The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-14

to the public that the letter is printed to
show that 1.-THE individual opinions of o
member of either am old or a new board
will not affect in the least degree the
official actions of the Head of this De-
partlment,'' and that he docs not pro-
pose to be driven by any man or SET of
men TO do otherwise Than that which he
believes TO he his Duty" This printed
letter, with the facts Smothered Mr.. Me-
bane uses and ScatterS broadcast TO make
the impression that he is made a mar
tyr. and to ingratiate himself in the
favor of all he can make this impression
upon.
This printed letter, this 'bonanza" of
fetal declaration, Withholding the facts,
but which like Banquo's ghost. will not
down, he taxes the people of the Old
North State with the costs OF printing.
And yet, Mr.. Mebane, the charge OF
partizan conduct being preferred against
YOU You throw mp your hands in holy in
dignation.
Can you deny that in reaching the con-
clusion that You would recognize the
members of the county board of educa-
ton as THE legal Board of School Dir
rectorS in Hartford county, you acted
ed upon the ex parte statements OF men,
bers of the old board or their attorney:
| Did YOU ask either member of the new
| board to show cause why he or they
| should not surrender to the old?
They could have shown. beyond pel-
| adventure that; notwithstanding the re
/ cent decisions Of the Supreme court.
| the members of the old board could not
recover their Office because they had
abandoned it.
Can you deny that upon application
of the old board for recognition and upon
their request for you TO do SO, you gave
! them instructions how to proceed to re-
1 cover their office? This is what one Of
them says You did, Mr.. Mebane, but this
/ does not constitute partizanship con-
duct. does it? Nor is 1t beneath the
| dignity of the functions of your high Of
| fee. is it? Why and wherefore was 1t
necessary for you TO impart information
Of this nature? They had employed coun
sci to manage their cause, and this should
have been exclusively his right anu
| duty.
| Again: How could you decide the, lher-
| its OF a controversy in fair and inn
partial manner without hearing both
| sides? You certainly know, Mr. Me-
| bane, or you ought to know, that the
! law arises from the facts and the ire
| cent decisions of the Supreme Court
establish no criterion by which you
| should be governed in each particular
| contest. Facts differ in the different
counties, and so does The law differ ac-
| cording to the facts. The effect or
| the recent decisions upon the matter
| in point, is to hold, nothing else appear
| ing, that the members of the. county
1 \ Il It1p Mann
bers of the Boards of School Directors.
| The appointees of the General Assem-
! bly, who went into office as directed by
| the act, are at least de facto officers. II
the de lure members have abandoned
| their office the de facto officers are en-
! titlde to hold over. The facts in the
| Hartford county contest under the de-
cisions in Williams y. Somes's, Dickens
v Justices of Guilford county. and Ward
V Elizabeth City. show conclusiveiy
an abandonment, by the old board. The
| facts and these decisions you ignore, and
in effect you say that the octopus arms
of the recent decisions embrace every
| contest and entitle the old boards to re-
cover even though the contests are made
upon altogether different points. Away
with such absurdity! Neither will the
plea avail You that you have acted upon
the advice of the Attorney General.
The Attorney General is well known
| 10 be skillful in administering partizan-
ship physic,' and the presumption arises
that You took the dose the doctor
prescribed with your eyes wide Open
AS TO your conduct in other contests,
or ruling upon other points, l have no
complaint to- make because / am in no
position to judge. but so far as HEREFORD
county is concerned you ought not to be
allowed to ignore one side and hear
the other. and escape with implhity.As
chairman of the School Directors in
Hartford county under the act of the
General Assembly. | have said what /
| have said For the reasons stated YOU
have made this open letter necessity.
| do rot care for further controversy,
| but if you wish it prolonged, '.Barkis Is
willin'" and moreover, | say unto you
that if ii is further prolonged
Lay on MacDuff
| And id be he who first cries, hold
enough
l.. J. LAWRENCE.
Murfreesboro. n. c., Jan. /.
The above letter ought to have APP
peared in our issue of January 1st. 1t
was received and the editor thought UNI
til his attention was called to it last
week, that the letter had been printed
two weeks ago. This statement is due
to Mr.. Lawrence--Editor