The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-26

IT IS NOTHING SHORT OF REVO
LUTON.

LUl1ON.
Two weeks ago when this paper Ia
few days after the Supreme court in the
Day decision decided virtually that the
Legislature had no right to control the
States institutions said that all the
other exclusion officers would bring con-
tests for their old places, some of the
Fusion officers, who have since resorted
to revolutionary proceedings in order to
save their pie said this paper was
misrepresenting the Fusionists by saying
that the Board of Agriculture were con-
tempating revolutionary proceedings to
hold their jobs Yesterday they took ac-
ton verifying our predictions.
When the Legislature was in session
there was strong sentiment in favor of
Immediately removing John r. Smith
whose inefficiency was pronounced, but
upon an examination of the law it was
decided that Mr.. Smith could not be
legally removed until June 10TH and no
attempt was made to remove him. The
same was true of the Secretary and
other officers of the Board. The Legis-
ture then elected Mr.. Samuel l.. Pat
terson, of Caldwell, Commissioner of
Agriculture, and fifteen new members
of the Board of Agriculture. The Flu
sion members We're not removed. Short
" after the Legislature adjourned. the
twenty members met in Raleigh, held a
harmonious session, unanimously elected
Col. John S. Cunningham, chairman, and
Mr.. Il. *. Bruner, secretary, appointed
committees. and the next issue of the
Bulletin the official organ of the Board
of Agriculture, recognized the legality
of the proceedings and printed the com
mittees and other matters relating to
the meeting. There was no suggestion
then of a contest or of ground for Il
contest
Yesterday afternoon as the members
arrived, Secretary Ramsey in person, de-
livered to each member a notification
that the old members of the Board re-
pudiated the new members, had eX-
plunged the proceedings of the last meet
ing, and would go it alone.
Why this change of front?
The Supreme courts decision i'll the
Day case. That is the cause of all the
litigation and revolution that have come
to the surface.
If the action of he old board was
taken with the belief in good faith,
that the Supreme court would sustain
il in the position assumed, tEen it is
the most scathing possible comment upon
the decision in the Day case and Il
pertinent instance of what must follow
from that inroad upoa a Iignfied public
policy.
it is the most open, shameless and AFRO
giant grab for place that has dissraced
even a Fusion administration. That
the parties to it believe, however, that
they nave shred OF law TO sustain
them or that they are persuaded that
the Supreme court will follow them thus
far into the sordid mire of craftsmanship
is extremely improbable. Doubtless the
most that they hope TO gain by the un-
precedented course of yesterday is To-
keep themselves in place until the next
term of the Supreme court, and thereby
play fast and loose with he department
funds, for that much longer, after the
approved Fusion method. Then if the
court decides against them, and the
court will really have to draw the
line somewhere, the dog will have pro
longed his day that much
a few months more of office. Ii little
more mileage and per diem--thcse, uadcr
cover of a decision of the Supreme courf
that gives an odor of sanctity to q Flu.
sion tenure of office, are ut the root
of the matter.