The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-05-16
JUDGE CLARK'S ATTACK ON THE
Err.

IluCA ldlhCu OIL tldTk-tSuSSetl lSILEES-
This article appeared IN Sundays issue
OF The Charlotte Observer, Raleigh
Post, and Raleigh News and Observer,
and had a copy been furnished this pa
per in time it would have appeared in
our Sundays issue. Our Raleigh cor
respondent wired us Saturday night. at
about $50 o'clock. hat the article might
be given out that night Intending to
publish in full, as we had published al
other articles on the same subject mat
ter, we did not care to incur the ex-
pense Of receiving it by telegraph. be-
cause OF it's length, and did not think
Il mere telegraphic abstract would have
been satisfactory.
in this article Judge Clark las mad
4 gratuitous, unwarranted and untrue
fling at The Messenger. Here are his
words:
The real owners of these great rail-
roads live mostly in Londo and New
York, and manage their properties
through overseers called presidents.
etc. To keep UP these high rates and
the p of two-thirds of the value
OF their property, they have established
and run to attack n bes-
mirch or intimidate any man who may
inform the people how they are kept
in poverty by exorbitant rates and the
exemption of the railroad property from
taxation.
Their proscriptive spirit is shown,
but recently when a railroad organ re-
moved from it's head an able, amiable
and patriotic North Carolinian, DR..
Theodore b. Kingsbury, simply be-
cause he asked that it might be stated
in regard to a vile and false attack
-@- 49, T. to- lTrn h n
1t had not been written by him."
In the first place, the proprietors OF
this paper were not hostile to Judge
Clark's denomination. They have al
ways entertained a high respect for his
professional and personal character.
and appreciated the valuable service he
has rendered the state by his historical
writings. The editorial columns of this
paper, which it's proprietors control, have
not i~nfrequently contained compliment
tary illusions to Judge Clark, and with
the approval of it's proprietors. The
paper would nave supported him cor
daily. il re-nominated. and were con-
tent 10 abide the decision of the demo-
cratic convention. We do not know the
source of Judge Clark's information, az
to this paper having made "a vile and
false attack upon him. He did not
get it from the columns of the paper.
He has made no inquiry of its proprie-
tors The only editorial reference to
the Wilson-Clark controversy in the ed
ftorial columns of this paper was con-
tanned in our issue of the 9Th instant
and is reprinted here in full. as follows:
WILSON CLARK-MATTER.
In The Messenger of April 18th we
published Major James w. wilson's
open letter making serious and grave
charges against Hon. Walter Clark.
who is a candidate for chief justice of
North Carolina, showing why he should
not receive the nomination at the hands
of the democratic party, and referred
among other things to certain letters
that he had written to Governor Daniel
L. Russell.
In our issue of Thursday, May 1st. a
reply was printed, prepared by Mr. w.
=. Bachelor, of Raleigh. which it has
.'een charged is a reply Dy 1uuse
Clark to the Wilson letter. In this let
ter IL is stated that 'he Clark knew
veil he had written nothing to Russell
or any one else that could cause any
friend of his to blush for shame ana
again he says Il may add here that pc
T re leaving Judge Clark, he added that
while ne did not propose to be drawn
into any newspaper controversy 1 could
say for him., in any article might
write, that he demanded the puollcaton
OF this letter that the people OF NORTH
Carolina might know what it is, hat
there was no official act or MS wnlcn
he did not invite the closest scrutiny,
and that furthermore he desired IN
common justice and fair play that the
original of this alleged letter Shoulo De
placed where it can be seen and ex-
amined.'
Immediately on the publication of Mr..
Bachelors letter, a representative OIL
The Messenger called upon Ex-Govern-
or Russell and requested a copy OF TINS
letter, which he declined to furnish
until he had sufficient time to think OIL
the matter. In The Messenger OF
sunday we said:
1T is stated here upon unquestloned
authority that Governor Russel wrote
a letter to Judge Walter Clark yester-
day saying that he had seen Batche-
lor's letter and understood from 1t tnat
Judge Clark demanded publication OF
his letters and stating that if Judge
Clark is willing he will allow all his
letters to be exhibited TO responsible
persons for Identification and VIII give
them out for publication
The Charlotte Observer OF yesterday
has the following from its Raleigh cor
respondent:
The letter referred to in last nights
speciaI as sent by Ex-Governor Russell
TO Judge Clark was. it is learned, de-
livered by W. H. Day today. 1t is fur-
Their said that Day asked State treas
urer B. r. Lacy to go with him to Judge
Clark's when the letter was delivered,
and that Lacy accompanied him; that
Russell, in his letter, said he had not
given out Clark's letters, but had SHOWN
them to only one of the counsel In the
impeachment trial of Furches ana
Douglas; that he doubted, however
1hafbar a public officer was entitled to
consider as private letters on pubic
matters. but that he had reserved this
doubt in Clark's favor. as the latter nae
requested him to keep the letters pri-
vate. 1t is further stated tna6 ClaTh
told Day he would consider Russells
letter and reply tomorrow. 1t is learn
ed that Day said very plainly that he
and 7. w. Wilson werenot friendly and
-. - 10. nf counsel in OutSlnS WIZ