'!ege Of suing for an allege,
right. II the Southern Railroa,
Company is innocent and these ALE
cations are not true, why does il ir.
to avoid the issue and the trial il
. our own courtsi
Whv does il try to get the Stat
in q Federal Equity Court where /,
jury trial is denied and where tn
3 Judges, with now and then an ex
ception. are notoriously the parti
: sans Of plutocracy--a court whicl
! at the demand Of imperial railroa'
3 power has actually committed tn
I, monumental outrage of epjoininl
8 railroads from cutting rates an'
2 thus denied to the people the bene
fit of competition among commo
Q carriers.
! If the States agents had the r;gh
!, to make the ninety-nine year lease
which is equivalent tn . sale, the
the courts will SO decide and the It'll
o of the Southern will bs perfected
:. but iu order to avoid this issue an
!, this trial. they seek to deprive as Q
= the right even to pray for relief, an
laugh at our cAlamities which the
have wrought and mock at our mil
fortunes as from their bad emipepc
e they look down upon the deplete
form Of q defrauded and prostrsi
o State. DANIEL L. KrssILL.
II wiLLlNG-s8OrT.
A Mr.. Shott and Q Mr.. WilIin