The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-14

| One of these days, if he can find the
| time, it is the purpose of the editor
| of this paper to write a History of
Journalism in North Carolina. There
| is abundant material for such a his
| tory but it is buried in mass of dust
covered volumes from one end of the
State to The other. 1t will require
time and research to bring to light
the story of the men who put their
lives into recording the passing events
and preaching what they regarded as
the true gospel. The memory Of
some OF the States best editors is as
covered with the dust of ages as
their writings have been buried in
scattered volumes. The men and
their writings are unknown to the
present generation. TO rescue their
names from oblivion. to dig out and
republish their best productions, and
to go beneath the surface and learn
the secret of their ambitions and
abundant labors would be a, labor of
love to one whose life is consecrated
to the work that impelled them TO
long years of unrequited labor.
Preliminary TO this contemplated
work, and essential to prepare the
way for it. as we'll as to let the pres
ent generation read the fesh-and-
blood story of the newspaper struggles
in Raleigh since the War Between the
States, we print today a story of the
Raleigh Sentinel. the North Caroln-
ian, the Raleigh News. the Raleigh
Observer, the Raleigh State Chronicle,
the Farmer and Mechanic all of
which papers are today merged in
the present News and Observer. The
story has not been told in detail, or
conned merely from old files. 1t is
told by men, who gave the best that
was in them to these papers. and with
graphic and Illustrative incident.
Naturally the story of a newspaper
is the story OF the great events of the
times and in these stories there runs
as interesting a thread of history as
has ever been put into type. No story
of Josiah Turne, enc William t.
Saunders could be wanting in thrilling
interest, for. in different ways, they
|
for men who placed the mere matter
of living as secondary to the greater
question of securing those things that
make life tolerable. Col. Saunders
was indicted for being the king of
the Ku Klux Khan. When carried to
Washington and called upon to testify
| he virtually put an end to the whole
| investigation by stofcally refusing to
| testify on the constitutional ground
| that his testimony might tend to
| eliminate himself. He was as silent
| as Grant and as imperturbable as
| sphinx when he choose not to talk.
| And when a Congressional Investiga
| ting Committee, desiring to get CAPT.
| tai about the Inssible Empire to use to
| the further humiliation of the South,
| summoned Col. Saunders TO testify,
| they found, in the language Of the
! day, that they were "up against it,
| No threat. no torture. no punishment
| could have extorted a word from him.
| Was he King of the Ku Klux? Ger
tainly he was leader in those days
| when there was call for daring men
| to protect the lives and the peace of
| mind of the women of the common
wealth. He died without affirming
| or denying that he was of that Khan
| which when first organized was neceS-
| sary for the protection of all that men
| hold dear. What a story he might
| have written of the times from the
| surrender till Vance's election if he
had put his pen 20 paper. The story
of Josiah Turner appeals even more
to the love Of intrepidity. He was
the tongue that dashed the despoiler
of his State. the vitilized pen that
reused men to action. the bold lead
er that shouted defiance to the UNI
worthy i'm high office. He was thrown
in prison for his courageous speaking
out against tyranny and suffered
martyrdom because in just cause
he "cried aloud and spared not NO
matter if he lacked the constructive
talent. as we are told, he lived in
day when the power to tear down
the stronghold of wrong was the tai
ent most needed in this good common
wealth Josiah Turner had that tai
emit he used it for all the people and
the strongholds fell under his power
full blows. The State will always
owe him a debt of gratitude for the
great work of the Sentinel in a crisis
calling for man of the heroic mould
and daring of Mr.. Turner.
The career of Mr.. Peter Hale lacks
the dramatic interest that throws a
glamor over the career of "Bill'
Saunders and 80" Turner. But it is
full OF interest TO the historian. the
Journalist, the man who loves
his State. 1t is not jnvidious to
say that he was. take him,
all in all the best equipped journal
list the State has known. He was
a printer and had mastered the trade
in his fathers office in Fayetteville.
He knew the technique of the craft.
He was a scholar. He graduated
with the highest honors at the Uni
versity and was always a student and
was master of the most virile and
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