The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-05-07
WAS D. [, RUSSELL
UNDER COERCION?
Did the Southern Railway Put
Screws on Him?
WAS NOT A FREE AGENT?
Said to be Where He Had to Obey Rail.
road Orders.
WAS NOT A FREE AGENT?
ANOTHER VIEW OF GOV. RUSSELL'sLETTER
Another Raleigh Gentleman Takes Hand al
Writing VIVA. He Thinks Was in Rus
sells Letter to Judge Clark.
Daniel in the Den.

All the talk yesterday was of the
suggested contents of the letter from ex-
Governor Russell which William ii. Day
and Fabius III. Busbee delivered to Judge
Clark ON Sunday afternoon.
The actual letter and the reply have
not yet been furnished to the press, and
in their absence it is natural that there
should be conjecture as to what they
contain. The letter of bastard He'll
Hustle" in Yesterdays paper made hit
IA palpable hit"-and the demand for
the papers was greater than could be
supplied.
AS | was walking up the street yester-
day afternoon / met a gentleman with a
document in his hand, and he said that
he had a manuscript which he would
like me to peruse. Before showing me
the manuscript he said:
Il read the bastard He'll Bustle let
ter today and it was very good. 1t was
full of bright things, but l do not think
that writer did his late Corpulency JUS
tice. l do not believe that he has acted
on his own motion in betraying confidence
and FORGETTING public respect I believe
he is not in any sense a free agent, but
that when the Southern Railway pulls
the strings he is bound to jump. / am
no admirer of the man but / believe in
giving the devil his dues. | do not think
he was dishonest from the start. l think
he was like the foreground nearer
and that at first he meant to do right.
Judge Clark's confidence was not mis-
placed for the hour. But the time came
when Russell dared not do anything ex-
cept to jump when Southern Railway
folks pulled the string. In this matter
he feels his degradation and it humiliates
him. but he is forced to do the bidding
of the railroad. Upon that theory, here
is the sort of letter l think he wrote to
Judge Clark, and so saying he pulled
out the manuscript which is as follows:
Judge Walter Clark, Raleigh, N. C.
My Dear Judge:
There is retraction in history
The bright illusions and ambitions of
youth must yield in the end to the ma
turer conservative influences of prac-
teal experience. The beardleSs altruist
Lecomes at length the Jesuit; but for
that circumstance, the early promptings
of his heart and nature, were none the
less sincere. 1t is so with one who holds
office. Office, like life, begins with the
ideal and ends with the eXpedient. We
all must make our ultimate bow to the
dictates of necessity.
All the world must know how in the
inception of my term of office as Gov
ernor of North Carolina / fought the
Southern Railway with all my resources;
and how, of late years, | have become by
reason of en- unfortunate indiscretion the
practical slave and unwilling tool of that
corporation.
Therefore, l beg of you that you will
view with as much leniency as possible
my action in handing over to the official
representatives of the Southern Railway
certain private and confidential communi-
cations received by me from you. 1t is
quite true that / asked for them for my
use in honor and confidence and that
they were all intended to further the
cause of the people against corporate OPP
preston and, were it not for the very
stern necessity of the case. l am sensible
of the fact that it. would be very I'M
seemly in me to attempt to betray you
to your enemies by their use. Self
preservation is. howsver, the first and
the last controlling law of nature.
Every one knows how, when / came to
Raleigh as Governor in 1895, my most
earnest conviction was that of the cor
rLpting influence of the Southern Rail-
way in the politics Of our State, and
that my most consistent endeavor was.
at the FIRST, to curtail and restrict as far
as possible The evil effects and tenden-
cies of its power. With that end IN view
/ started the proceedings to annul the
ninety-nina year lease of the North
Poi m from office
the two Wilson's who / was convinced
were under the influences of the Southern,
and sought TO do other things which
considered most advisable towards pro-