The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-16

! people has been in power. Not a breath
of suspicion or scandal attaches to the
clean record. This will not be forgot.
! ten.
The contrast will make the record glow
with increased brightness, and with one
accord the good people will call tine
Democrats back to deliver them from
1.-THE body of this death"
AS an humble worker in the ranks Of
Democracy, have come home to joir
in the fight for the redemption of tht
State. JOSEPHUS DANIELS.
The predictions in that editorial have
been literally fulfilled, justifying what
then seemed large faith in the patriotism
and wisdom of the people of North
Carolina Day by day for four long
years, without vacation, this paper
kept up an unrelenting fight upon Fus-
ion rule, exposing and denOuncing it's
every crime, criticizing it's every wrong,
condemning its every mistake, and hold
ing up to the gaze of all the people it's
record of scandals, incompetence and
corruption. 1t is not egotism for this
writer to say that never in the history
of North Carolina has any paper done
so much to earn the gratitude of the
people as the News and Observer during
the four years of Fusion rule. We say
part of that work was done by four
brilliant and able newspaper men who
are not now on the staff of this paper
Messrs. VIM. E. Christian, Fred. L. Mer-
rift, f. B. Arendell and John Wilbur
Jenkins. The detective work
that ascertained and exposed the machi-
nations of the Fusion leaders: the
brilliant stories that astounded, startled
and aroused the honest Indignation of
the whole State; the ridicule, the satire,
the denunciatiOn of the public men who
were disgracing the good name of the
Commonwealth, causing crime among
the worst element and bringing appre-
hension of harm in every home-how
we'll this work was done by men who
were inspired by devotion to good gov
eminent, is a part of the history-and
a bright part-of that dark era in North
Cardinals life.
This paper fought and helped to win
that battle for Democracy, not merely
because it is devoted to the principles
of that party, but also because it is even
mere devoted to the upbuilding of the
educational material and moral inter
ests of the Commonwealth There is no
hope for that stable and substantial gov
eminent, necessary for uninterrupted
progress-along good lines lin North Caro-
lima, except when the government is in
the hands of it's truest sons AS the
Democratic party embraces nine tenths
of the States best sons. it's success
means good governmental government
so good that the business and profess
sional man, the farmer, manufacturer
and mechanic, can engage in their sew
eral pursuits with confidence that their
rights and interests will be protected.
That confidence, so essential to the sta
bility of business, returned to the whole
people upon the success of the Demo-
cratic ticket in November, 1898, and
upon the result Of the election in 1900
they knew that they were free from a
return of the corruption and misman-
ness in the States chief city unprofit-
able. Since the return of the Democracy
to power in North Carolina, new life has
been impaired to it's educational and
material enterprises, and freed from the
dangers that menaced, the ship of State
has sailed in smooth waters, business
enterprise has found good return, and
we have come to an FRA of Good Feel
ing" in North Carolina.
This paper, having helped to secure an
EZRA of good feeling rejoices that oppor-
tunity is presented for discussion AMI
agitation Tor the education of the people
and the diversifcation of the industries
of the State. In these directions, as in
fighting for good government, this paper
will continue to lead. It's Cotton. To-
bacco, Truck, Good Roads and Twentieth
Century editions have not been equalled
by any Southern newspaper, and it's
smaller special editions have done much
to stimulate the industrial progress OF
the State.
The years since the publication of the
Announcement quoted above have
been among the most eventfuI in the
history of the State. Following
the detection on the part of those Demo
Gratis who became Populists, there
came in 1896 a detection of another
class Of Democrats who refused to sup
port the National Democratic ticket.
In that period of uncertainty, the mis-