The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-06-28

BLUNDBRS
A SAMPLE BATCH - DISTRIBUTING
CAMPAIGN LITERATURE At TINE
PUBLIC EXPENSE.
The Shell Fish Appropriation
a Fraud.
Giving Money to Those who Earned
Sothfng-Afraid to Trust The
Secretary Of state-Siaps Tho
Supreme Court In the Face
A Bold Piece OF Polit-
cal LegisIAtioD.

| Bold Piece OF PoIff-
cal LexisIstion.
The Legislature which convened
in January 1899 undertook to dis
place Mr.. Theophulus White, who
had been appointed Chief Shell-Fisl
Commissioner by the Legislature of
1897 for term of four years, SIM
ply changing the laws of 1897 rela-
ting to the oyster industry of North
Carolina so as to Oust him and ap-
point seven commissioners in his
stead with like duties to perform
with a salary of S4O0 each besides an
allowance for an expense account.
Near the close of the oyster season
of 1899 these commissioners met in
New Berne and in the absence of
Mr.. White took charge of the
steamer "Lillie," which was then
tied to wharf. They manned her
and one or two of these commission
ers proceeded on her to Swan Quar-
ter, where they sailed up and down
the bay few times and appointed
deputies to serve at different points.
1t is presumed the deputy inspectors
did no work as no tax has been paid
into the State Treasury.
Mr.. White proceeded to test the
validity of the law, which, no doubt,
was enacted for the sole purpose of
getting him out before his time had
expired, and electing in his stead
Democrats. The highest court Qfstbe
State decided he was entitled toFhe
office for the balance of his term, so
the new set Of Commissioners were
in but short while. The services
done for the State in the perform
ance of their duties were mere NOM
inal.
1t is fact well known, that these
Commissioners performed no work
worth mentioning. They simply
took charge of the State Steamer
"Little," and sailed rs miles and
back, and laid him up, and for this
service the long winded, long con-
tinued and unprecedented Legislature
way down in June, 1900, with a
rush, and in very few minutes, by
law which goes upon the statute
books of our State, allowed these
/, commissions, deputies, merchants,
, lawyers, &C., the round sum of S4,'
. 9S6,9S, of the hard earn
, ed money placed in the Treasury by
. Mr.. White and his subOrdinates. II
= was through Fusion legislation that
- the oyster industry has developed
and the most of these men who are
y given this money have even fought
the policy pursued by the Republi
> cans and Populists in regard to the
, oyster industry. ! ask the law abb
ding and good people of the State i
it is right and honest to take money
y from the Treasury, put there by the
hard-fsted oystermen, in the shape
of taxes, and pay out to men who
have rendered no service to the State
and who are not officers of the State
q which has been so declared by th'
. Supreme Court of the State.
~ The Raleigh correspondent of th'
q Asheville Gazette of June 10Th says
'The legislature, in their politica
r extra session, made more mistakes, i
y possible, than they did in their regu
4 lar session in proportion to the tim
l. they consumed. They took the pow
= er to grant liquor license out of tn
% hands of the county commissioner
h of Northampton county, and the ac
70 says license shall be granted on pet
Of tion of a majority of the qualified vot
Or ers in any township on the order Q
the judge holding the Supreme Cour
ID for said county. They have by thi
id act either made Northampton Prt
I'd hibition county Or established spt
t, cial Supreme Court for that county.
IN In amending the dispensary act ft
at Macon county they strike out certai
k, words in section three of chapter 80
tn laws of 1899, when the words the
legislate shall be stricken out do n,
,r- appear in section three chapter 80
Ia lows of 1899.
ry The laws and journals have us
ro ally been printed under the supe
,et vision of the Secretary of State, b.
to hit DR.. Cyrus Thompson liz
they put the matter in the hands
the Commissioner of Labor al
Printing without saying how mu
should be printed or how distrib
ted.
ve They passed resolution directi
no the Commissioners of Labor al
ist Printing there is>only one Comm
lod sioner of labor and printing! to pri
mr.. and distribute Immediately thi1
Of thoufand copies of the election Il
,r;- and two hundred thousand copies
on, the constitutional amendment. II
Low has always been the duty of the S
for retary of State. Was it the int
ton of the legislature to put t
work in the hands Of a Democra
officer so as to have these docume
distributed for campaign purposs
Ifso, it is a cheap way to have ca
ses. paign literature printed and dist
uted at the expense of the State.
bev They passed another resolution
mid recting the Commissioner Of La
svs- and Printing to have five thous'
and copies of the report of the conn