The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-29

meeting was intended to be secret.
Capt. Day came. As a result of his
presence. no business was transacted.
and | heard half a dozen members say
that Capt. Day was not eNepeted At
the meeting"
The News and Observers mission is
to print the news, to expose unworthy
or incapable public servants, and to give
no quarter to secret or cubic enemies
of Democracy. 1t has had thu good for
tune AT one times or another. to win
the hostility of nearly every Republican
and Fusion official. If ii had courtetl
their goodwill by permitting their de
bauchery of the public service to go UNI
exposed and unrebuked, the people would
not have been fully advised as to the
rottenness of Russell's administration so
they could overthrow it,
Just before the adjournment of the
legislature in order to prevent an in
vcstigation of the penitentiary and to
play IL smart game on the Democrats
Governor Russell appointed Capt w II.
Day superintendent of the penitentiary.
When the Legislature met, Capt Day
went to leading Democrats and said he
was II Democrat and would abide by
any action which the Democratic eau
Gus should take. The caucus acted. In
stead of abiding by its action, Capt.
Day left no stone unturned to thWart its
decision, and succeeded in doing so by
the aid of the Republican Supreme court
which virtually decided that the Leg
islature was not Il coordinate branch of
government. More than that: not con
tent with repudiating his agreement.
Capt. Day has sought in every possible
way to bring to naught the action of the
Democratic Legislature and has out
Russelled even Russell in his efforts to
keep Radicals in office after they had
been removed by legislative action.
If Capt. Day supposed he could thus
defy the Democratic party and seek 10
reinstate Radicals repudiated by the
people without criticism, he reckoned
without the knowledge that Democratic
papers are plain-spoken and true to their
party. In fact the criticism, considering
all the circumstances, has been very
mild. The popular resentment against
the course of Capt. Day among Demo
Gratis has been very bitter. If he thinks
he can meet it by attempting to bulldoZe
honest editors, he is very much mistaken,
as he found yesterday.
The News and Observer exposed John
Il. Smiths and Mewborn's administra-
ton of the penitentary when some
Democrats doubted if everything was
81 fasa -,
were all known they all saw that the
half had not been told. Capt Day sue
ceeds them, and has achieved the dis
tinction of being declared by the
Supreme court their heirs at law
He is appointed by Russell. 1t is con-
tinuation of Russellism and when the
Legislature next meets it will ind that
there will be another big deficit under
Days management The Democratic
party has no responsibility for it and
will assume none. No amount of buster
and abuse of this paper can blind the
people Of the State TO the contemptible
course Capt Day has pursued through
out his connection with the penitentiary
1t was only little more than year
ago that Governor Russell offered a Re
publican politician $1,000 salary for
the balance of his administration If the
politician would come to Raleigh and
assault the editor of the News and OBJ
server. The Governors offer was de-
clined, the party to whom it was made
saying that he would be no mans hired
assassin.
The insult offered Mr.. Merritt yester-
day. on premises which Capt. Day vlr-
tually controlled. gives reasonable color
to the surmise that the Governor trled
first in the wrong quarter, merely.
The people of this city universally
condemned the course of Capt. Day, as
it became known about the streets yes
terday afternoon.