The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-08-09

Governor in good faith was bound to
observe" 1t did not require your res
olution to establish the fact that the !
report is not the private property or
the Governor" nor that 1T was pro
cured at the public expense Neither
proposition has ever been denied by
any one. It hoes not follow, however,
that you are entitled to a copy of the
report because II lis not my private
property and was procured at public
expense" I you are entitled TO a copy
of the report, each individual in North
Carolina is entitled to demand
and have a copy furnished from
this office to him. / cannot recognize
any higher right in your chamber-
mpos as it is Of able, honorable,
wealthy and influential mcmillan
abides in the humblest citizen Of this
state. II there is anything in the laws
of this state emitting you TO a copy OF
that report. the humblest citizen in the
state is likewise entitled to il and 1
should furnish it to him as readily as
to your chamber. But there are many
papers, reports and documents essen
tiaI TO the conduct Of the affairs OF the
state which, while not the property of
the officers procuring and having them
in charge, and which, while paid for at
the expense Of the state, are still not
public documents in the sense that they
are to be furnished upon application
to individuals asking for them, nor
are they to be published except in the
discretion OF the officers having them
in charge. l need but to call your at
tention 10 a few instances to convice
you of the truth of this statement.
This. office has on file, in a great
number of gases. letters opposing in
strong terms the pardon Of many pris-
oners. These letters are required by
the law to be kept on file in this office
and clerks are paid out of the public
treasury to file, keep and preserve these
documents. They certainly are not
my private property" Their pre-
%servation is at the expense of the pub
lie treasury, and yet, 1 would not fur
nish a copy of these letters to any per-
son. If 1 were to do so, citizens of the
state would at once refuse to furnish
me with true and full information with
reference to the life and character of
applicants for pardon, lest their state
ments becoming public, the criminal
at the expiration Of his term being cog
infant of them, would wreak his re-
venge upon the people who sought to
keep him from being %pardoned.
| / am certain that you will recall the
| famou case in which President Cleve-
| land refused to furnish to the Senate Of
the United States the charges upon
which he had removed Federal office
| holders, and this Notwithstanding the
fact that these charges were kept on
file as public documents, their filing
and preservation being at the expense
| of the United States Government, and
Notwithstanding the fact that the SEN
ate of the United States has the power
to pass upon minatiOn made by the
president and to confirm or reject
them.
Some years ago a citizen of this state
was appointed by President as Federal
judge. When his nomination was sent
to the Senate charges were filed against
him. The Senate investigated the
charges and took much evidence. He
was never confirmed. Repeated efforts
have been made to obtain these charges
for use against the nominee, but the
department at Washington has always
refused to furnish them or to make then
public-holding that it is essential tc
the conduct of the public business that
charges when mad shall not be giver
to the public, for the reason that i
made public. citizens will not freely
furnish the Government with informa'
ton concerning the fitness and charac.
ter OF nominees for office.
In our own state the eports to tn
Auditor made by corporation-in many
of which the members of your Chan
Der of Commerce are interested-ar
Il kept ScSISl anu iO CllIZSh vi liz Sldls
can get a copy of these reports, al
though the reports are the basis of tn,
taxation of the corporations. The rea'
son underlying this refusal is that TIL
exposure OF the business of the cor
poration to its competitors might b.
injurious. / think that your Chambe
OF Commerce will agree hat this is
sound view with reference to this mat
ter and If so, then surely, where, in tn
opinion of the Governor the public in
terest may be injuriously affected b.
publication of reports mad to him 70
his information, he not only has tn
right, but it becomes his duty TO with
hold these reports from publication.
!, Now 1 am perfectly certain that tn,
{ committee appointed by me and who's
report You request. would upon tn
slightest intimation of a request on m.
part, consent to the publication Of thei
, report. There is nothing in their re
t port which reflects upon anybody o
: any community; but, if 1 should max
t their report public, it lessons for tn
t future the frankness with which defect
and objections would be pointed out
for it is certain that no committe
: would wish to have resolutions of con
| domination passed upon them for ex
: pressing a preference for one place owe
I another. Such resolutions would un
t doubtedly be passed, for if the Govern
: or is not exempt from them, then it i
t apparent that a committee Of hi
l choosing would themselves become tn
subject of resentment if they ventur
ed to suggest that one place is NOR
= desirable for encampnent than anoth
er. If, as you their repor
points out Wrightsville as preferable t
= Morehead, then they would have sub
= jected themselves to the condenmnatiol
/ Of the Chamber of Commerce Of More
70 II haa6 CttU nd in Snnr of 1a;ro Gu .,;-I
have been tempted tO praise both equal
ly and leave me uninformed as to tn
= real situation.
I note further that your resolution
after charging me with ''conservin
the interest of Morehead City at tn
i cost OF the military service of tn
state" and with having done Wrights
vile a grave and deliberate injustice,
Respectfully Requests me to furnis
II YAIr cha hAr with q CODY of the ranax