The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-01-13
~We earnestly ask each
Subscriber TO look at the label
on his paper, and il the date is
behind the date Of this issue.
18Th JANUARY 1893,
10 send US $500 and get the
date moved up for another year.
We .cannot continue subscrip'
lions that have expired. Please
attend to this at once.
THE OyERsEEK's CONTEMPT.

THE OyERSEEk's CON1EMPI.
The new Railroad Commissioners
have begun we'll, and il "the judiciary
10 not exhausted" will doubtless in due
time present to the people sworn testi.
mony giving the inside facts and work
ings of some gigantic corporations in
this State.
These organizations have amassed
fortunes, collected and robbed from
the tax payer and the toiler. The peO-
pie and the courts are entitled to know
the means by which they have accumu.
lated these ll-gotten gains and def
mite information as to their methods Of
handling men and manipulating leg
islatures and Judges and Senators and
Governors and Railroad Commission
ers, so ~ to secure favorable judgment
and favorable legislation. The people
are demanding these things and they
will have them. We dare say that the
Investigations concerning the trans
actions Of 1862 would prove tame in
comparison to some of later date with
the experience Of thirty years and the
additional horde OF trained lawyers,
professional" witnesses and hired
newspaper correspondents.
Last week was witnessed a most ex-
traordinary scene in North Carolina.
Col. Andrews, the oyerseer, and Miller,
Munson and Potts, other agents of the
foreign bondholders and oppressors of
the people, were subpGnaed to appear
a. witnesses before the Railroad Com
mission and produce the books and pa
psrs Of the corporation which they
serve, in order to give the Com
mission information as to discrlmina-
tions In freight rates and passenger
fares.
Their answers elsewhere printed are
not.only contempt of the court, but
also to the people Of the State. To
conceal their plans and plots to tamper
with public servants is to strike at
the foundation Of popular government
and free institutions. There is con-
stitutional inhibition against secret
political organizations, but there
seems to be no check to the schemes
and Vaccinations of those who have
banded themselves together for the
purpose of public plumber. The time
has come when the State must be su.
preme or the corporations must rule
and enslave the people.
Whatever may be the legal tschnical
tiles which the lawmakers have i'm
provised to shield the criminal, tn,
moral fact remains that the reply O
these men, REFUSE TO ANSWER Fol
FEAR THAT / MAY CRIMINATE MYSELF
10 the boldest confession of guilt.
Andrews, himself an hired man ant
hired to shield his masters, and tn
other hirelings of this foreign cOrpor
alton knew the information which
they refused to give. Their motive
in trying to conceal this information
from the courts and the public ar
not far to seek. They knew that if tn
proper authorities got possession o
the facts in the form of sworn evi
dence from them, that the corpora
lions which iced and clothe them an
hire attorneys to put answers in thei
mouths would be convicted for thei
avoritism in the courts. They kne,
that il they furnished this evidenc
the places which know them no,
would soon know them no more for
ever.
They have served their master
and shown their insolence and cor
tempt for authority as heretofore; br
IL aught of power and virtue remain
in the arm Of the State, these me
should be made to purge themselve
Of their contempt for the courts an
the people. They should be made
know that the day has passed when
railroad magnate or any other corp'
rationist can say with impunity, "Tl
people be damned"