The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-06-21
Pcndcr County and The Test Farm.

Z To the Editor: l must again ask
space in your paper to refer to charges
brought in an editorial of the VIII
mington Messenger of June Sth rela
tive TO an article written by mlself in
regard to the removal of the Test
Farm. l hope, with this explanation
that | shall be able to dismiss the
matter, for | have neither time nor
taste for a controversy of this kind.
AS to the first statement, that the
writer was unwilling to sign his name
to the article rejected by the Messen-
ger, / would say that the article was
written at the suggestion of leading
citizens of Pendcr county and for that
reason, the author felt that he was
speaking for the people of Fender:
otherwise he would have signed his
own name. Had the Messenger kind
ly limited that that was an objection,
/ should have signed it. Now, if the
Messenger man desires to know the
names of these citizens of Ponder, let
him write the author of said artlCls,
and they will be sent him. (Stamps
need not be enclosed for reply).
AS to the second statement that
the Messenger did not believe the
IecpIe of Ponder would endorse the
said rejected article, why did not the
Messenger publish the article. with the
extensive editorial comment, and iet
the rOpl~ of Pendor and adjoining
counties Judge for themselves?
As to the third statement fhat the
said article was rejected because It
confirmed charges made mostly by
innuendo, some of them quite broad,
against persons who had taken active
part. through public interest. in the
location of the farm The writer
leaves it To the people to judge wheth-
or or not there were any charges made
in the article, which was publish 1
eI IN the Fender Chronic,e of last
week. against any person or persons
whG,lsc1Ner. For the bencip IF the
people of Wilmington and of New
Hanover county, who are his neigh
bors and friends. and who may not
have seen the Chronicle, he wishes to
deny emphaticaIly that any such
charges were made or intended, and
to say that such criticisms as were
contained in the remarks, were in.
tended only for those to whom they
applied. There is an old adage, new
ertheless true, that the 'hit dog isI
the first to yell 1t is difficult TO un-
derstand just what the Messenger
means by through public interest.
of this whole trucking section, in the
eyes of the Wilmington Messenger,
why the people of Fender and adjoin-
ing counties will have to overlook and
excuse it's mistake.
The Messenger quotes part of a
sentence and makes me say those
who are trying to secure the location
of the Test Farm near Wilmington,
desire to carry their point by force or
strategy" and challenges me to make
good the charge. The article to the
News and OBJ crycr speaks for itself,
and when fairly read, does not sound
SO drastic, My reply is the Messenger
of the 18th inst. stated that land worth
fifty dollars per acre had been tender
ed to the Board at about five dollars
per acre. and that almost the entire
purchase price was made up by the
county of New Hanover and from 9TH
er sources. / submit that this does
seem as if some kind of force or pow
er, if not strategy, would be used, not
to mention other endorsements pub
lished by the Messenger, of efforts be-
ing put forth to secure the farm.
AS to the ambiguity of the article. |
it seems strange that people who are
not better trained than the Messenger
man ought to be, have had no diff
Guilty in understanding said article It
is also passing strange that a man not
able to understand SO short an article, |
should write column editorial criti-
cising and denouncing it.
AS to the words concerning myself
as member of the profession of law. |
and as man, / have nothing to say
/ live in no fear of what the Messenger
may say.
with the matter. SO long, however, as
a free press exists in North Carolina,
SO long are the people of Fender GO
ing to be heard in what they believe
to be their rights.
j. T. BLAND.