The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-09-12

thority to employ counsel, but Mr. Lee
S. Overman told me after the adjourn
ment Of the Legislature that he was
standing by and heard the conversation
between Mr.. Haywood and myself, and
that when l turned off, he watched me
and saw what l did; that he was pres-
dent of the road, and thought it right TO
pay me something for my services. The
next ! heard of the matter was letter
from the treasurer of the road stating
that the directors had voted me 500 for
my services, and enclosing a check for
that amount. That is the long and short
of it,
Well. This sounded like a back num-
Der, but there were several fresh little
bud-notes which made it catchy.
AS stated above, Mr.. Loge (this vul-
gar version of his name is used here out
of no disrespect but only for brevity.)
Harris has two sides to his rotund ma
ture. and may be more. and he by no
means intends his deep calm to be judg-
ed by the fyphant street-fashes such as
the above 100000 remark.
It is with Loge's inner nature entire
ly that his dear friend Governor Russell
deals, and hence Loge has no hesitation
in warbiing to himself "No knife can
cut our love in two!'
Loge, being approached by the repor-
ter was asked if he had anything to say.
AS the blue Of his eye hit the light Of
the moon, one could see that he was
thinking.
/ NO" he replied calmly. ''there is no
use in my taking any notice of that, as
I can see"
Accordingly the reporter visited the
Executive Mansion where his Excellen-
cy, Governor Russell was told what
Judge Whitaker had said.
The Governor at first seemed disin-
clined to go into the matter, but rambled
off finally into the subject saying that
he did draw the bill, and that it was his
intention at the time for there to be three
proxies. the names to be filed in by the
caucuses. He had not canvassed any
names in his mind, but the names per-
haps of Pritchard and Butler had sug
gested themselves in an indefinite sort of
a way.
Il happened one night during the ses-
sion of that legislature" continued the
Governor Ito go into the Marlborough
House for supper and by chance found
myself seated by Senator Moody. Dur
ing the course of the conversation, il de-
veloped that l had drawn the bill re-
ferred to when Moody speaking up sud
denly said. Give it to me: I'll introduce
it, Thus it was that it came to fall
into his hands. The next morning,
went over to the capitol and as entered
the Senate, there they were reading the
bin. When they got to the place where
blanks were left for proxies. the name
was read out of George FL. Smathers.
CAT this point his Excellency went into
IA shaking laughter that had avoirdupois
in it: a laughter that was well-fed and
rubiclnd and globular: it shook the
chair which turned on its pivot, while
the Governor took fully two minutes to
recover his gubernatorial look.)
THE BILL he continued after he had
subsidized, introduced in the Legisla-
ture by Mr.. Moody in 1895. concern
ing the North Carolina Railroad was
drawn in part by me and was intended
TO break up the partisan control OF that
railroad, then prevailing. | aided in
drawing it at the request of various
Republican and Populist legislators. SO
far as | reme mber it was n good bill for
the purpose that was in view. Iisn't it
about such a bill as good Democratic
lawyers would have drawn for a good
Democratic legislature for the purpose of
taking power from an opposition Gov
ernor? As to the proxies my under
standing and intentions were that they
should be selected by the joint Repub-
lican and ropulist caucuses. The idea
was to have three or five proxies. The
names We're left blank to be filled in
after the caucus acted
Mr.. Smathe name was put in with
out my knowledge.
Il strongly suspected at that time that
the Southern Railroad would make an
attempt TO procure a removal of the
lease of the North Carolina Railroad be-
fore the meeting of another Legisla-
ture. And this was probably the pre-
vailing purpose with me in assisting in
getting up the bill. If it had passed
there would have been no ninety-nine
year lease. Why? Because / believe
that the men who would have been Sc
lected as proxies by the two caucuses
would have had sense enough and hon
esty enough to see that the State had
Rothschilds and Morgan in corner,
and would have made them pay for our
property accordingly. The State had