The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-02-16

$3.50 ~ ~ ~
X We mistake no', on being asked
Why the ponitentiary se n d to be
running behind, Mr.. Laa..r said i,
vas b. cause Of ,he droutns ssd fresh
cts, all OF wh oh mrst have happened
10 the fall, after ne AID the politi.
clans had made their campaign est
mates. 1t vas possible then for such
good, honest men to ,verdrAw re
suits, bnt in Smith and Mewborne II
Is deception and rAscality. Bat Mr.
Leszsr was more fortunate. There
were more farmers in that legisla-
ture than this who knew from expe-
rience what drouths and fresh. Is
mean, how farm-rs would contra ct
debts and expect to pay it out of
their 6ne crops, and then the droutb
and freshets would come, and the,
would como out greatly in debt
They had not learned then to call
this shortage "rsscality They
know better nov. They have harmed
90, that for . farmer, man ufAc' ure,
or merchant now to come out be
hind at the close of the year, it is
because he is . criminal. But they
have not learned yet from the News
and Mr.. Leaz-r, that if q man fails
in business and hundreds of indivld-
uals-vomen and children are made
to suffer by it, that the one failing,
making an assign ment or &C.
ing into bankruptcy is . rascal.
The news aud others will say these
men were unfortunate, and they are
allo wed to hold their sphere in socie-
~ and the church, and 60 unpun,
ished.
Then We can't see how or Why men
who, "by bad management cause
the State to lose money. are SO much
meaner and should be punished SO
much heavier than those who, by
bad management and trickery, cause
individuals to lose money, and fire.
q uently all they have. If one is a
crime. the other is, and to day the
world is full Of such criminals.
As regards the heavy debt and the
of the books, &c, if Capt.
Days committee told the truth, this
debt and the causes for it, floating
of Dad debts, &c, has been "GoINa
ON FOR YEARS. Does this not run
back through Mr.. Leazar's admins
tratiOni We're the books not kept
on the same stylei Did not all the
book keepers begin whtrs the other
left of, and follow copyi If this be
true and it is incompetcncy now, pray
tell us what it was theni Will the
News prett nd 10 say that Smith and
Mewtorne are the only incompetent
onesi Will the News be willing to
have a nonpsrtisan committee to in
vestigate the whole concern and as
certain if possible, who is RESPONSE
BILE for the shortage of the alleged
$11O, OOOi We do not charge that it
was stolen or criminally managed.
But if on investigation it Is found to
be so, then we say, punish the cr,mi-
nals-an Of them, and not . part.
Then talk about Christian North
Never heard of such
crimes Did you ever hear Of any
thing being done in the church by
some good high-toned memberi If
sed uctiou and bastsrdy is q crime in
the peniten tiary, pray tell us what
it is in society, in the church and in
the family circl.i Did you ever hear
of thisi Aud if such happening in
the penitentiary is sufficient to for
ever condemn the managers and
their friends, why not condemn the
church, its minister's and deacons,
or the leaders of society or the admin
istration Of towns when such things
occur IN themi
But suppose you think the peni-
Tertiary out to be purer than these
other places, and that its managers
should be punished. We want to ask
if such things didn't happen or crimes
ommitted while Mr.. Leazar was in
charge. 1t so why did you not cry
out aloud against it then, and say i
was a crime, punishable with abuse
and villi6cationi If We were a
anxious to hound down and blackel
the characters Of men and othe
parties to which they belong, as tn
News seems to be, We could mention
many things that have been done
and said. But it's not our business
We conclude, by saying Yes. prose
cute the Criminals Have the thin
fully Investigated. To do this, cor
trast it with others. We honestl
believe the penitentlary has bee
badly managed. Whether it can b
managed better, We have our doubt'
There is fun in store when the il
vest;gation begins. Let her COM
; We do not think when it is invest
gated, properly the court will decid
that the managers ''stole" the none
or are "scoundrels."
The Life Pressrver which has ca