The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-06

over to the Southern Railway. No mat
ter why. You know, others know. Wheth-
er it was a part of the game from the
beginning, or came as result of some
later manipulatiNs | need not state
Anyhow | put on their collar and have
ever since rendered them villein service.
They wished your letters to defeat your
nomination. How did they know ! had
them? How did they know | had induced
you to write them by making you be-
lieve | was honestly fighting to make
the roads pay tax? You may surmise, but
is not necessary that l furnish the evil
dence TO convict myself. The railroad
folks have told me that l had a right to
make public any letters you wrote be-
cause they related to official business.
That is good for suckers and my hook
is baited for suckers OF course | know
that if they were official, | was guilty
of a wrong in taking them from the
Executive Department. But I must pre-
tend to the public that | think them
official and depend Upon my dear friends,
Fab Busbee and Bill Day to convince the
public that 1 am not wholly dishonorable
in turning them over to the Southern
Railroad.
Anyhow my hour has come. Long ago
I threw off the pretense of being honest
in my anti-railroad fight. Now l throw
off all pretense to dcncency. l have
decided to write the name BASTARD in
large letters over my name, by giving
the letters to the Southern Railway. I
hesitated to damn myself forever, as |
have done by this act, but l reflected
that my record as Governor had already
6a in no m nf al do
cent men, and that there was no deeper
hell for me. Therefore l hope to
drag you down. I foresee that an hundred
years from now the children will be told
of this act of mine along with Benedict
Arnold's treachery, but my good friends
of the Southern Railway assure me that
they are now in the saddle and will
hire a man to white the history and ex-
purgate this chapter in my history.
| hereby state that Southern Railway
folks have photographs of the notes have
in my possession. They didn't trust me.
though had promised to print the letters,
for they photographed them. They will be
printed anyhow by Southern Railway
henchmpn but before they are printed
am anxious that you demand that i
print them and keep me in the tatters of
responsibility.
| send you this letter by the hands of
my great and good friends those emf
nent railroad lawyers, FabiuS Fl. Bus
bee and William H. Day. You may recall
that in 1897 and 1898 | spoke of Mr.. Bus
bee in abusive terms. l regret my in
Justice to so good a man. Since | went
over bag and baggage in 1897 to the
Southern Railway and became their
willing vassal, l have learned to love
Mr.. Busbee like a brother. AS for Capt.
Day my love for him is of Damon and
Pythias order. Both these gentlemen
fought the Democratic party in 1896 and
1900 when you were fighting for Bryan.
We are ready now as in the last ma
tional election to do all we can to de-
stroy Democracy.
| have timed this letter so it will be
delivered to you on the Sabbath. Having
been guilty of the betrayal of your conf
dcnce and the lost the respect vi all men
who hold sacred all confidential CORE
spondence, I choose to desecrate the Sab
cath day by adding this last act in the
successive steps of my conduct.
Yours, &c,
BASTARD HE'LL BUSTLE.