The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-24

pretext'' for calling upon North Carolina
Baptists to boycott and destroy the
News and Observer-for that is its plain
meaning. Both in his Charlotte Observer
article and the editorial in the Biblical
Recorder the appeal is to starve out,
withdraw patronage, destroy the News
and Observer. And for what? He says it
is because the News and Observer has
criticised Massee and. Bassett. That is
rot the true reason.( Bailey's luminosity
toward the News ana Observer is poll
teal and is based upon nothing but poll,
tics. Nobody knows better than Mr.
Bailey that the News and Observer has
not tried ''hectoring" the Baptist church.
He seizes upon the Msssee incident to
vent his long-cherished hatred OF the
News and Observer, because several years
ago that paper exposed his political rec
ord and laid bare his truculency to the
cigarette trust, the Southern railway at.
tempt to dominate North Carolina poll
tics, and his insidious attempt to advance
the interests of the Republican party IN
North Carolina.
1t was in the year 1900, if I am not
mistaken, that Mr.. Baileys preaching Re-
publican doctrine insidiously in the co.
umns of the Biblical Recorder had be-
gun to unsettle the political faith OF 8
few lifelong Democratic Baptists His
columns also abounded with covert slurs
at the policies of the News and Observer.
A farmer in Wake county, who had been
an ardent supporter of Bryan in 1896,
came into my office and said he was
going to vote for Mckinley that year.
Il soon developed that he had been econ
verted" from Democracy by the Biblical
Recorder. 1t seemed to me to be a plain
duty then to call the attention OF the
Democrats of North Carolina to the dan
ger that confronted the party in the in
sidious teachings of Republican doctrine
by the Recorder To that end several
days were devoted to careful perusal
Of the files of the Biblical Recorder and
something more than dozen columns
of extracts were printed, showing that that
seduce its readers into Radicalism. He
asked to be allowed to reply to the crlCi-
cisms of the News and Observer in its
columns. Space was given him. When
asked to be allowed to present my re-
ply through the columns of the Biblical
Recorder he refused me a hearing in Its
columns. That is the sort of practical
exhibition of his belief in fairness that
he gave a brother editor! Through his
manipulations this would-be dictator Of
his church and this political boss actually
got a Baptist Association somewhere in
Western North Carolina to pass a reso-
luton that the News and Observer was
an enemy of the Baptist church. For
what? Solely because | had exposed his
political duplicity. He assumed to be
"the church." and because, IN pursuance
of my duty to expose enemies OF Demo
cracy, he was shown up in his true colors,
he assumed to play bishop and have
me declared an enemy TO the Baptist
church." l defed his assumption then TO
destroy the News and Observer, / DEFY
him now in his second attempt to have
it boycotted and annlhllated. And l re-
joice to know that the old-tashioned be-
lief in fair play, justice, free speech and
the freedom of the press are too deeply
implanted in the Baptists Of North Caro-
lima to permit this would-be boss to
lead them by the nose and use
them to Wreak vengeance upon news
paper that has done nothing but expose
his political enmity to the only party
that can give good government to North
Carolina.
1t will not be amiss to touch upon one
phase of Mr.. Baley's political career
When Russell was Governor of North
Carolina and was making nightmare
of government, he appointed Josiah WI
liam Bailey member Of the State Board
of Agriculture The nomination was coE'
firmed by the Senate. Bailey was there
fore associated with the administration
Of what came to be known as the State ;
manure pile" because of the bad odorS
from that department. He took not only
hi, per diem pay but actually drew three
dollars a day for his subsistence while
the board was in session. Never before
was this money drawn by Raleigh mem
Der Of the board. Later when lnTestiga-
ton was had, Mr. Bailey offered to 70
turn the money 1t then developed that
Col. J. C. l.. Harris, a fellow member o.
the board, had declined to accept this
compensation for board, because he was
staying at home and the money was IN
tended to pay the expenses OF the mem
bers who were away from home. Nhen II
became apparent that the Republican party
was doomed to defeat, Mr.. Bailey decided
ito turn States evidence" on his associates
on the manure pile. He did 50 with i
vengeance and wrote q letter fiayIng Rus