The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-27

I tDaJ Dut VIII give III III WfltlnS.
Mr.. j. w. Bailey offered the following
resolution:
| Resolved that we appoint a commit
| tee to demand possession of the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
The resolution was adopted and the
President appointed Messrs. j. Bryan
Grimes. Il. II. Jones, and A. +. McCai-
| lum to act as committee under all
three of the resolutions. The commit
tee served the following written notice
upon Mr.. Ramsey:
department of Agriculture Building,
| Raleigh. April 26, 1899.
sAs committee Of the State Board
| of Agriculture appointed this day we de.
mand entrance for our board into its of
fees, that you surrender to this board
access to the books. records, documents.
property and effects of the board: you
having been deposed from office Cor fail
ure to perform the duties of the office
! of secretary.
| Mr.. Ramsey replied orally that he re
| spectfully declined to acceed to the re-
lquest."
| COL. CUNNINGHAM SPEAKS.
A motion was then made to take
recess until 4:30 O'Clock today. Before
| putting the motion President John s
| Cunningham mounted the steps leading
| to the museum and said: Il am sorry
| that it has become necessary for us to
| take the steps we have taken here today.
There is nothing in the history of the
State to equal the course OF the Fusion
members of this board. Its only parallel
was in the days of Kirk when the writ
of habeaS corpus was suspended and
men were deprived of their rights and
liberties without trial.
The people rose up in their might
| then and put their heel upon those
usupers, as the people of North Carolina
have always done.
when we came here before, Mr. Har-
ris rs President of the old board. vel
| coined us and expressed the hope that
we would do nothing in Il rash or hasty
manner. Officers were elected by Il
unanimous rising vote. We did every
| thing decently and in order. Now when
we return for this meeting, nine mem
bers lock the door in the faces of fif-
| teen and declare we will keep you out
by physical force if necessary Suppose
we had said we will batter down this
door: But we have taken conservative
course. These men who sat with us in
March and now attempt to trample on
our rights are acting as Kirk and his
brigands acted i'll the sixties. Nothing
of this sort will be tolerated by the
people of North Carolina, people who
are slow to act hut terrible when
aroused. | want the world to know that
we are law-abiding citizens, but we win
not permit our rights to be tramped
on.
The people spoke at the polls in No
vemher. The Assembly they chose then
elected us. When we were defeated two
years before Il minority of Democrats did
not lock doors.
1T is an unheard of proceeding ana
should be blazoned ON the blue dome oil
the sky that the people from Cherokee
, TO Currituck may read it,
MR.. HARRIS EXPLAINS.
At the conclusion of President Cum
ningham's remarks Mr.. harris. who
had appeared somewhat FESTIVE, said
he would like to say few words
There were some cries of adjourn, "
but President Cunningham did not
put the motion, and asked that Mr.
Harris be given a hearing.
The good opinion of no man is to
be despised," philosophically began J.
I. Logan. This question was not
known when the board met before
After the Day case was decided we
asked Argo and Snow, and MacRae
and Day for an opinion in writing and
they gave it to the effect that you
were not legally elected. 1T was an
embarrassing position, but we Have
not sought to take any advantage of
you. We intended only to transact
routine business until this matter was
decided
I'VE could not do otherwise than as
we have today without recognizing
YOU as members of the board. We
meant no disrespect by the course we
have pursued. ] think some of Col.
Cunningham's remarks unjust. We
want no advantage"
Mr.. Pou: SIN the interest of the
public are you willing to waive your
right to the ten days notice and AVE
this case heard at once?'
Mr.. Harris: I'VE will give our
answer in writing"
THE POINT AT ISSUE.
AT the conclusion of Mr. Harris's
statement, Hon. +. NJ. Simmons asked
him:
You say you want the question in
dispute decided. What is the ques-
tion?''
Harris: whether the directors APP
pointed by the Legislature are legally
elected"
"Simmons: upon what ground do
you contend that they were not legal
~ elected?'
Harris: I'VE contend that the Leg
islature had no authority to elect
tnem.'
Simmons: ''Was not that identical
point made by you in the Day case?"
Harris: Yes
Simmons: Didn't the court decide
in that decision that the Legislature
did have the authority to elect TO Of
fees created by it?"
Harris: No; we tried to get them
to do SO, but they did not do it.
Simmons: ''All the balance of the
profession except the advisors in this
case think ,ney did do t"
| The decision in the Day case is
| printed elsewhere in this paper.
The board then took recess until