The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-27
Mr.. MONROE SCORES HIM
BY QUOTING FROM HIS "GRI1A.
SPEECH" AT CLINTON.
IN 1893 He SAID he KNEW EVERYTHING
About the Office Of The Secretary Of State, and
Now il Appears he Doesn't Know as
Much as Grocaryman
About his ock.
About his S ock


To the Editor: Will you kindly al
low me space in your columns to give
rho facts touchn. my correspondence
with the Hon. Cyrus Thompson, with
reference to my proposed publication
of the North Carolina Supreme Court
REPORTS. made necessary by your refer
ence to the same in your today's issue.
| wrote him. and asked him for a
statement of the number of Reports,
and also of the different volumes. lie
wrote me. giving a list OF the Reports
he did not have. | wrote him that L
wanted to know what Reports. and how
MANY of each. he had. In reply, he
wrote me as follows:
"W. C. Munson, Attorney ut Law,
Goldsboro. y. c.
Dear Sir: Replying to your letter re-
ceived on yesterday, | beg leave to say
that it will be as difficult for me- TO
tell you how, many Supreme Court Re
ports | have on hand, and now many
of each number as it would for a
groceryman or dry goods man to tell you
how many commodities. and how much
of each, he has in. his shop.
I'VE are selling the Reports in a
greater or less number, every week. and
occasionally are re-printing missing
number; and while | should be glad to
comply With your request. II 1t would be
of interest to you or your profession,
there is no way to do it except to stop
the work. and take an inventory of the
stock on hand / understood your
first letter to be a common inquiry, anu
the only one. up to yours, made to TINS
office by the professions.
Yours respectfully,
CYRUS THOMPSON.
Secretary of State.
To which | replied as follows:
.'Goldsboro, \. c.. July ID, 1899
Hon Cyrus Thompson. Secretary of
State.
Dear sir: Pardon me for troubling
you about what may seem to you a
small matter, but. to be candid with
you. it is to me Il matter of much mo-
ment.
Il find that many of the most sue
cessfnl lawyers in North Carolina have,
only, broken sets of our own Reports,
many. who are quite successful. have
none at all. The impression that had
gained CURRENCY was. that the Reports
were not to be had. Every patriotic
man ought to want this state of things
to cease, | had, therefore towing 70
the fact, that | had published annota
tions of our Reports, and corrected my
own Reports in doing sol, concluded to
publish Il new edition Of the Reports
annotated and corrected. Many of the
first lawyers of the State, have encour
aged me in the enterprise. and not a few
who have the Reports, already, have
subscribed. You can easily therefor,
see, that it is of vital. moment to me
and to the profession, to know thu
exact truth about this matter.
II had Il dim recollection of havin:
seen it stated some where, that it wa
the duty of a Secretary of State to kee]
just such an inventory as you seem t
think would be such burden to take
and lifting the flood gates or memory
on the incoming tide was borne to me-
Lets go little further, the State o
North Carolina puts into the hands 0
the Secretary of State the sale of Su
preme Court Reports, two thousand o
which are issued every year from tn
two sessions of the Supreme Court.
when | went into office the Secre
tary OF State had no more idea than tn
man in the moon Tor Il groceryman) hoy
many volumes of the Supreme Cou.
Reports he had on hand He did 10
inventory them to me, and take re
ceipt for them. When I counted thel
UP, found that the State ehad abou
twenty thousand volumes. which sell Il
two dollars IL volume, making fort
thousand dollars worth Of property i
the hands Of the Secretary OF State ii
did not know how many he had, doul
if he had ever seen them. = = Il
KNOW HOW MANY / HAVE an
when | go out will tell my successor an
let him receipt to me for them \
the hearing of which, | was carrie
back in imagination to August 1911
lS3S; place, Clintom: surroundings,
large and representative gathering G
Populists of Sampson and adjoinn
counties; occasion, To- hear tine opcnin
of the Populist campaign Dir. Thong
sons Great Speech
Now, in all candor, laying plcasal
tries aside, it does seem to me sma
request, for one of your constituents t
ask you. to add to that inventory. thos
you have received since, and subtrae
those you have sold, and let him hav
the result. 1t would be an interestn
State document.
Thanking you for past courtesies an
in advance for the inventory. j am
Very truly,
wv. c. MUNROE.
Godsboro. y. c.. July %, 1899.