The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-31

widest mob law a. his shield and In
strument Of usurpatton and violence.
how much more does he deserve the
burning cepgure OF every just, upright.
law abiding, liberty loving citizen al
all zee and All callfngs and ALI con-
ditions. and o fully he deserves to
] be scourged by the fierce flashing of
conscience and the aroused abhorrence
OF the offended majesty Of the people.
II any act was lacking to make a com
plete revelation and exposure OF the
true inwardness," the moving passion
and controlling impulses, the ingram
a~rbitrariness and violent self-wil, the
burning hatreds and consuming malice,
the complete blindness to what is right
and proper and orderly and of good re-
port, the utter want Of balance and OF
wisdom and judgment on the part OF
Russell this last foolish, biundering,
wicked escapade OF his will finish the
picture. put the final seal upon his rejec-
ton, and stamp him forever as the
most infatuated, ~insolent, intolerant,
bull-headed of governors known to
southern history. To find anything in
our history remotely comparable to
him you must go back into colonial
times and in Tryon and some OF h
other representatives OF British mis-
rule and oppression essay to find
such mastership! There is nothing
truer as to states than when the wick
ID rule the people mourn. Inspiration
says that fools despise wisdom n in
s%truction." A nan may ave a Wig
orous mind and hate heartily, and yet
be devoid Of sense, Of all wisdom and
all love Of justice and right.
For a governor to defy law and resort
to mob force is a mOnstrous deed of
wickedness. For him and his bench
men to go to work at nearly midnight
to break int Office by forcing doors is
simply a stupendous outrage. IT is
rendered more so by the fact that the
case was in course of transfer to the
supreme court Of the United States. 1t
is indeed a marvellous display of vici-
BUSINESS and madness for it is high
handed and disorderly-and so out
of keeping with an orderly administra-
ton of public affairs. The people
should not fail to denounce this outrage
n to make the most decided, earnest,
hottest protest. Public meetings should
be held in every county to denounce
| the fellows guilty of such a gross out
rage. A distinguished journalist writ
ing Of other things refers to this vio-
lence and wrong. He asks: How can
! n one condemn lynching and the
|! practice of the mob to violently redress
wrongs when sue an example of force
at midnight is given by high state Of
fieers. The same spirit is manifested in
both cases." He refers to a recent de-
cision of the state court. "It is" he
says "this spectacle of a d~isorderly ad-
ministration that I condemn, and since
it tends tt defame North Carolina, that
I deplore."
It is a matter OF surprise that RUSSELL
should lend himself to such a cause,
for he is a man Of ability and a lawyer
of respectable attainments and no little
practice. He understands the legal sit
uation no doubt. He knows that a
case can be taken to the United States
supreme court from a state whenever
a question arises concerning the legal
ity of a law of state, upon the ground
that it violates the organic law of the
land-the constitution of the United
States Io Ennu1, fho uxrba1o -
action in such a case. So when he at
tempts to anticipate such an action by
violence he opens the way for great
trouble, n he deserves to be broken
Of his office. If the mex legislature is
an intelligent, honest, law abiding body
it will probably attend to Russell and
his numerous antics and outrages.
Governor Russell is bitter and mali
cious but he is far from being a legal
1gnoramus or a political BOBBY. He
knows we'll what he does n he is
therefore the man to be condemned,
and punished for his misdeeds. He is a
sworn officer of the law, and the chief
of law. He is a nice fellow
to set such a turbulent, defiant example
of all law. h Raleigh Post asks this
and it is altogether pertinent and ex-
pressive of the right:
The governor is sworn to observe the
law as we'll as see that it is properly
executed. Did he do this when he add
vised Messrs. Caldwell and Pearson
forcibly to break in the doors of the
railroad commission, take possession
and occupy the same at a late hour at
night, in the fac OF the action OF the
chief justice in approving the bond
given on the writ of error which acted
as a supercedeas? The approval of the
bond by the chief justice continued the
status quo that existed prior to the de- |
cision.
Is Governor Russell a law unto him
self? Does ne regard the fact that a
majority of the count have said that
he is supreme in the control of the rail-