The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-09-10
ARE RADICAL DULLES ON THE
RAMPAGE?


married after the November election pro-
vided he was elected otherwise the
bride be would not wed him. The
writer gave the name of the lady and
made quite a sensational story about it.
Dozens of papers copied the story and
many jokes appeared in the press about
it, some writer's treating it as pleas
lantry, and some as a fact. In the Ashe-
Vile Citizen of Monday this editorial
paragraph appeared:
The Roxboro Courier says that
Northern paper prints sensational
story to the effect that the fiancee Of
Congressman E. Spencer Blackburn de-
clares that their wedding is conditional
upon his reelection to Congress. II
that is true then therell be no we'd
ding unless the Drummer Boy chooses
another bride"
A telegram from Asheville says that as
the result of this publication, Blackburn,
two other Radical leaders being present
(Senator Pritchard and a man named
Cowles)-assaulted Mr.. Fred L. Merritt,
editor Of the Citizen, as he entered the
Battery Park Hotel. The story sent to
The Charlotte Observer says that an Ala
bama gentleman sought to stop the fight,
when ''he was knocked down by H. c.
Cowlcs, of Statesville. Senator Pritchard
that no one must interfere with Black
burn
Now isn't that a spectacle for a Sena-
tor and Representative in Congress to
present!
If Blackburn really intended to resent
with physical violence what he says was
an insult to his intended bride, he would
have promptly sought a pugilistic en-
counter with the inventor of the story
and the paper that first gave it publicity.
Instead of doing that, he let's the offender
go without rebuke, and in the presence
of two Radical associates if not accom-
panied by them, makes an assault upon
gentleman whose publication could not
have been an insult to the lady be-
cause no name was mentioned. He chose
time too, just upon the eve of Roose-
velt's visit, when he could play, as is his
habit, to the galleries, and he made
certain also that he had with him 'in
all capacities the United States Sena-
tor and another Radical office-holder.
The whole affair smacks of Radical bull
lying of brave editor because he is
showing up the Radicals of the noun
tain district in their true colors,
Mr. Merritt is a gentleman. He would
cut off his right arm sooner than insult
a lady. Mr. Blackburn knows that, Mr..
Fritchard knows it, Mr.. Cowles knows it.
If Mr. Blackburn had politely addressed
a note 10 Mr.. Merritt, stating that the
publ cation was incorrect and not pleas
ant to him, Mr.. Merritt would have
have been all that any gentleman could
ask. Instead of taking that course, the
Drummer Boy Congressman, backed up
by one other active Radical slugger and
another potential one. makes it the/ex-
cuse for an assault upon Mr.. Merritt, The
pap-sucker and the Senator stand by and
sec that nobody stops the carefully
planned assault which bears some of the
ear-marks of a conspiracy.
hoe oh
vigorous Democratic daily paper in Wes-
tern North Carolina that talked the plain
truth about Radicals. One daily, pro-
Tossing to be Democratic, was bought out
By the Radical corruptionists who con-
tpued to run it as a Democratic paper
Until the Implicitly was exposed. The
Citizen until Mr. Merritt became editor,
was good paper, but it made no votes
for Democracy and carried no terror to
mountain Radicals. It-is not so today,
The Citizen is an able exponent of Demo-
cratic doctrine and it has become i'm
mcnsely popular with everybody except
Radical politicians and Federal pap
suckers because of its honest and vigor-
Gus and manly exposure of Radical ras-
cality. They read it and squirm. Demo
Gratis read it and rejoice IS it possible
that Radical DULLES think they can 81
lencc it by having one of it's clustering
members assault the editor and having
it's Senator standing by as an endorser
if not an accessory of the assault? If so,
they do not know Fred L. Merritt. He
does not know the word fear, and his
physical and moral courage have been
abundantly established. Bullying and
fighting may succeed in helping the Radi-
cal party in East Tennessee. 1t will
only add additional collins for the Radi
cal party in North Carolina.
Understand US: If MIR. Blackburn had
| whipped the man who printed the name
of his promised bride in the original
sensational story, if he had declined to
make the amende honorable, everybody
would have applauded him. But the man
i