The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-09-05

J.S. w., Lowell lass.
borne in their management of the peni-
Tertiary. $4,000 was paid in interest on
the states prison bonds issued for the
same purpose. s792.77 was paid to the
committee which investigated the mis-
management of the ~fusionists whom
Senator Pritchard seeks to mold up in
contrast to what he calls the extrava-
CANT administration of the democrats.
The democratic legislature was COM
PEELED to appropriate $55, 900 that year
for the maintenance of the penitentiary,
which was then under their control.
In addition to this, there was paid the
sum of S9,997.73 for lawyers fees en-
ployed by Governor Russell in the use
less litigation which he imposed upon
the state. These sums aggregate SILL
623.95. So if there was a deficiency of
$40, SSS. Is, $171, 623. 95 of useless expendi-
lures were made in payment the de-
faults Of fusionism. In that year the
democratic legislature appropriated Sc
500 for buildings at the confederate SOL
diers' home in Raleigh, and paid ST.
S79.75 more for confederate pensions
than the ~fusionists did in 1897, which,
added to the $171, 623. 95, makes a total
of 5000, 003. 20.
Senator Pritchard declares hat in the
year 1900 there was a deficit of $2S,2SO.T
in expenditures owe receipts. This is
true, but the democrats were not to
blame for it. They paid that year
sS,4S9.5 Sc of the old penitentiary debts.
They paid $1,000 interest on the
penitentiary bonds. They paid an
appropriation of $780, 600 for the sup
port of the penitentiary, although the
gross earnings that year amounted to
S195, 432. O2. 1t must be remembered
that the democrats did not control the
penitentiary that year. Captain w. H..
Day, who was a prominent lieutenant
of Senator Pritchard'S at the recent
state convention at Greensboro, was
the superintendent. Under democratic
rule the p~enitentiary had reached the
point of being Self-Sustaining, for 1T 1896
Treasurer Worth, in his report to the
legislature, a this to say in regard
to it: I'm 1896 only s., 200 has been used
of the states funds over and above the
earnings of the convicts, and had it not
been for the heavy losses by overflow
in 1896, there would have been but very
little assistance needed from the state
for 1897 and 1898. / now suppose 1t Will
take not more than $1,000 annually to
meet the expenses. 1 think the manage
ment has been very good" Instead of
$780, 900 being sufficient, the state has
paid S12O, 900 of debts for those two
years, and I am informed that they are
not through with paying them yet and
that one claim of several hundr dol
lars was paid in August, 1902.
Senator Pritchard declares that there
was an excess of expenditures over re-
ceipts in the year 1901 of ST, 509.1S. This
is true, but we are still paying the leg
acies of republican and fusion mlsTuie.
In 1901 we paid 1920 interest on the
states prison bonds. We lost in inter-
oct ON tho bonds sold nv Urea Sur0r
Worth the sum of $5,440. We paid on
those same old debts of the penitentiary
1872. "a. We paid to the penltentlary
the shortage of w. II. Martin, amount
ing to SIG, O60.0 4. We paid for investl-
eating the Shell-Fish industry s5S4.6O;
and then we paid the sum of SIT,
for lawyers fees in cases for which
Governor Russell's administration is
responsible, making a total of $42, 1920
If we add up the expenses incurred by
reason of the mismanagement OF the
penitentiary, the useless litigation inau-
gurated by Governor Russell, and the
unnecessary appropriations to the
maintenance of the p~enitentiary if we
had had efficient management, we have
an aggregate sum of S2S3 ,e34.9O-
Now if Senator Pritchard thinks a
great wrong has been done in borrowing
$500, 900 to pay for the expenses of gov
eminent, he should hold his W reSpon-
sible, because, by reason of their mis-
conduct in these three years of what he
calls democratic rule, we have expend-
ed S2S3, 934.90 making good their short
comingS.
Several republican speakers, in look
ing over the auditors report of the ex-
penditures of 1901, have criticised the
item of 81, SOC. "a expended for legal ser
vices, but any man who will read the
details in hat same report will discov-
er that only S221.65 were paid to lawyers
employed by Governor Aycock: that
S31S.11 were paid for the defense OF the
registrars whom Senator Pritchard and
District Attorney Holton had indicted
for political purposes, although every
we'll informed lawyer knew hat the
prosecutions could not be sustained:
and long before they were concluded
the circuit court of Appeals of tn
Eighth Federal Circuit had so decided.
The remainder of these expenditures
were on accoun of litigation growing
out of Governor Russelrs administra-
ton, and for which the democratic par
ty is not responsible: and to employ
whom he had made contracts. n
Pritchard cannot take credit in his
platform for what he calls the clean.
able, and economic administration of
Governor Russell" without being held
responsible for the unnecessary expen-
ScS lie liCOIISO.
In the platform adopted by the re-
pu%blicans at Greensboro we find the
strange Inconsistency and anomoly that
the republican party condemns the dem
ocratic party for its failure to provide
a four months public school in each
school district from 1870 to 1895, and
then denounces the democratic party
for making the necessary appropria-
tons in 1901 TO accomplish this purpose.
ThnI 80 Inv va nnn-nr
public aid to all charitable public in
situations Of the state and the nact-
ment Of generous pensions to the con-
federate soldiers. and yet The burden of
their cry as to democratic extravaganza
is that the democratic party has al
ready made the provisions for these
two causes
We find hat the republicans spent IL
1897 and 1898, for the three purposes of
education, confederate soldiers. and in