Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1902-05-15

Sdy lndt L nave dIIGduy lctlc GnCIl
public, because the letter of Mr.. Wilson
processes to give their substance, and
that this shows the he must have seen
the papers. Whatever information Mr..
Wilson may have received about them
was not authorized by me. I never heard
of his purpose to attack you and knew
literally nothing about it until l saw his
publication.
It is not clear that communications
to a public officer regarding his public
action impose an obligation on him to keep
them secret because they are marked
secret. or because their text or the at
tenling circun5stances show that the
writer desired them to be concealed. But
I have chosen to refuse to make teen
public. and at this writing do not intend
to do 50 without your consent.
l write this to inquire if you desire
these papers to be published or to ha
delivered to responsible persons for in
spection. Yours truly,
D. L. RUSSELL.
To this I replied:
Raleigh, N. c., May 5, 1862.
Hon. D. L. Russell, Dear Sir: Yours
Of date End of May brought by hands of
Mr. F. H. Busbee and Capt. w. H. Day,
was handed me last evening by Capt. w.
II. Day in person, with request that l
deliver my reply to his stenographer if
he were out of town.
When as Chief Executive you We're en-
deavoring to enforce the law against the
great railroad corporations, who were
openly violating it, you sought me and
asked my judgment and advice. Believ-
ing that all violations of the law should
be repressed, no matter how powerful
were those committing those violations,
[ thought it my duty to give you what
ever proper aid I could. If in so doing
made any communications which were
official, they should still be in the exec
Utive files. If they were personal and
confidential, received and accepted by you
as such, why are they now in the pos
session of the attorneys of the corpora
tons whom you were then proceeding
against for violating the laws of the
State2
Without admitting your mistaken al
legation of fact and your process of reas-
cning by which you seek to justify your
delivery of whatever L may have written
you in personal confidence, to the coun-
sci OF the impeacaed judges, still if the
propriaty of that act were conceded. it
does not account for the fact that more
tl,an twelve months after the acquittal
Of the judges, the originals should be de-
Iivered to the attorneys of the corpora
tions who are seeking to avenge on me
you1 plCd &ASCubAOh VI &c 10"
against them, and that it is part of a
violent attack upon me by a man whom
you removed from Office ftecausc in the
execution of your sworn duty you ad-
judged you were compelled to do SO.
AS you offer to send the let
tiers to some responsible friend of
yours at this point for inspec-
ton, I will be glad if that can he done,
with leave for me to take copies. May l
IL @-J- -Ia4 - - - ,oAr,
be consistent with your convenience.
Yours truly,
WALTER CLARK.
Capt Day being out OF town and not
knowing how far the clerk of this at+or-
ney of the Seaboard Railroad Company
was authorized to represent eX-Gov. Rus
sell, the above letter was sent him direct
by U. S. mail.
By mail, and not as before, by the
medium of the attorneys of the two great
railroad systems 1 received the following
reply:
Wilmington, N. c., May 5. 1902.
Hon. Walter Clark, Raleigh, N. G..
Dear Sir: Yours of May 5th received
AS to your allegation about my asking
your judgment and advice, 1 merely
note it to say that it is not admitted in
manner and form as stated.
I have this moment written a letter to
Hon. r. H. Busbee, a copy of which is
herewith inelesed.
Yours, etc,
D. l.. RUSSELL.
The following is the copy Of his letter
to Mr.. Busbee which he enclosed mo:
Wilmington, N. c., May 6. 1902.
Hon. +. H. Busbee, Raleigh, N. C..
Dear Sir: / have sent you the paper,
written by Judge Clark. These papers
as you know, were committed to you il
:. the confidence that they would be KEEP
, private and secret aha not used unles
!, it became, in the opinion of counsel. alb
/ solutely essential for the defense OF tn
impeached judges Judge Clark has re
i Guested me to deliver them to som
friend of mine for the inspection of him
self or of his friends. l desire you t
5 comply with this request.
f Of course you can furnish comics t
: Judge Clark. or to any one authorize
t by him to receive them.
It must be distinctly understood tina
5 no one of these papers is to be given CT
7 for publication by you, nor are they o
any of them to be shown to any one ex
j cept Judge Clark o" to his authorize
e agents. If they are published tho rui
n LEGATION must be made by Judge CLARK.
Please understand that this letter ]
o not for publication and that it also