The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-02-16
thursday. February 16, 1899
THE WILSON CASE--A HARD NUT
TO CRACK.

TO CRACK.
The joint session of the General AS
sembly acted wisely in postponing the
vote upon the report of the special COM
mittee charged with the duty OF investi
eating the removal of the Wilson's. 1t
would have been great mistake to hav
pressed vote before time was given
for full consideration. In the short de-
bate that followed ana in the private talk
among members it was developed that
there was a sharp difference of opinion.
In view of the Importance and delicacy
of the matter, the vote ought not to be
taken until the report of the committee
has been read and carefully weighed by
the members, for as Senator Hicks, Of
Granville, said yesterday, each member
is sworn to vote according to the dictates
of his conscience after he has examined
the law and facts in the case.
The News and Observer had hoped
that the wisdom of the lawyers in the
General Assembly would devise a plan
of sending this matter to the courts for
adjudication. At the time of he re-
moval we took the ground that no law
ought to permit Governor to remove
any man from office without being forced
to submit the charges against him to a
jury of his country. 1t is a matter for
regret that when the Legislature as
sembled it did not send the parties to
the courts, where a jury might pass
upon the issues at stake. Then the
cases of Maj. Wilson and S. Ohio Will
son would have been heard upon the:c
separate merits, and the yerl;cr would
have been in accord with the evidence
presented in person. 1t would have also
given opportunity for a personal ex-
animation and cross examination of Vice
President Andrews and Governor Rus
was that Maj. Wilson was under obliga-
tons to Vice President Andrews and the
Southern Railway, because Col. An
drews held a mortgage on property be-
longing to Maj Wilson, and that he
dominated S. Ohio Wilson because he
gave him the exclusive privilege of
making money by feeding travellers on
the Western road. Now it is manifest
that Col. Andrews evidence would have
bearing upon these charges. 1t has been
alleged that Governor Russell was in
stigated by designing parties to remove
the Wilson's. and that he was actuated
by base motiyes& He is capable of any
meanness or malicious action. 1t would
have been of value to have subjected
him to cross-examination. These are the
very two men whose evidence was most
important and most needed, and yet it
has not been secured. Without it "a
material link in the chain Of evidence is
wanting.
When Majuu Wilson was originally
chosen on the Railroad Commission it
was known that his life work was such
as had fixed in him the habit of looking
at questions of railroad regulation more
from the standpoint of the railroad man
ager than the shipper. 1t was argued
in 1891, when he was first chosen that
it was only fair to elect one man ia
vorable to the railroads and two men
who would be looking at the questions
from the shippers standpoint. Major
Wilson, from his training as railroad
man. has always been slow to make
such reductions as the shippers and
farmers demanded. We have never
heard any one say that in this course he
was corrupt or open to corrupt influences,
and in common with many others who
widely disagreed with him in his public
endorsement of Russell's attempt to put
a stigma upon his name. Russell has
indeed played TO the galleries in pre-
tense at fighting corporation greed, but
when the time came to stand he became
their willing yassal, and impeachment
would be none too good for him. While
never joining in any persecution of
Major Wilson, it is our conviction that
it was not seemly for him as Railroad
Commissioner to borrow money from
Col Andrews or through bank with
Col. Andrews or any other railroad Off
Ger as endorser; TO apply to tho rail