The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-12-15
CLIMAX OF POLITICAL JObBtRY'

month-piece. J. C. l.. Harris, the Board
of Agriculture to repair to his Office to
receive their orders. A Board with
the proper sense of responsibility would
not have permitted it's members to march
to anybody's office to receive instructions
before performing the duties for which
they were presumably elected.
When the Governors puppets had
had assembled, he told them in sub
stance that the penitentiary manage
ment was rotten to the core and was
disgracing the administration; that
there could be no Improvement unless
Superintendent John Il. Smith could
be induced to get out, and that under
the law he could not be removed; that
he had exorted or obtained from Smith
his resignation as Superintendent or the
Penitentiary, provided the Agricultural
Board would elect Smith Commissioner
of Agriculture; and in that event the
Governor said he would appoint New
borne Superintendent of the Peniten-
tiary. The Governor was quite severe
on Smiths management Of the Peni-
Tertiary and based his desire to swap
places solely on the ground OF smith
incompentency and mismanagement of
the Penitentiary. He did not say he
was fitted to become the head Of the
Department of Agriculture, and no pre-
tenee was made that the change was
desired except to get rid Of the sinking
penitentiary scandals.
1.-THE Board of Agriculture, composed,
with two or three exceptions, of men
who are nothing but puppets Of the Gov
ernor, FASTENED to do tine bidding of the
Governor, to accept Mewborne's resig-
nation as Commissioner OF Agriculture,
and to proceed to elect Smith III his
place. The Governor will appoint New
borne to succeed Smith as Superin-
tendent of the Penitentiary.
No honest man, whoabelieves that pub
lie office is a public trust, will read the
details OF this scandalous deal without
contempt for the whole gang concerned
in it. We have reached the lowest level
of public morals when the Governor Of
a great State. can engineer through SO
.disreputable barter in offices. There
isn't a circumstance connected with the
affir to relieve it of the lowest order Of
political morals.
John r. Smith, Daniel l.. Russell and
Commissioners Mewborne are men Of the
same kind. Not one of them has an
idea of public service above what there
is in it for them or their henehmen.
John r. Smith did more to make Rus
sell Governor than any other man.
They were as thick then as two in a
bed There is no gulf between them
now except that Smiths scandalous adj
ministration has been exposed to the
public eye, and the people rise up as
one man to condemn it. Smith is to be
made the cape-goat for the sins Of the
whole gang, including his son. Unfit as
he is for public office, he is just as good
as Russell or Mewborne, and is worse
only in that his bad management has
been more glaring. The Governor knew
Smith before he appointed him; Smith
knew the Governor before he nominated
him. They were working together then
to get the "coon." They have fallen
out because Smith proceeded "to skin
him" in a way not approved by the gov
ernor.
Smith ought to have been removed
from office if half the governor alleges
of his bad management be true. II the
governor had removed him, manyw ould
have said that he had acted wisely, even
though they would have felt that he
was an migrate. But, forcing his resig-
nation for mismanagement and putting
him at the head of the Agricultural
Department, is a scandal so indecent
that it will be condemned by all right
thinking men.
Mewborne, who is shifted from commits
sioner, is a so-called populist who al
ways advocates fusion with Republicans.
He is as unfit for the position as Smith
is, though he is not likely to bring so
much odium on the administration. He
is pie-politician with no idea of the
public service except trades, diekers,
and drawing salary. That is the mea-
sure of the man. Under his administra-
ton Of the Agricultural Department it
has been marked by stolid ignorance, ex-
travagance, and the elevation OF ne
gro to the chief inspectorship, and the
multiplication Of places. These things
and nothing else. He goes to the peni-
tertiary to obey Russell's orders. He
will not succeed any better than Smith,
unless he clean out the whole gang, be-