The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-29
Mr.. PREASON'S ABUSE OF THE THANKING
PRIVILEGE.


Pearson and Bailey, and the Houses ac
ton on the allegation that Mr.. Pearson
| abused the franking privilege by sending
private correspondence without paying
| hostage on it. Please explain"
The history of the affair is about as
follows: Some Raleigh Populists showed
reporter of this paper letters from Mr.
Pearson asking, lin view of the sue
cessful cooperation of the Republicans
and Populists of North Carolina in 1894
and i'm 1896, | take the liberty of ask
ing if you indOrse this resolution (the one
adopted by the Populist Conference, en-
dorsing the addresses of Jones, Butler
and Towne), and, if i'll the approaching
Congressional election, you favor cooper
alton or fusion with the Democratic par
ty." The Populists who received this
letter denounced Mr.. Pearson for viola
ting the law by sending such letters
under his frank. and this paper publish
ed their criticisms. Thereupon Mr..
Pearson rose to a question of personal
privilege in the House, explained that
his clerk sent the letters under Il frank
by inadvertence and asked the ''privi-
legc of inserting in the Record the cor
respondence in question along with the
publications which prompted this cor
respondence." Under this privilege he
published a long political article from
the New York Tribune, which appeared
in the Tribune on the 22nd of March,
whereas the letters he sent under a
frank were written on the 21st, showing
that it could not have been ''publica-
ton which prompted this correspond
ence" He also published u letter from
his clerk and a receipt from the As
sistant Secretary for II cents, deposited
on the account of the Conscience"
This would have ended the affair, but
for the insertion of the Tribune political
article On the very day Mr.. Pearson
caused that article to be inserted, the
House. by strict party vote, refused to
permit Mr.. Hartman. of Montana, to
print his remarks in the Record. This
made the silver men of all parties indig
nant. and on the next day they moved to
strike out Mr. Pearson's political arti-
Gle. and showed him up in such a light
taat he finally seconded Mr.. Bailey's
motion TO expunge the Objectionable po-
litical extract from the Record.
During the debate Mr.. Pearson re-
ferring 10 the News and Observer, said
it Is "A paper supposed TO bc controlled
by Mr. William Jennings Bryan" If
b. meant by this that the News and OBJ
server 5 controlled by the principles adj
vocateI lsy William Jennings Bryan just
as 1t : controlled by Thomas Jefferson's
creed. Mr.. Pearson was correct. That's
the platform Of this paper, for we feel
very mach ike Mr.. Bailey, of Texas,
who replying to Mr.. Pearson said: Il
would endorse anything William Jen-
nings Bryan would say on a public ques-
ton at this time" As a matter Of fact,
however. though be obtained permission
to print the article on his abuse of the
franking privilege from the News and
Observer, he did not print from this
paper. but substituted therefor the New
York Tribune's screed. Mr.. Pearson
took care not 10 print the article from the
News and Observcrit would he too
bright for the dull columns of the rec
ord
Perhaps the most interesting portion
Of the whole debate was the firing of
questions by the Populists at Mr.. Pear
son. We quote from the Record:
MIR. PEARSON: / desire, however,
Mr.. Speaker, to say this: ] feel rather
keenly the fact that courteous question
proposed by a colleague to his colleagues
in this House bearing upon their atti-
tude on this question, ''DO you propose
in the coming election to cooperate or
fuse with the Democratic paftyy know
ing as they know here that every man
of them sits here by reason Of Republi-
can votes, should be answered by You
have abused the franking privilege; and
| will take the privilege Of assuring my
friends from Texas and Delaware that
! would rather have as my colleague
Democratic gentleman than---
The SPEAKER. The Chair thinks
the gentleman must confne himself to
the question
MIR. PEARSON: Well. Mr. Speaker,
/ will wind up with this assertion-
Mr. STROWD. of North Carolina:
Finish the statement.
Mr.. FOWLER. of North Carolina:
Finish the statement like a man.
The SPEAKER: If the gentleman
does, the Chair wants it understood
that it is done by unanimous consent.
Mr.. SHUFORD: Let the gentleman
finish his statement. Let him say who
the other party is.
The SPEAKER: The Chair is only
performing his duty in recalling the