The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-02

1t was as~certained upon inquiry that
no report or inven <ry. for the year
1897, such as the nw requires should
be made, was accessible to the public
In view Of these facts, and the sum-
mary removal OF Mr.. Smith, under the
imputations aforesaid. I thought and
still think that the public would be in
tereSted in and has the right
TO know, the facts concerning the man
agement OF this institution during that
year, of which no report could be OBJ
tanned.
] the handbook which Governor Jarvis
| and Captain Ashe were preparing
should discuss these matters, as we'll
as the facts connected with the man
agerfent Of the penitentiary by your
self, IN the interest of fairness in giv-
ing the people information Upon these
subjects, these distinguished and hon
orable gentlemen did not wish to act
upon runors and newspaper state
ments, and requested me to address
the communications hereto attached.
asking for the information and facts
therein requested. as a basis Of their
| discussion of these subjects.
l did not think for a minute that the
Information asked would not be
promptly given. n in a way that gen.
tlemen usually conduct their CORE
J spondence.
It was not thought by them or my
| self that il the Information was given
il would show a state of affairs TO the
advantage Of the present administra-
ton, but no state officer has ever be-
| fore concealed from the public the re-
ports n records of his office because
they might initiate against the party
to which he belonged, and it was
| therefore believed you would. as a
matter Of duty and decency, supply the
information.
It has generally beer supposed tina
| every of the state has a
| right to see the records of all public
| offices INC TO ask and receive, without
being insulted, information concern
ing the management by the officer Of
his office.
AS a representative of a great party,
which polled in the last election 145. 900
votes, constituting two-thirds Of the
taxpayers Of the state, l did not think
it would be ~impudence or effrontery to
ask you in their name and as their
representative for his information.
1t has been and old-time tradition in
North Carolina that public officers are
public servants. I did not know that
since the advent of you and Governor
Russell this time-honOred rule had
been reversed, and the people had be-
come the ServantS of the officers.
/ did not address you as a servant.
because, being one of the people, and
representing a party of 145, 900 tax-pay-
ing voter, was old fOgyiSh enough to
suppose that in your official capacity
you were the servant of the people, and
that both law and custom forbade you
from hiding and concealing from the
public your official acts and those of
your immediate predecessor.
Shortly after my letters were sent
and delivered. the board of directors
Of the penitentiary met in Raleigh, and
1 am informed that at their several
sessions holly debated whether I should
be given the information asked. A
member who insisted that as a citizen
and taxpayer I was entitled to ms in
formation was, so I am told, fiercely
r~eprOached by you. Having failed to
reach any agreement on this all-ab-
sorbing question in open meeting, your
board did what was never before
lone in North Carolina. to-wit: Met
in what you were pleaced to call ex-
ecutive session, for the purpose of con-
sidering this subject. When the board
rose from this secret meeting, I am in
formed that newspaper reporters and
enQuirers were told hat the meeting
was an executive session, and it's pro-
ceedingS, therefore,, secret. / do not
know, and the people do not know,
what transpired in that secret meeting,
but [ am reliably informed after the
meeting Mr.. Dockery, the chairman,
and the board would hav preferred
I had not asked for the information,
but I would get an answer which would
make me sorry that [ had requested
it.
I presume the board decided in his
secret meeting that your party could
not afford to let the people know the
real facts concerning the management
Of the penitentiary by the present ad-
ministration, M it was determined
to try and be-fog the issue, and that
as a result you refused the information
requested, and instead of the courte-
Gus reply; which I reasonably expected.
and, as a further result, you decided
upon the Infamous and clanderouS per-
sonal attack upon me, which this
morning was published in The Raleigh
Post.
Your party shall not, by this low and
dirty device, be-fog the issue or es-
cape exposure.
I shall continue to use every avenue
open to me to lay bare before the peo-
pie of North Carolina the facts con-
corning the d~isreputable m~ismanage-
ment of the pe%nitentiary, and all other
departments of the state government,
by the present discredited and dis
graceful administration.
1t will be observed by reference to
the section of the law quoted in my
letter to Mr.. Dockery that two things
are required. One, an inventory to b.
made by the superintendent, under
oath, and the other a report by the
board itself. It will appear from my
letter to Mr.. Dockery that I asked for
both a copy of the report and a copy
of the inventory. I especially request
ed a opy of the report, because it is
much more comprehensive.
Mr.. Dockery, in his letter to me. only
promises a copy of the inventory,
which he speaks of as the report of the
superintendent.
1t is apparent from Mr.. Dockery's
letter that he is himself doubtful
whether l will ever get this report or
inventory, for he only says he be-
lieves it will be in the hands of the
governor in a short while. He does
not say that he knows it will be in
the hands of the governor at all.
It will be remembered that the law
requires that this sworn inventory