The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-05-17

ldiiuG0s dAlJA5 oAA0 kOko4ty
misleading.
""2nd. That ii is the sense OF this
meeting that this city Is in a strong,
healthy, financial condition, showing a
total indebtedness CT less thar $72, 900
($21, 900 of which has been invested in
an up-to-date electric light plant),
which is probably less than that OF any
other town in North Carolina of the
population and of Fayette-
vile.
"5rd. That while we do not know the
pernicious motive and sinister purpos
that prompted the writing and publ
cation of said article, we do know tina
there is no excuse or palliation for
said publication, even If It were true:
but il is not true.
"4th. That We d~enounce in strongest
terms the libel rejecting upon the fair
name and credit OF the City of Fayette-
Vile, and regret hat our local paper,
The Fayetteville Observer. should have
admitted TO its columns and given I'M
due prominence to a communication
so misrepresenting. so unwarranted by
the facts and so damaging to h best
interests of this city.
18th. That these resolutions be sent
for publication to The North Carolina
Baptist and the Raleigh, Charlotte and
Wilmington papers.
H. r. Horne. II. w. Lilly.
w. L. Holt. D. II. Ray,
n. A. Sinclair. c. ]. Cooper,
M. z. Crawford. w. l. Hawley.
w. S. Cook, a. II, Slocomb.
L. A. Williamson. r. Mcmillan.
/. A. Murchison. r. l. Holland.
r. G. Haigh, J. A. Pemberton,
". b. Alexander.
Mr.. w. 1. Hawley. chairman of the
water and member OF the finance COM
mittee, spoke on the effect Of the ar
ticle referred TO, especially as it at
fected the suit for the waterworks and
the sale OF bonds to purchase that
plant; and also talked of events bearing
upon and Immediately preceding the
publication of it. Mr.. Mcneil spoke in
reply as to the advice he had given re-
garding waterworks, years before. DIR.
j. II. Marsh said the meeting was to
endorse or %repudiate the publica ton of
the article. Mr.. McBuie, city clerk.
said that the article was not an official
report from the clerk and hat he had
pointed out errors in it.
Captain MCNEIL then offered the fol-
lowing resolution as a substitute for
the one presented by Mr.. Sinclair:
Whereas, On account Of a recent
publication in The Fayetteville Obser-
ver-That in it's headlines and context
might be construed by the outside world
as rejecting upon the commercial cred
it Of our city, and, Whereas, the said
article only has reference to the local
affairs of the city, and, Whereas, both
the writer of the article and the editor
of The Observer both disclaim any in
tention to in any way injure the credit
OF the city, both regretting the unfor-
tunate misconstruction that has beer
put upon the article:
Therefore. be it Resolved, That we
desire to thus publicly call the atten-
ton Of everybody-That, as the entire
Indebtedness of the city of Fayetteville
both bonded and otherwise, is only
about $4,000, which includes the value
of our municipal electric light plant
That, considering our ample
and financial ability to pay, there can
be no question as to our financial stand
ing OF, credit"
There was no second to this resolu-
ton.
The chair then put the question as to
the resolution offered by N. A. Sinclair,
Esq, above given, and said resolution
was adopted unanimously.
It was ordered that Captain McKeth-
ans paper, THE Standard" be includ-
ed in the list of those given In the reso-
luton.
Upon motion, the meeting adjourned
A. H. SLOCOMB.
r. II. DYE, Chairman.
Secretary.