The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-13
SOME CRUISING BLOWS
UNDER WHICH THE DOCTOR
sTAGGERS AND GOES DOWN.
HIS FALSE CHARGES CLEARLY REFUTtD
His Base Insnuations Reco on Himself
Some Statements Made in Ignorance
fhis own Seeking, his Eyes
Shut Against ght.


purported to be n correct comparison
of the Insurance taxes received by the
Democratic Secretaries of State, with
those received by DR.. Thompson, the
present Secretary.
| made a reply thereto and published a
statement in the Progressive Farmer
and the Caucasian, and in the two Raj
eigh morning papers afterwards print
cd in the Democratic Hand-Book) de-
nying the charges, and insinuations
therein. Before preparing that state
ment. | went to the office OF DR.. Thomp-
son and had an interview with him.
and / covered all the points which l
understood him to make. Since then'
however DR.. Thompson has made
sneech at Clinton, which has been pub
lished. i'm part. in the Caucasian, III
which he makes other specific charges
which / will now answer.
OF DR.. Thompson himself | know but
LITTLE. and while am surprised at some
of the charges he has made. | am
still more surprised at his audacity and
recklessness in making them. Most of
his statements are absolutely false, al
Though he had the correct information
Mt hand. while other statements are
mere Juggling of figures, very creditable
to his attachments as a man of low
cunning. hut utterly>out OF place in one
holding a high and responsible office IN
honest old North Carolina. There is
no reason for DIR. Thompson to suggest
II ..,&g co
excludes him from seeking to excuse him.
self, and prohibits lenient Judgment.
He said in his speech as published:
snow the Democratic papers viii be-
come historical and indignant at the
mention of these things. They will de-
no,fnce me for commenting upon the
conduct of men still living. and de
nounce me for calling your attention to
the carelessness. incompetcncy and short
comings of the dead. But neither de-
nunciation. high character nor death
can transform incompetency into compe-
tency. indecency of administration into
decency of administration, or drunken
ness into sobriety. They cannot make
n record where one is missing. nor al
ter what is made. Death itself cannot
sanctify crime or fill up a shortage.
1t is pitiable to see them take shelter
under the shadow of death, and say
Shield us with your dark wings But
! am comparing administrations, not
men.
is it not reasonable to say that by
their carelessness, if not by corruption,
the State has lost thousands of dollars
in that office every year,"
And again / quote from his speech:
Capt Cook. according to the Audi
tors report, did not pay into the Treas
ury dollar, for insurance taxes, after
May. 1895; and these taxes were not
reportable until July nor payable I'm.
til August SO i say it. and let them
explain it if they can, that if one and
one-half years collection are not
counted in Capt. Cooks collections, then
there is ne record on his books that they
are accounted for at all. He collected
it. or Coke collected it: Cooke charges
himself with nothing in this account from
Coke: and Coke paid nothing after May"
This extract contains the heaviest
charges that DR. Thompson makes.
Capt. Coke died August Both, 1898. and
/ qualified as his successor on Septem-
Der Ord, 1895.
A large amount of insurance taxes,
about $11, 900, became due on August
1st and was payable in August.
DIR. Thompson alleges that after May
25th, 1895. Capt. Cooke paid no taxes, or
other money, to the State Treasurer;
and that / do not charge myself with
having received from him any public
money Except alone the land grant fund
and that none of the insurance taxes
for August, 1895. has been accounted
for by either of us.
So Dr. Thompson charges that either
by carelessness or by corruption. the
State has lost thousands of dollars
Death itself says he, in his high TRAGEDY
language cannot sanctify crime, or I'll
up a shortage.
1t must be remembered that these
taxes were not due until August; and
that about August 1st the iamenteC
gentleman who was Secretary of State
became desperately i'll, and fingered al
deaths door all through that month,
finally dying on August Both
1t must also be remembered that il
took some days for the afflicted widow
to qualify as administrators, and neces
sarily other days elapsed before Capt
Coke's accounts could be gone over. An,
then on September Sth, when these
things had been decently done, there
was paid into the State Treasury ever.
cent that was ascertaineG to be due
and as then payable to the Treasury
by Capt Coke to-wit: $15,930.4 OF
general fund and $S41.6S on educationa
fund.
DIR. Thompson with an audacity AM
with recklessness in statement tina
is more amazing that any denial / hav
ever heard from any witness in an!
court house. declares to the people o
North Carolina. that no such paymen
was made, and with easy indifference
he assails the character of gentle
man who is in his grave, and could no
answer him.
But the Treasurers books show tina
the payment was made. The publish
ed Auditors report for the year end
ing November Both, 1895, pages 10 nj,
6J. shows that the payment was made
ard the following state ncnt by III
j. W. Denmark, chi=f clerk in tn