The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-09
HAS NO BACK DOOR.
1.-The News and Observer Jumped
When Nobody Pulled the String"

To the Editor:-I became a mem
Der of the staff of The News and OBJ
server in the summer of 1898, just
in time to get in at the beginning of
the campaign that marked the death
grapple between Democracy and mon
grelism.
1t was verify the privilege of a life
time-a liberal education in newspa-
pering in politics, and in human ma
ture, for MIN who should tcske the
trouble to see. The Fusionists had
brought the State back to a condition
approximating that of the Recon-
struction period. White women were
cursed on the street cars by negro
wenches, young negro bucks, with
cigarettes in their mouths, slapped a
young white girl in the face on the
streets of one of the States leading
towns because she walked around
them; the law being lax and crime
frequent and unpublished. And
then, while the mutterings of the com
ing storm were as yet inaudible-
drowned in the cries of peace, peace"
that came from the "conserVativ -
The News and Observer lifted up its
voice and spakc, in behalf of white
womanhood and white civilization,
words that bit
l was in a position to know, and,
now that my connection with the pa
per has long ceased, | can say with
out i'll grace, and as merely giving
credit where it is due. that The News
and Observer fed the fires in the boil
ers and supplied the ammunition dur
ing that most memorable campaign
since the carpet-baggers were over
thrown. Today some member of its
staff would dig up some piece of Flu
sion rascality and tomorrow its cores
pondents from North, East, West and
South would show in their reports that
the alert stumpers under the direct
ton of that most astute and far
sighted political manager, f. M. Sim
mons, had driven It home in the minds
of their hearers.
1t was hard work it was nerve
wrecking work-it was. if you please,
the fermentation of reVOlutiOn-bu it
was the revolution through which
should come an irrefragible guaran-
tee of the integrity of the States in
situations and those blessings of light
and of liberty that make North Caro-
lima today a, leader, not follower.
And if The News and Observer had
done nothing else than lead-as 7
know it did lead-in that fight it
would have earned the eternal graft
tude of the people of the State
There was of course, an amusing
campaign and one feature of it was
the attempt to interview a Populist
statesman on some matter of party
policy. They all had strict instruct
lions to say nothing to a News and
Observer man under any circum-
stances. / remember that one night
they had a meeting of the State Com
mittee. The members vanished, as per
orders, the moment they adjourned. I
missed adjournment by two minutes
and, of course, missed all the mem
berS. [ located one at the Marlborough.
however and raped on the door.
Who's there?" was the response.
Its me- | replied. The grammar
proved the open sesame, as l expected,
and the door was partially opened.
When he saw who it was he was
mad Populist but / had my foot in
the crack of the door and he had per-
force to be interviewed. Then / went
down in the lobby and found Ohio
Wilson, VINO, whatever he might DO
would not run, and got from him the
rest Of what had happened
1t is. perhaps, not out of place that
should say that what impressed me
particularly with The News and OBJ
eSrVer was the fact that it kept its
soul in its own possession, had no
back-door to its Office, jumped when
nobody pulled a string and said pretty
much what it pleased, within the
bounds of reason and the law. To
that more than to any other one thing
may it attribute the respect and es-
TEEN in which it is held by its peo-
pie and the phenomenal success it
has achieved with so small a home
field.
With best wishes for its future.
CHAS. SAPP.
Norfolk, Va, Aug. 10, 1904.