The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-02-01


on Lions Skin and paradea the high
ways. impersonating the King OF the For
est. Man and Beast fed before him
and all went well with his Asship until
he decided TO roar that he might strike
greater terror into the hearts of those
about him. But the Roar was a Bray,
and as soon as he had opened his Mouth
al knew him for the Impostor that he
wns.
The Moral of this Story may be drawn
from the lines printed below.
Late Tuesday afternoon the second an
nnal report of the North Carolina Cor
poration Commission was given out to the
press. rs
The most interesting fea lure of this re-
port, in view of the compromise OF the
railroad taxation cases, was the letter OF
the Commissioners to the Governor 4
type written copy of this was furnished 70
each of the morning papers.
Soon after the News and Observer re-
ceived its COPY, some corrections were
sent from the Commission office. They
were promptly made and the letter pat III
type Later in the evening further cor
rection was handed to a News ard Obser-
yer man. on his way to accept an invita-
ton to tea at the house of a friend. lie
promised to have the correction lade.
but when he returned to the office late
at night found that the form containing
the commissioner letter had eohe to
press and TO make the correction would
cause the loss of the mails for the first
edition Of the paper
Also the correction was deemed one
OF trivial Importance, being the statement
OF fact that everybody is presumed to
know. viz: that from the excess of in
come of railroad over its operating ex-
penses must be deducted taxes and inter-
est on funded debt to ascertain the pet
rcome.
Fer these reasons and these alone. the
correction did not appear in the Commits
sion's letter as printed in this paper
Did the commissioners complain? Not
at all In fact Chairman Mcneil. of the
Commission, said yesterday that it was
matter CT such small moment that he had
not noticed that the correction did not
appear aud he should not have thought it
worth mentioning if he had.
But the Morning Post, of this city, COM
plains bitterly. And in the course of it's
complaint has this to say:
The letter Of the Railroad Commits
SIGN, accompanying the full report, pub
lished Yesterday in both papers, stated
the gross income of the railroads in ibis
state for the year, with the total 'oper-
ating expenses, giving the lide-ens2 he
tween the two items as net income.
The chairman of the Commission re-
oucsted through the clerk Of the boari,
the News and Observer 10 add 10 this
part of the report the words. Out Of
he income from operations. taxes and
interest on the funded debt are 20 be de-
Quoted; the balance is available for divi-
dends" This request to insert these
words as we are informed. was commu
nicated 10 the News and Observer and
The Post The Post complied with the
request, but Mordecai's organ failed to
insert it, knowing too, that il was but 4
fair and truthful statement"
Just here is where the Ass OPENS his
mouth and. as he has done so often be-
fore, betrays by his Bray chat he is
no Lon.
Let's examine the above remarkable
paragraph from Col. Andrews Organ. We
recd
1.-THE chairman of the commission re-
quested, through the clerk OF the board,
me News ard Observer to adj to this
part Of the report the words. Sc.'
True. But how did the editor of the
Pest find this out2 And who requested
the Post to add to this part Of the re-
port" these same words? 1t says "the
Post complied with the request" Who
made this request? The clerk of the
board did not. neither did the chairman.
And again it would be inter esting to
know how came the Commission at that
late hour to agree that these words be
added. Who requested this? Was it the
Southern Railway? And if so wnere did
the Southern Railway see this letter
which it was undertaking to edit before its
appearance in the public prints? Does
the editor OF the Organ always submit
such documents to his Boss before print
ing them
As our esteemed friend Col. Sherlock
Holmes used to saw, Lets see. For II
these questions can be answered in the
affirmative a flood of light will be thrown
on editorship and management OF the
Post, about which it may be remembered
we have had somewhat to say on one
or two former occasions
And, dear reader, these questions can be
answered only in the affirmative, and this
IS the story
As stated above, the News and Obser-
yer got it's COPY of the letter late Tues
day afternoon. Shortly after this the
Post got its copy. An hour later Mr.
Henry Miller, Col Andrews private sec
retary and lobbyist, appeared at the Of
flee of the Corporation Commission and
asked to have the words above quoted by
The Post added to a certain paragraph Of
the letter He did not tell the Commission
how he had happened to see the letter
that was hardly necessary-but he did ex-
plain rs his reason for wanting to edit
the letter that he feared some people
might think income from operation was
clear profit, whereas out of this taxes
and interest must be paid, and he would
like for the letter to so state
The commissioners could see no obiec-
ton to adding the proposed sentence to
The letter though they said they
thought this was generally understood.
Mr.. Miller then remarked that he would
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