The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-28
MEWBORNE FATHERS IT
AND SIGNS HIS NAME TO THE
BLUSTER AND ABUSE.
REFUSES TO GIVE INFORMATION
The Superintendent Of the Penitentiary Raves
and Tears his Hair Because Folks
Want to Take Look at
the Books"

Inc BOOKS.
The following letter. called an open let
ter. was furnished by Rev. Baylus Cade,
private secretary to the Governor, TO a
daily newspaper yesterday:
Raleigh, n. c., July 25, 1898.
Il. NJ. Simmons. Esq, Chairman State
Democratic Executive Committee,
Raleigh, n. c.
Sir: Your various letters, written
from the Democratic headquarters,
and signed by you as chairman OF the
Democratic party, ask, or demand, 4
large mass of figures and schedules, all
of which are usually found i'll the printed
reports of the superintendent of the
States prison. When the time comes
for me to make my report, according
TO law. will make it by the direction OF
the law and not by the direction of the
chairman of the Democratic party III
North Carolina. From that you or any
other individual. can get the information
which you pretend to want
Ii the prison clerk had the time TO
make out the statement and gather up
the figures. | would he perfectly willing
that he should do so now. or 1T any other
time. at the request of any citizen of the
State. provided that citizen possessed the
following qualifications:
First. He must he man of honor. who
makes the request in good faith for the
legitimate purpose of obtaining informa-
ton. and not with the intention of OBJ
tanning figures for distortion, misreprc-
sentation and falsehood.
Second. He must be person who.
when he comes to ask for returns to he
made to him. will not be suspected on ac-
count of his past conduct of having the
intention to falsify the returns, so as to
make them the reverse of what they tru-
~ are.
Third. I should prefer that the person
making the request if he be politician.
should be sincere in what he processes to
be. For example, that he should not be
standing on a Populst platform when ev-
erybody knows that he is a Cleveland
ite. and gold-bug, and a monopolist.
You are not the kind of man to ask
an honest man for bona fide returns of
facts and figures. 1t is simply wonderful
that you should dare to even ask again
for anybody to make returns to you. In
1892, you, as chairman of the Democrat
ic party. got the returns of the votes Of
the freemen of North Carolina. These
returns of the Populist and Republican
votes you had flung into the ditch and
caused your robber returning boards to
refuse to count the votes that you did
not like, and to count only those that
were cast for you and your crowd. You
must have some sort of notion that you
not only have the right to question me.
but are still communicating chief of the
perjurers of the precincts and the rob
bers of the returning boards You seem
to forget that the people of North Caro-
lima rose in honest Indignation in 1891
and abolished You and your rascally re-
turning boards, and gave to you your
final discharge from the manipulation of
votes and voters.
But there is some information which
you call for that / can give you without
hiring an extra bookkeeper, and L shall
proceed most cheerfully to do so. You
want to know about the plantations oper-
ated by the penitentiary, and the rent.
or lease money, contracted to be paid by
the State.
Well, there is farm known as the
Halifax Farm. 1t was leased from
certain individuals under Democratic
management, and is now costing the
State for rent under the Democratic
contract about $1,000 year. A large
amount was expended upon it in the way
of clearing and improvements. Most of il
is a dangerous bottom on the Roanoke
which cannot be diked and on which
crops cannot be safely planted. 1t never
has been worth the rent but it was sad
died upon the State to be cleared and
ditched, and for royal rents paid to the
fortunate lessons. After it had been IN
proved, cleared up and taken out of the
wilderness and buildings put upon it by
the State, General Matthew w. Ransom.
of the county of Northampton. notified
the superintendent Of the penitentiary
and the Governor of the State. that the
Democratic board had taken the lease
and paid out uncounted thousands of dol
lars III the way of improvements and
rents. and all this they had done on prop
erty to which they had no title; that the
lease was void and worthless. because
there was mortgage on the property
and the mortgages did not Join in tho
lease. and the mortgage had been fore
closed. and General Ransom. or his son.
had become the purchaser of the farm at
the mortgage sale. And. after the State
had improved and rescued it from tho
NllutJHeSS, " turned ont mat II had be-
1onged to General Ransom or his son.
Of course the State ought not TO com
plain about anything Of this sort. becausc
we should submit to anything for the
sake of good government"
And for the same reason complaint
should not be made about the Arson
Plantation. Your Democratic board
II do not mean your returning board
but the nenitentiary board.) made y
contract for the lease of about $500
acres of waste land. consisting of rocks
gulies. and overflow bottoms, some old
turned-out fields and considerable,
quantity of growing wood IT stood right
thick. 1t WAS easy to cut: man of your
size and build. properly dealt with nv thu
law and duly disciplined. could cut two
or three cords day. but while we cut
tho wood. we cannot cnt the railroads on
the freight; consequently when we arc
cutting wood. we are working for tht
railroads and thereby making fusion
with yOn and the other managers Of thu
Democratic party and probably assisting
TO enlarge vonr campaign fund. This con
tract provides that tho State NAV huv