The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-11-30
WILSON SAYS He
IS NOT BOUND BY
HIS RESIGNATION
He Declares He Resigned Un-
der DureSs.
"PVE NO COMPUNCTlON"
"THE IlEGISLAIIURB HELD ME-
UP AND SAID YOUR MONEY
OR YOUR LIFE"
"PVE NO COMPUNCTlON''
"OF COURSE | TOLD THEM
TO TAKE MY MONEY"
He Says He Was Asked to Resign to Russell
But Refused to do so and Finally Resigned
to the Legislature--Before the Hear
ing Come.

HS NOliiCs
S. Otho Wilson last might set at rest
once and for adj the question as to
whether he considers himself bound by
his resignation to the last Legislature.
He does not consider himself bound.
He declared that if he Thought he
could be reinstated in the office of Rail-
road Commissioner he would have no
compunction about bringing suit for
that purpose.
Il was held up by the Democrats in
the Last legislature die declared ''They
said to me your money or your life
of course told them to take my money.
Il ann under mo obligations to anybody.
/ owe Butler and his faction nothing
/ owe Russell and his party nothing;
owe tine Democratic party nUthing. No
man who has been in politics i'm North
Carolina of late years is so free from
obligations as l am.
Il do not deny" Wilson continued.
''that | should like to be a member OF
the Commission again. do not know
what my rights are. / am considering
the matter"
Wilson then said that if / would write
ont the questions / desired to ask he
would write the answers to them. The
questions below We're accordingly written
out and Wilson read each ONE in turn
and wrote his answer to it. The ques-
tions and answers are given here just as
written:
WILSON'S WRITTEN INTERVIEW
Did you resign as Railroad Commits
sioner freely and of your own will?
No.
Why did you resign then?
Because notice was served on me by
leading Democrats, (tIhat while | was put
ont without cause) unless / would re-
sign and give the place to a successor to
be named by them, | would be defeated.
/ had abundant reasons to believe that
concerted agreement had been reached
on this lime.
Did the Democrats demand that you
resign to the Legislature or to Russell
Well! to resign; and latterly to Gov.
Russell. For reasons of my own, the lat
ter / declined to do, and have not done.
You resigned under duress then?
voluntarily resigned such position?
Did the Democratic leaders tell you
why you must resign if YOU were irno-
cent before you could be vindicated!
because of my political opposition to
the Democratic party in the last (5o)
and previous campaigns, which had en-
gendered their prejudice and ill-will
Your actions i'm the matter will be gov
erned by What you consider your best in
terasts?
Undoubtedly.
Do you consider that you are bound
by that resignation mot to take advam-
tage of any legal rights YOU might have
In the premises?
No.
If you are advised then by your at
torneys that under the decision i'm the
Abbott case you may prosecute a suit
with good chances OF being reinstated you
will bring suit?
Should / consider it to be to my inter
ests to do so, ] shall have no kind Of
computations in so doing.
You have seen your attorneys with
regard to beginning action to recover
your place ON the Commission?
No. / have not employed counsel in
the matter, and am the sole judge of my
future action in this matter.
This leaves no room to doubt what
Wilson'S course will be if amy reputaDle
lawyer will agree to take the case for
him. He will do precisely as this paper
has predicted from the first he would
do if he thought he had amy legal
grounds LETTERING suit to be re-
instated i'm office.