The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1898-09-05

lature at all. For this fraud he was IN
dlcted. but the supreme court allowed him
to escape punishment. In another case
a bill passed the same legislature but was
not signed by the presiding officers of the
Two houses The supreme court held that
their signatures We're not necessary to the
lesalty on the act, and 1t had the fuli
Iofce ana effect of law. In the other case,
that of the bill which had been fraudu-
lently enrolled the supreme court decided
that as 1t had been properly signed by the
presiding officers of the two houses, the
reading and passage OF the measure by the
house and senate We're not necessary. In
other words, the reading and passage of
bills were a mere formalty. These two
absurd decisions by the fusion supreme
court have been the laughing stock OF the
bench and bar of North Carolina and other
states ever since. because In one instance
the court held that it was not necessary
for the presiding officers to sign bill to
make it law. and in the other instance
| the court ruled that all that was necessary
| to make a bill proper lSw were the slSna-
lures Of the two presiding officers.
Turned Out for Stealing.
One of Governor RusselPS appolnfees
was q nan named John Smith, whom he
| made superintendent of the penitentiary.
After keeping him In that position Tor
short time it was discovered that things
were going wrong, and the governor re-
moved him. stating that there was 100
much stealing going under Smith, ana
he wanted get him In some position
where he could not make away With~the
states property Mr.. Smith was accord
ingly made commissioner Of agriculture.
| THE present superintendent of the peniten-
tfarv Mewborne by name. seems to think
the reputable citizens Of the state are not
entitled to any Information about inc
way in which lie runs his department. A
little more than a manth ago request
was made of him by the chairman OF the
democratic party For a copy OF his last
annual report. or the report Whlch ne
should have made under the law early IN
the present year The superintendent not
only declined to give the copy of the re-
port or any information about the depart
mcnt but published a letter in tine news
papers addressed to Colonel Simmons, the
gentleman i'll question. abusing MN 1or
making the courteous and proper request.
It IS generally believed that Governor Rus-
sell was the author Of the letter Inns
man Russell was a republican for nearly
thirty years, and was elected governor on
the republican ticket by the aid of white
populist votes. Since he has been in the
office he HAS persistently prosecuted de-
cent white people of the state, and has
used every power which he could command
10 h'dho LAG d N -
oppn,'e''.9 c,aots
Ahe h"Iioo0h "i10 90
He has appointed to office. so far as he
could, men with PACK feco'oS' Hoiiie VI
whom nave deepehed the "yo 5,hoe ~
lncumhehcy ui"eI i'uSA7i'
John Hancock iof Ihs'"ntc' ~ 0'',',,l.
the huahtlc ana North Ia' "itI' i.''ii a.
the majority OF the STOCK IN "llcn Is owl.
ed by the state. Members Oh Ilahcoch
own family preferred charSeS an" piousuI
actions against nm IN tne courts WIZ" In
50 ehIaso" vac P,"P'0 " ,"' 10
crime involved moral tnrnjtlde.
But Hancock was not dishonorcd or dis
graced III the eyes Of Governor Russell
and the fusion politicians VINO sacceeoo'
,,,,t i 49,, ,.,.,.an ,,,s, eri,,nn =
rood nosition in the ofIce under his son.
One Of the most outrageous cases was
the appoint'neht Oh ~ i''oo 10 ne pVi''-
tehIl"fE ""P''i'' hno" iTcoio was 80
uiIh ''1l VIC ''I'N'''a '-'."9IiF'' WIZ"
proDab'y nave felHohS''"''u '.l'' II "ot pc"
that one of the penilentlAy directors mace
emphatic protest {" We governor 1t was
shown that Habb had been removed from
his church by the action OF ms felioW iiih-
lSlerS' VINO sustained S9FeiIl '"'t 5''
against hifh' the lc5t"l " WING" was '"''