The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-26
DAY Of LOGE AND RAMSEY
WHEN EVERYTHING WENT
AND PIE ABOUNDED.
SPENT $4,000 TO COLLECT $4,000
And Put Men on "Just to Give them Places,
Said Secretary Ramsey. HcW loge
Harris Got 1900 fJr
One Spe, ch.

pointed by the last Legislature began 10
pry into the States compost heap, or to
investigate the affairs of the Agricultu-
raj Department, if you prefer the Ian
guage of the statute, which rs tame
and bunglesome us usual.
It is not holiday task. this stirring
ND of an eXcised putrescence, this delvlns
into the doings of defuncr fusionism.
There is nothing of the lolling in a
violet bank about it-not on your life.
1t was no Vale of Cashmere, was that
garden plot of politics that sproutcd
fusion fertilizer inspectors and CLERKS
and what-nots as wood mould pushes up
J toad stools; not even in its prime, when
I1ege Harris was head gardener and Hill
King and J. l.. Ramsey and others were
hungry but happy underlings-it has not
improved with age and staleness.
As for the facility of it, the investiga-
tors have the records. such as they are.
but without omniscience the records
are not plain in spots--and they who
made the records are naturally not de-
sirous that they should be too plain. and
so what is gotten from witnesses will
be had Through solid opposition crab
bed and gnarled."
Oh, no, there was not any stening.
at least none of the individual, grab-up-
and-run sort that lands people in the pen
itentiary--or il there was it has not yet
been unearthed. There was merely Il
.divy," you know The Board of Agricul-
tural found funds in the treasury
money, lots of money, more than it had
ever seen in all its pinched and starved
ing existence-and this money it mad con-
troll of and could vote to things and
people, could appropriate. 1t appropria-
ted, to things and people. The meshes
of the law are too open to land fish Of
this fin. The law contemplated that
public men in charge of public funds
would have somewhat in their innards
besides hungering after those funds
when the law give them the power 10
vote the funds away, to themselves and
others. The law was made before the
piping times of the Fusion Board of
Agriculture, and fusion's fine slogan of
ECONOMY with the peoples money"
The flsiOnist had mis- dance by consent
of .'the people" chow the fusionist did
roll the wordD and maybe The people
are estopped from protesting the bill.
On September. the 9th. 1898, Il year
ago now lacking the matter Of Il month.
this paper exposed the padding tic which
the Agricultural Department was being
subjected On September the 18th. it
said:
I'm yesterdays paper the public
was given the news as to the en-
plOyment of special campaign super
visors or inspectors by that noto-
riously weak and generally inconl-
petent gang of pie-hunter> who as
sumed to conduct III, grave and re-
sponsible duties heretofore perform
ed by board of Agriculture in pro-
noting the best interests of the farm
ers in North Carolina. These mon
grel politicians have had no conccp-
ton from the start Of the duties of
the positions they hold. and in this
particular the officers chosen h
them are as blissfully ignorant. If
it were permissible for the .Ialic
to have access to the records of this
department. as was formerly the
case, more startling still would be
the revelations
And every little fusionist yelper yelpeil
Democratic lie" and the gizzardless
mugwump wagged a dubious head.
Let the record fusion kept, Justify
or condemn the prophecy Here it is
THE DEADLY PARALLEL.
Total Revenue of Department from fer
tilizer tax collected:
From June, 1897, to June, i 1898 &5S,O39.74
From June, 1913, to June, 1899 6O,671.0O
Increase, d 2,632,1G
Expenses for inspecting fertili-
Zers I'm round numbers:
From June, i 1917, to June, 1898 D. 5000
From June, 1893, to June, 1899 $4,000
Increase, $4,000
Increased expenditure, 10000
Increased income, 2.632.1G
And there you are. This fusion ag-
gregation eXpends in one year $4,000
excess over the previous year for fer
tilizer inspectors who are to prevent
blockading and compel payment of the
fertilizer tax; as a result Of this $4,000
investment the Board gets back at the
end of the year $2.632. 16 by way of in
creased tax collections.
And who, pray, were these fellows
forced on the pay rolls? Political heeler
and floor walkers. put on, as eX-Secreta
ry Ramsey admitted before the commit
tee. Just to give them places" ant
as ex-Secretary Ramsey again ADMITTED
without ANY particular need of them
LOGE HARRIS $1,000 SPEECH.
Messrs. f. H. Busbee and r. H. Battl
Before the COmmittae
The committee appointed to investigat
the conduct Of the Agricultural Depart
ment consists of Senator Brown. Of Co
umbus; Mr.. Patterson, member from
Robson; and Mr.. Gattis, member fror
Orange. Senator Brown and Mr.. Gatti
were present and conducted the examina
ton. The first matter that seemed t
the committee sufficiently unique to wal