The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-20
TROUBLE DROVE
HIM TO DRINK
HIS LETTER WILL MAKE GOOD
PEOPLE PRAY THAT HE
MAY HAVE STRENGTH.
THOMPSON OUGHT TO LEARN SOMETHING
There has been Ten Times as Much Drunken
ness by Present Officials in One Year
than by Democrats in Three
Whole Terms,
Whole Terms,

whole lermS,
TO the Editor:-Y Yesterdays News and
Obserer has to say that while DIR.
Thompson, the Secretary of State, was
declaiming at Concord, against drunken
ness in official life, at the same time the
demon of drink sat entnroned in the
person of his chief clerk.
May / say few words in explanation
of a fact that shocked my friends and
surprised my enemies?
For many weeks / have been struggling
between hope and despair, with the aid
of eminent physicians, both here and in
Rutherfordton, to restore the shattered
health and clouded mind of my wife.
They were weary weeks, with hope
gradually fading and despair settling
down, as one after another of these ply
sicians advised me to place her in the in
sane asylum.
On the 9Th of this month l carried her
to DR.. Kirby, and placed her in his
charge.
After / had returned home and spent
a sleepless night with my desolate little
ones, / tried to nerve myself for the
heavy duties before me by resorting to
that fools solace''-whisky.
The result was, on DR.. Thomps0n's re-
turn, he found not the courteous, oblig-
ing, active business man he had reason
to expect but the office in the hands of
the junior clerk, and his chief clerk alb
sent and drunk.
/ cannot realize how any one could
gloat over DIR. Thompson's consterna-
ton, or my own downfall, under these
circumstances.
OF course this terminates my career
as chief clerk. | cannot ask to be re-
tanned after this fall, as some of my
friends, of all political parties, might
ask of DIR. Thompson. He is sincere in
his advocacy of sober men for office, and
must be consistent.
[ would assure my friends, Though it
may discomft those who would love to
think that | Jam still keeping it up"
that / expect in future to bear what
God puts upon me, without resorting to
His enemy, and man's-Strong Drink
for help.
To the kind friends who would sym
pathize with me over my loss of posi-
ton / would ask that, rather, they feel
for me on account of my broken, desc,
late home.
A. ID. X. WALLACE.
September 10, 1898
If Mr.. Wallace thinks anybody has
"gloated over" his misfortune he is mis-
taken. Instead of doing so, Mr.. Wal
lace has the sympathy of all who have
known him since his coming to Raleigh
as chief clerk in the office of Secre-
tary of State. Familiar with his recent
trials, our sympathy for him was so
great that when the news of his unfor
tunate condition came to this office from
several sources it found no place in these
columns. No allusion was made to il
at all until it was officially announced
that he had retired from his position
and even then the allusion contained no
criticism of Mr.. Wallace, or reference to
his drinking, not because we condont
drunkenness in public officials, but be-
cause we knew that his family Affections
had for the time almost made him not
responsible for his actions. No feeling
but one of genuine sympathy for Mr.
Wallace has been cherished by any
member of the staff of this paper. His
courtesy and efficiency had made him
friends in all parties who feel that he is
entitled to their sympathy, and he has
prayers of all good people.
For one reference TO his condition Mr..
Wallace has only DIR. Thompson to
thank. Had he ceased his criticism of
men now dead for sometimes yielding
to the same temptation no such refer
ence to Mr.. Wallace would ever have ap-
peared in these columns.
This incident ought to teach DR.. Thomp
son lesson in charity. There has not
been week since the Republican par
ty came into power when we could not
have printed Il column about the drunken
performances of an ofice-holder, from
judges and solicitors down to humber
officials. We have not done so except
when their drinking became public
scandal and they became exhibitions on
the streets, at the courts, or in their
Offices AS a matter of fact, we have
more officials who get full now than
we have had in the previous twenty years
of State administration, and If DR..
Thompson were honest in his public ar
raignment of drunken officials. he would
come out in favor of impeaching several
high-cockalorum Republican officials who
tank up regularly and systematically.
Instead of trying to promote temper
ance and have temperate officials, Dr.
Thompson's TRADE is thus shown to be n
little piece of petty partisanshfp, and
though you can't mingle in large gath
ering of Radical office-holders without
being nauseated with the fumes Of liz
nor, DR.. Thompson has never opened
his mouth to stop it, or to expose it.
1t is only when some Democratic official,
according to his hearsay, loves TO look
on the wine when it is red, that his
Indignation is aroused, and upon rumors
he goes about the State broadcasting the
weakness of the dead.
We do not believe in drunken public
officials. No man who gets drunk ought