The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-05-16

ton, were partners xfth the railroad In
running q railroad eating house.
He thought he ought TO remedy this
and may have thought he would remove
some OF the odfum against himself nv
doing So But he was the last man who
should have undertaken t. Instantly
every railroad paper. every railroad
law agent" every influence the corpo-
lions appeal TO were set I'm mo-
uon 10 call up the ojium he had ac-
suired In the past and to make II a
party fight against him. He struggled.
ana struggled, but he had too much
Loao 10 carry For some reason, he
nnaIIy absolutely and unconditionaIly
and for tire rest OF his lad-
m~inistration he merely drew the salary.
Southern Railroad had made itself
coSeFnor and vas In the saodle.
Nnen ne nrst sought to enforce shs
law against the powerful criminals VII,
denantiy and openly Issae4 free masses.
Wnen ne sought 10 SEIZURE more reason
able passenger rates. when he sourht
10 make the railroads pay a .arrer char.
or taxation he desired information froua
me and / gave it. When ne decided
TO all upon the two Railroad Commits
sioners. who were I'M an eating
house I'm partnership With the railroads
and submitted TO me the form o. sum.
N%ASNsEN - ShAN ~ SAAo ia ~ InRE
should not be SUSPENDED. and I made
some slight changes IN IL, though ne did
not use that form, az IL turned out
Knowing that the Southern Railroad
would get hold OF IL and use and mis-
represent any paper from me. l asked
him TO destroy that paper. The CORES
pondence above shows his and 10 shows
nothing more.
When the southern Railroad rec ~
Governor Russells submission. Raey
seem 10 have zone through his peck
cts and got all he had that they cc-ff
m~isrepresent and use against me. l. "a
all printed above. Having DESTROYED
Russell by the aid OF the odiLm against
him, they then sought 10 DESTROY me
printing and i~nsinuating that 7 was his
ally. his friend, his intimate. The COR
respondence shows / was simT ~ acting
as n sworn officer OF the Law. giving TO
him, as | did TO his predecessors. any
data or information that would aid In
he impartial execution OF the laws.
BY reason of the high freight and
fares in this state. one railroad I'm North
Carolina has issued 10 its stockholders
one thousand dollars for every forty
dollars IL paid the state for the stock
Tor 30 for ID and some OF those shares
are now worth $3.50. Another issued
mortgage bonds and stocks $4,000 per
per mile on property they got for $4,000
or 5000 per mile and have taxed the
public freights and fares TO pay inter
est on $4,000 per mile. No Chemical
Bank in New York, 70 Virginia Lode.
South African Diamond Fields, or Col
conda mine pays like the ownership OF
railroads in North Carolina. Even Page
has a bonanza, earning so per cent. a
year on the sworn tax valuA ton OF his
little railroad as shown in his report to
the Railroad Commission quoted in my
note to Governor Russell above, and
which anQaEaH him Sn The rrat axrruara
of these great railroads who live most
ly In London and New York. manage
their properties" through overseers
called presidents, etc. To keep up these
high rates and the exemption OF two
thirds Of the value or theil property,
they have established and run newspa-
pers to attack and besmirch or intimi-
date any man who may inform the peo-
pie how they are kept IN poverty by ex-
orbitant rates and the exemption OF
the railroad property from taxation
Their proscriptive spirit was shown
but recently when n railroad organ re-
moved from its head an able amiable
and patriotic North CGrolinian. DR.. Il.
B. Kingsbury. simply because he asked
that ii might be stated in regard to a
vile and false attack upon Inc In its
editorial columns, that II had not been
written by hin
/ have necessarily taken more space
han / had intended. But / am a North
Carolinian talking TO North CarolIans
about a matter which concerns them
nearly, and their postcrity. too, for all
time. My people ave been North Caro-
linians from the early colonial times. i
have been born here. md expect to die
here. My highest aspirations have been
for the good OF the people OF my native
state. / wish TO see every boy and gin
given n better chance in life. / wish t.
see the corporations treated fairly an :
justly. but to pay a fair share OF ta3
ton and to charge reasonable rates in
return for the franchises the public has
given them without charge.
/ have made mistakes. i nave CON-
mitted errors. but God knows l have
never lone a d~ishcnorable act. TIL.
charge that 1 have done so. made by
corporation agents. has surprised the
public only less than il has myself.
The masses are shrewd observers and
are generally accurate in penetrating
the true character and motives OF their
public van In conclusion / VIII
give out of the many letters / have re-
ceived the following from a mountain
eer, who lives among the coyes in yam
cey. He may be i~lliterate. but he has
hard mountain common sense. he
writes:
"Judg Clark, ! have neern Tell of you
but never seen you. Mr.. Wilson sent
me one of his pamfieis about you and
I red II. IL all he and them other rail-
rode fellers ses abou: you was so. i ses
the ~railroaders would have had you fur
Their man long ago. sure pop. 80 L ses
its all a string of lies.
Yours til death-"
MY fate is in the hands OF tn. people.
I have served them riithfuiiy Ii: peace
and in war 10 the oc-t OF ;ny humble
ability. should they decide TO retain me
in their services OF rot IS fer them TO
decide. Whatever their decision / shall
bow TO the will OF the Sovereign people.
This is their government and / wish
that they and they alone snail deter
| mine public policy and the selection OF
their public servants. / have said this