The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-06-12
JUDGE CLARK AND THE CORPO.
RATIONS.
Enfield Ledger.

Enfield Ledger.
IN recent issue of the Ledger We
made some reference to theft fight now
being waged against the nomination
OF Judge Walter Clark for Chief JUS
tice of the Supreme Court OF North
Carolina. This pursuit OF Clark by
certain powerful business interests
is no new thing to the people OF the
State, the On V new thing about it
being that the active agencies are
now forced to fight i'll the open for
the first time The publications OF
Mr. Page, the owner of a small rail
way. and of Mai. Wilson, faithful
friend of the Southern Railway, leave
no doubt as to the power from which
the declaration of war was issued or
| from which the nominations are to
be supplied. Certain railways-hOw
many we cannot saV-are certainly
| in it. and that fact bodies no good to
the people at large.
| 1t is a fact that not Il very long
time ago the railroad corporations
| claimed exemption from the payment
OF taxes, and it is a fact that they
paw now only because they are com
PEELED TO do so. and it is Il fact that
these powerful business interests
| have never made single voluntary
concession to the people upon whose
| labOrs they have grown fat and insO-
| lent-sO insOlent that they dare come
| out in the full light of day and tell
the people there is one man who shall
not be Judge.
Judge Clark has taken hand III
| bringing these imperiOus cuisines
interests to book and is not vet done
with them He thinks they should
Justly turn into the States treasury
annually many thousands OF dollars
in taxes. enough in fact with the
money obtainable from other sources
to educate every child in North Caro-
liua. But these high and might,
corporations will have none OF this
pOpuliStic. anarchiStic nonsense an(
instead OF openly refusing to bear al
equitable share OF taxation they pro
pose to adopt the more promising
course OF pooling their interests ano
crushing Clark. This would be cheap
or and would remove Il troublesome
"danuprOuS man. and more than
that. it would be a warming to an,
enthusiast who in the future shOull
be tempted to initiate Clark's te
meritv.
What has Clark done to the ''lary
business interests that are now look
ing for his seal p? Ostensibly, nothin:
at all. but he is. they are very sure.
bad. bad man and should be sup
pressed, not. bear in mind, for an,
thing he has done to them but simpl,
and solely because he is utter V ba'
, and always dangerous. "
An interesting phase OF this wal
fare upon Clark. albeit somewhat III
usual is witnessed in the ready com
. binatiOn of these ''business interests
in the cause of good morals and til
higher life They are sending on
their missionaries, men peculiarl
fitted for the holy work by reason c
their piety and eloquence, and thes
apostles OF the propaganda for clea
living are at least earning their salt
and incidentally, only incidentally
, these devoted servants OF their mas
ters are deploring the exceedin;
wickedness of Judge Clark. 1t ma
be frivolous, indeed it may be sacr
ligious to question the genuine pa
triOtism and piety OF the master
and the missionaries, but-but-thes
lines will Obtrude themselves:
, "W hen the devil was sick,
,, The devil saint would b.:
l When the devil was we'll,
2 Devil a saint was he"