The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-25
JUDGMENT CONFESSED
THAT is WHAT THE REMOVAL
OF JOHN II. SMITH FROM
TIE PEN WAS.
WILL "TAKe A LOOK AT THE BOOKS
The Cross Miscellaneous and Petty bubbles Of
Dockery and Smith will Not be &C.
copied for a Report Due
Eight Months Ago.

Raleigh, y. o., Aug. -, 1910.
TO the Editor: | saw yesterday in
your paper Of recent date, certain let
ters by Chairman Dockery and EX-Su-
pcrintendcnt Smith, i'll regard to pcnitcn'
tiary affairs, containing many gross mis-
statements and many petty bubbles, and
doubtless designed by them as some sort
of palliatiOn to an outraged public sen
timent for their mal-adminiStration Of
important State business. When their
management of the penitCntiary has been
condemned for incompetency and worse
by every man fairly well acquainted with
public affairs, of all parties from the
Chief Executive down to the townships,
and when, driven into a corner and re-
fusing information that every citizen is
entitled to, they have been smoked out
by the fire of general Indignation, they
have now in the eighth month of 1888
offered these feeble diatribes as infor-
nation to the people as to the business
of the pcnitcntiary for the year 1897. If
the business has been conducted accord
ing to law, why do they not make re-
port as required by the statute, and give
the information desired? Mr.. DOckcry
says: Theoretically, the law requires
the report of the Superintendent of the
dav of January" | affirm that it can
be done. and practically always has been
done heretofore. And if few days de-
lay were necessary. how does he account
for delay of eight months, and then
respond only upon the demand Of the
Chief Executive forced by the public
clamor?
Both of these officials affirm in this
so-calcd report that Superintendent
Smith took charge of the penitentiarv
April 1, 1891 The records show that he
qualified on the 9th of March, 1897, and
he notified me the same. day, whore
upon ! at once turned over the whole
business. and after that never contract-
ed for Il cent, never collected a cent,
never paid out Il cent. The statement
therefore that was responsible for any
business of the penitcntiary, outgoing O"
incoming, after the 9th day of March is
without foundation.
1t is stated in Mr.. Dockery's letter
Tor report that "Mr. Smith found all
the farms in Il very backward state OF
preparation; and indeed upon some of
them very little at all had been done
toward making the new crop. Mr.. Dock
cry does not seem to recollect that in the
flfSt month or the i uSlOn administration,
between the Goth and 9th Of March. i
committee of his board, Messrs. Clark,
Perkins and Cotton. together with the
Superintendent, visited all the peniten-
tiary farms. for the purpose Of inspect
ing and receiving the property. ! heard
all the members of the committee espC-
cially Mr. Clark. as also the Supcrinten-
dent. express astonishment and delight
mt the advanced and careful preparation
of the lands, Mr.. Clark asserting that he
believed there was no farm in the State
in such good condition as that before
him. This mis-statement is so palpablC
that it vitiateS all other statements
made. The truth is there were not less
th"~ 1000 acres of these lands beautiful
ly and thoroughly prepared by the Goth
of March. If nothing had been done,
which / say again is absolutely false,
why did the incoming administration
employ my supervisors to remain and
make the crop? And if nothing had been
done till the LIST of April, how was such
a large crop made that year?
As to supplies on hand, the Fusionists
seem to have expected that the Demo