The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-09-09
The A~swERs OvTHE TWO VII oS'
WHAT WILL THE GOyEESOk Do?


marvel Of uncandor and eyasive-
ness. As We understand the law
in equity, al answer - oIsre-
garded unless il IL full, uneVa--
i've. and candid His fret denial is
that he is not the owner with A. u.
Andrews, or in any way Interested In
the Round X mob hotel. This Is dis
tinct, positive, and unqualified denial
OF the charges made in the show cause
notice. II was evidently intended to
create the public impression that he
WAS entirely innocent Of any copart-
nership with A ndrews and Otho vii
son in the railroad hotel business, and
yet, down toward the bottom Of this
very same answer comes the adHIs-
sion that he has been all the time IN
terested with Andrews; that he and
Andrews built the hotel, that they
have been running it IA joint proprie-
tors for years and have been oall the
time until the Saturday before the
hearing on "wednesday, the first day
of september, 1897. About three or
four days before the hearing, j. w.
Wilson admits that he made deed OF
his interest in the hotel property to
one Brown, of Mcdowell county. Now
il he was not violating the law, if he
was not seeking To evade the position
which he had voluntarily assumed
IL he was not afraid OF that position
why did he sneak out Of it by making
an assignment Of his interest; why did
he not stand up Ikea man and say: ]
had a right to do this, have been right
all the time, | am right now, and
have no apologies To make to any
body? Innocence does not run away
at the first fire. 1t is evident that he
doubtless advised by his lawyers
thought that he could make law
point by assigning his inter
est in the hotel property. How:
Why by saying: 1t does no,
matter what may have done, the
Governor has no right to remove mt
unless am disqualified at fhe very
time when he makes the order of re.
moval. That is, that he could violate
the law, make deals with railroad over
seers and railroads, put his prorerty
into a position where its value depend
ed entirely upon railroad favor, ge
tenants for it that he otherwise coulC
not get, and then, when he is caugh
Mt it,make an alienation of the propert,
and stand up and say: Oh, my hand
are clean now, but they were dir
black on yesterday. If this view o
the law is correct then railroad com
missioner can 90 in and buy railroa,
bonds and stocks, speculate in them
hold them in his own name, conform
his official actions to his interests il
the railroad, and then, when he
caught, telegraph to his broker to Sc
him out and say to the removing power
now you cannot touch me.
1t seems to us that there are just tw
views as to this railroad hotel deal be
tween the Southern railroad and tn
two Wilson's. j. w. Wilson and Al
drews had hotel called Round Kno
which, according to their own admi
sion, they could not find tenant TO
and could not get dollar of rent ol
of it during the year 1896. The fol
mer tenant had refused to keep it.
was q failure rs a summer resort, an
it had no value except for an eatin
house for the Southern Railroa
Thereupon, the Southern Railroa
pumps value into it for the benefit
the two Commissioners. How? b
making it an eating house, so that
W. Wilson and Andrews could z,
rent and Ohio Wilson and his moth,
could get profit. Accordingly the 9th,
eating houses were discontinued, ar
the Southern trains were ordered
connect with the Railroad Commi
sioners at Round Knob. And they d
make tie connection, and value WI
pumped into the property by the raj
road. Why was this not acquiring 8
interest in the railroad by these tv
Commissioners, the one to be benefit,
by his rent and the other to be ben
fitted by the profit to himself or to h
mother? What matters it whether Il
benefit was to the mother or
the manp The laws avs that tt
the Commissioner should have
interest in any way, of any XIII
in the railroad. Can Mr.. OIL
Wilson say that he had no interest
railroad which was giving all of Il
patronage and profit in it's power f
the benefit of his mother? He is b
lieved to be a man of good heart al
other generous impulses. Would
not do as much for his mother as
would for himself? Would he not fe
under the same obligations for ben
ft conferred upon his mother rs up
himselfp Could he be an independe
judge in grave and supreme matte
between the people and the railro
when the railroad is supporting his m
Their, and giving her patronage al
profit? Does not everybody know tn
Mrs. Wilson would never have be
heard of as tenant of Round Kn,
enjoying its profits, If her son had 4
been Railroad Commissioner
We are told by lawyers that upon t
facts and admissions of the answer
court Of law would hold that the int,
est Of Mrs. Wilson in this lease wi
Andrews and j. w. Wilson was or
colorado. She is not reButed to be
lady of wealth; she is not one VIII,
they would have selected as a tens
for their property in the course of
binary business. Is it not the same
story Of the insolvent doing busin
in the name of his wife or his sister
HIS mother Such things are done, a