The news & observer., 1905-12-21
NO "DEMAND" MADE.

On Tuesday morning. while sick at
my residence. a card was sent in to
me by a new conner to North Caro-
lima. 'R. w. Simpson" l did not at
first recognize that he was the last of
the editors of the afternoon paper.
They change so rapidly that l can
hardly keep uD with their names.
Upon entering the room he said that
he had Just returned from South car
olina and had called with reference to
an editorial in The News and Observer
of Su~dav He prefaced his remarks
by saving that the article did the
Times an injustice and instead of
writing a reply he had decided to call.
II CALI he said. because l believe
YOU will do justice and if you see that
you are incorrect in your information
you will be glad to make correction.
l assured him that in this statement he
was correct He went on to say that
he desired no controversy with The
News and Observer and believed such
controversy would do no good to
either party. To that | assented. He
then offered to produce the books or
the company to show that the South
ern Railway owned no stock IN the
Times. and had no. connection with IT,
NV reply was that l would accept his
statement as readily as any proof from
the stock book. and would cheerfuily
so state in The News and Observer on
the following morning. In accordance
with my statement the editorial OF yes
terday appeared in this paper. OF
course | prefaced it by a statement OF
the reasons that had caused many
people to believe that the Times was
but a continuation of the Post but
added that Mr.. Simpsons statement
was accepted at par, and thought the
publication was one that any honest
man ought to make and any honest
man would accept.
In Yesterdays Times that paper in
forms its readers that its editor de-
manded" "retraction;" that the
article published was not in accord
ance with the demand; and that in
consequence the editor of The News
and Observer is "a viper" and all sorts
a falsifier and grand rascal. The
editor of the Times never made any
demand" whatever upon me. If he
had demanded retraction' there
would have been no further CONVERSE
ton and no publication whatever. IN
stead of coming in that spirit. L un-
derstood from his words and his man.
ner that he cafhe because he had con-
fidence in my justice and fairness. L
received him in nay home in that spirit.
If | had supposed he came to de-
mand" anything whatever. there would
have been no discussion between us
upon any question.
AS to the abuse of the editor of this
paper, it does not concern him in the
least For more than twenty-five
years l have been the editor of a
North Carolina newspaper. For twenty
years Of that time | have pursued my
work in Raleigh and nave borne a
part in the discussion of all public
matters For nearly seven years OF
that time, day after day. the railroad
organ at Raleigh hurled epitnets and
billingsgate at me. Some friends ad-
vised that nothing short of a resort to
shooting would answer the abuse l
have always declined to accept such
advice even at the risk of being mis-
understood. but hare gone on during
all. these years doing the right. as COD
gives me TO see the right, conhdent
that the North Carolina public Woufd
Judge me- and my assailants with fair
ness and justice. In these years. as
North Carolinians know. al that mall
evidence could do to destroy my char
acter and all that trust money could
do to destroy my paper. have been
done. Not once have the persistent
attacks, many of them penned by
hireIings of monopolies vitality inter-
ested in crippling The News and OBJ
server. caused me to change the course
of the paper hairs breadth. And.
instead of being injured by the steady
stream of detraction, The News ana
Observer. has steadily grown in circu-
lation and the policies for which IL
stands have grown in popular favor
The course which has marked its pol
lev has been followed consistently and
advisedly for a quarter OF century.
1t has won the confidence and friend
ship of thousands of good men anG
women in spite of systematic slander
and vituperation. At this late day
shall certainly not be provoked into
q departure therefrOm.
IOSEpHITS DANIELS
Mr. Dukes reputatiOn would have