The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-16
AGAIN AND AGAIN! FEED ALL
FROM THE SAME SPOON.

column disclosing the peculiar exemp-
ton from the general law of the State
enjoyed by the members of the board
of trustees of the Deaf, Dumb and
Blind Institution, at Raleigh. are of a
character ITO call for an explanation
from the member of the Legislature
who introduced the bill and, if such
board who prepared the measure. AS
the matter now stands, the misleading
captions of the two acts which were
passed. the fact that the second one
followed upon a plainly entitled act
of the preceding legislature repeating
a law giving a similar privilege, and
the general dfsengenuousnes of the
wording of the statute tend to indi-
cate a desire on the part of the father
of the measure to induce the Legis-
lature to pass law under a misap-
prehension, which it would not have
passed with all the facts before il.
For these reasons it is to be hoped
that there may be a statement forth
coming as to the circumstances of
the passage of the act and the pur-
poses for which it was drawn.
But whatever the motives of those
RESPONSIBLE for the law may have been.
the disclosure is not a pleasant one.
The old rule that individuals who
have been invested with trusts on the
part of the people should not deal
with themselves, is one that cannot
be tempered with without danger. But
it would be better to abolish the law
entirely than to make an exception in
the one particular case. The special
privilege and the fact that it seems to
have been persistently sought and in
a devious way, is, prima facie, open
to more serious criticism than frank
attack on the principle as such. What
the people who elect legislatures de-
sire is that, at least so far as State
institutions are concerned, every one
should be fed from the same spoon.
1t should be understood that we at
tack in the above only the granting
of special privilege in the case of one
institution as if We're in the case of
class of men. We think the law as It
is generally applied is good one,
that it is safeguard against weak
and corrupt men. But the law should
bear equally. If it is good for one
institution, it is good for ALL In the
particular instance the men who are
Of Al ~
the Deaf. Dumb and Blind Institution
are gentlemen of such high personal
character that they are gladly esteemed
by their neighbors and by the people
as worthy of any trust. The.intima-
ton that either one of them would be
guilty of taking advantage by a single
cent Of any transaction with the In
stitutiOn they manage would deserve
instant resentment But as trustees
they are servants of the State, accept
ing their service as an honor to
themselves. In such cases generally
the law says that they sho>.J have no
relation of personal profit to the trust
they are called to execute. 1t will
not be denied that. generally. as d
wide proposition, that is a principle of
right and justice. Why should the
trustees of one institution be exempt.
when all over the State there are hun
dreds of school committeeman who
cannot sell a book. hundreds of coun-
ty officers who cannot sell mule or
a load of hay or a barrel of corn.
hundreds of merchants who. as alder
men. cannot take city contracts and
like cases innumerable? Good as the
Deaf, Dumb and Blind Trustees may
be and impossible OF assault as their
motives may be. they are not better
than thousands of other equally hon
est men who are making in many
instances personal sacrifices in order
to serve their communities!
Believing as we do that the exemp-
ton in question was obtained from the
Legislature without its knowledge.
there are two thoughts suggested
which it may not be here inappro
pirate to voice:
One. that the State badly needs a
law TO render invalid any act the plain
purpose of which cannot be gathe red
from a clearly descriptive title.
The other, that until the next Leg
islature shall have repealed again a
law making an unjust discrimination.
the trustees of the institution involved
should enact for themselves by reso-
luton a law identical with that i'm
posed by statute upon other State in
stitutions; and that the Governor. act
ing within his general supervisory
powers, should make known his desire
that, repealed in the letter, the Law
against the dealing of trustees with
themselves as the controlling factors
in a great charitable institution should
nevertheless be followed in this and
every other instance in the spirit
Whenever you start to probing for
graft by the million in No\' York