The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-31

This WhOlo community was sur
prised and very indignant yesterday
morning when it was learned that
Judge Purnell, of the Federal Court
here. had ordered Mr.. Josephus
Daniels, editor of The News and OBJ
server, to appear before him and
show cause why he should not be at
tached for contempt Of court, on ac-
count of editorials in Sunday morn
ing's News and Observer.
1t was the talk of the city yester-
day and messages over the long-dist-
ance telephone and the telegraph
showed that it had spread to many
points in the State in an incredibly
short time.
The office of The News and Observer
was besieged all day with friends
calling upon Mr.. Daniels to offer any
aid that might be needed and to ex-
pressed their Indignation at what many
called piece of outrageous as
sumption of power. A number of
visitors warmly congratulated Mr..
Daniels Ali told him they stood
right with him, and that the best peo-
pie of the whole State would be right
at his back in this crisis that meant
so much for the people of North caro-
lima, so much for the untrammeled ex-
istence of a free press, nay even for
the sovereignty of the State of North
Carolina. unfettered by a Judge of a
United States Court.
1t was an act that was significant
of a great deal, was the opinion eX-
pressed by several prominent gentle
ment yesterday. The ultimate eHects
of such a proceeding, they said, were
incalculable1 The press of the State,
they argued, constituted the eyes ana
ears of the people of the state IL a
Federal Judge can put out the eyes
and stop up the ears of people, ne
puts himself in conflict with the SOW
ereign State itself, and the conse-
ouences of a struggle between the
state authorities and the United States
authorities are too grave to be consid-
dered without shudder.
Moreover, people were saying, the
action of Judge Purnell was in the
nature of an attack upon the position
of the State in the matter of the At
Iantic & North Carolina Railroad re-
ceivership. for Mr.. Daniels, in his cri-
ticism of the Federal Court for throw
ing a property of nearly two million
dollars value. owned mostly by the
State of North Carolina, and controt-
ed by it, into the hands of receiver
but spoke the mind of the majority
Of the people of the State.
Such was the tenor of the talk on
the streets yesterday, where groups OF
men could be seen all day discussing
the matter in all its bearings.
A gentleman from Duplin county
said that all the citizens of his county
would come here if necessary, to keep
Mr.. Daniels from going to jail.
over the telephone came several
messages from different places, say
ing that the military companies want
ed q chance to come to Raleigh and
stand between Mr.. Daniels and the
Jail.
A very prominent lawyer from out
of town who was here yesterday, said
+.
he would be glad to see him send
forth editorials dated Cell No. 6,
wake County Jail by Order of the
Federal Court" and each one thunder
forth louder than the previous one in
denunciation of the high-handed tyr
amy that would attempt to intimidate
the press of North Carolina. And if
Mr.. Daniels should become exhausted
by confinement in cell, the lawyer
said he would guarantee to provide six
of the brightest men in North Caro-
lima to write hot editorials for him to
use every day.
That same gentleman said: when
I read my paper yesterday morning
and saw where Judge Purnell had
said that any lease that might be de-
termined upon would have to be sub