The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-16
RECORD OF SECRETARIES COKE
AND COOKE.

what Dr.. Cy. Thompson said OF the
supreme court reports before we saw
the letter of Hon. Charles M. Cooke,
of Franklin, in the Raleigh papers. 1t
seems that in April last the Raleigh
Progressive Farmer made charges in
yolving Mr.. Cookies integrity as well
as the integrity Of the late Secretary
of State Octavius Coke. The charges
were calculated to mislead while dam
aging the good name of both of these
honest and worthy state officials. Mr..
Cooke needs no defence or indorse-
ment at our hands, for he is album
dainty able to take are Of himself
and has a character above the faintest
faint of suspicion. The News and OBJ
server does not exaggerate in saying
that there is no honester man living
than Hon. Charles M. Cooke. His life
is Known of all men from his youth.
He is above any charge of wrong do
ing. His statement shows how I'M
founded are the Progressive Farmers
base intimations." If the Progressive
Farmers seek fairness and truth in
stead of Misrepresentation to make
capital for the black and tan gang it
will make due corrections and exon
crate the two democratic secretaries
from all suspicion of wrong doing.
NJ Con1>o,o cfotaponrt ic o1oar di-
rect and conclusive. He shows how
absurd, nov positively baseless, how
ignorant and reckless. are the %insinua-
lions made by the Raleigh weekly.
We have not room for the communi-
cation and it is difficult to condense
without breaking to some extent the
force of the statement.
The effort to prove bad management
OF much worse will signally break
down, and the present Secretary, DR..
Cy. Thompson, who has ability and
character, should be the first to repu-
,hiate the ~insinuations made against a
worthy and honorable dead secretary
and against a living ex-oficial of I'M
blemished name II impossible wrong
doing. If he understands the matter
in hand we see no other course that
is just and honorable that is open to
DR.. Thompson.
The contention is TO prove, is to show
that democratic secretaries paid over
less moneys for taxes collected from
insurance companies han combine
Secretary of State Thompson paid,
and from this fact is to be drawn un-
pleasant and d~isreputable conclusions.
But Mr.. Cooke very plainly shows
why more moneys were received by
the rad-pop secretary than by his
democratic predecessors. Mr.. Cooke
shows that the time is different-that
two years are allotted to Thompson
and but one year to Cooke. Mr.. Cooke
gives the law as to taxes and the two
kinds of axes on insurance compa-
MES. In fact he explains the whole
of operating, and the varia-
tions in different years of the amount
of the license tax. He shows how the
tax on fire insurance has been twice
Cooke and Coke, and the tax n life
companies $50 per cent. greater than
in first three years of the Coke adj
ministration and 25 per cent. greater
than in the last veal of Coke admins
traton and during the Cooke admins
tration.
He shows that under Cooke collec-
lions exceeded those under Coke by
SIT, O05.4 He says that "the increase
in 1896 over 1895 would be accounted
for by the increase in the number of
insurance companies and the extern
sion of the business and the increase
of Secretary Thompson's administra-
ton for 1897 over 1896 would be &C
counted for by the increase on the
amount of the license tax because of
amount to something over $4,000.
There has also been a slight increase
in the number of companies, and the
increase Of the comission tax on &C
count of extension of the business has
been much. Those who have not in
yestigated the development of the in
surance business of North Carolina
have no idea to what extent and how
rapidly it has continually grown in re-
cent years."
To show how very great this in
crease is the report of Thompson for
1897, is over a quarter of a million
dollars more than the report of
Cooke for the year 1896, and this in
but sixteen life companies. The in
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