The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-31
REVIEW or RUSsELL's SURRENDER.

About a month ago this paper, upon
information which it believed reliable,
announced that Governor Russell had
ahdicated his office and would hence
forth execute the orders of Vice Presi-
dent Andews, of the Southern Railway.
We stated that the deal" upon which
they agreed embraced the following
points:
/. The Governor would put an end to
all litigation looking to the annulment
of the 80 years lease of the North Caro-
lipas railroad.
2sMhe Governor would secure the
cons9nt of the railroad commission TO
drop the contempt suits against Vice
President Andrews and other officers of
the Southern Railway.
3. The suits for the penalties against
the violations of the free pass act
would not be pressed by the Governor
or the Railroad Commission.
a. The Governor would secure re-
versal of the order of the Railroad Com
mission reducing passenger rates to two
and two and a half cents.
3. The Southern Railway would pay
all costs in the lease litigation under
taken by the Governor, and pay the
fees of the lawyers retained by him.
6. The Southern Railway would lease
the Atlantic and North Carolina rail-
road, paying the State about $4,000 a
year rental.
Every one of these provisions of the
deal, except, perhaps, the last has been
fulfilled. Yesterdays News and OBJ
server gave the details of the meeting of
the directors of the North Carolina rail
road held just across the hall from
the office of Vice President Andrews.
They swallowed everything they had
said and surrendered completely, saving
only a clap-trap resolution about leaving
that when they crawfshed. they for
mally shut the only door to lease an
nulment. They resolved" a little to try
to find a soft place to fall on. They did
exactly what the Governor requested, as
nearly all their predecessors have done.
The proceedings of Wake Superior
court on Tuesday, with Solicitor Pou's
brief comment, show that the contempt
and free pass cases Were abandoned by
those who instituted them. In the con-
tempt cases. Chairman Caldwell request
ed mol pros, and the free pass prosecu-
ton was abandoned as far as the Gov
ernor could abandon it.
well voted to restore the old passenger
rates. and though he and the Governor
made speeches and explanations. the
agreement embraced in the deal was
carried out.
1t now remains to lease the Atlantic
and Nor'h Carolina railroad TO the
Southern Railway to fulfill every con-
dition of the deal as outlined in this pa
per some weeks ago. 1t may be that
there will be a hitch in the last provi-
sion of the deal in order to make a
grand stand play and pretend that there
never was any such dicker and trade as
has been carried out almost TO the letter.
The people of North Carolina can
not be deceived now by any speeches
the Governor can make. Unfortunately
for him, his attitude during the past
fifteen months is well known. His first
official declaration upon assuming office
was one of defiance of corporate domino
ton. Though he was Incorporate in
speech and indiscreet inaction, there were
many at first who believed the Governor
honest in his crusade. This number
grew steadily less as the character of the
men he appointed to office came to be
known, and the belief grew that man
who could fill important positions
with corrupt men could not be trusted
to fight the peoples battle. The result
proves that those who had the least
faith in the Governor were the men who
correctly understood the man. After
a fight for fifteen months. which at
tracted wide attention, all of a sudden
the Governor secs a great light, finds
out as by revelation that he will lose his
suit, and makes surrender that
astounds2eycn his enemies and cstab