The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-02

the street, every time he is met on
the sidewalk, one of us will slap him
in the face. You can tell him that
this will be done by fifty men, with
out mercy on sight, as long as he
stays in Wilmington
Needless to say. the banished poll
tician has not yet returned.
Still later, in an Eastern North
Carolina town, another man, a man
of wealth and property was appre-
hended in much the same sort of dis
graceful conduct that Bernard was
guilty of. He had, like Bernard, a
wife and family. When the disclos
ure came, the town was furious. The
man after awhile came back. The
next day he was visited by a commit
the place. They had gone to the tax
books, found out every piece of prop
erty that he, owned and had an able
lawyer to draw deeds for each piece
and parcel i'm favor of the culprit's
wife and children.
The committee presented the deeds
for signature. The man at first de-
INJURED. He clustered a trifie. Then
he looked in the faces of the commit
tee. He saw in their eyes the light
that comes but once or twice in a life
said the committee. The man sighed.
The chairman took the deeds, placed
them in his pocket and drew forth
hundred dollar bill. He gave it to the
man.
"You take the next train" said he;
'go where you will. You can find
work or you can let it alone. We
have no further interest in you ex-
cept as you go, and except as you do
not come back"
That man, also, went He is still
away. He has not been heard from.
He has not claimed his property. And
the town in which he lives has forgot
ten him unless he should return. If
he does that town will act some
what as Wilmington acted in the mat
ter of the Objectionable politician.
After ALL the remedy for men of
Demands sort is in the hands of pub
lie sentiment, and not necessarily of
public violence. No man is so indie
pendent of his fellows that he can defy
an absolutely universal contempt and
a consistent public affront.
Even sehoolboys know this. The
better class of colleges and universe
ties do not wait for the faculty to Ak
pei In fact where faculties expel ii
is for misdemeanors, rather than for
crimes. The students attend to the
crimes themselves. Strangely, in the
light of their youth, they attend to
them in dignified way When the hon
or of a college has been besmirched,
the students act without the authority,
often-times without the knowledge of
the faculty. The student who has Of
Tended is not threatened; he is Simp-
ly commanded And he goes. He flies
between suns. And the body that has
done the eXpelling goes about it's af-
fairs unconcerned, like a town i'm min
iature.
The law may punish, but it's SEN
fences have their limit There is no
limit to the sentence of public
opinion. A student expelled by ia
Guilty will be received with honour
and without reproach by the students
of another college. The boy with
whom the students have had to do,
must move on until he can find spot
to which his crime has not preceded
him.
1t is possible that Raleigh will have
to face the problem of Bernard. AL
ready it is being said that he will re-
turn. Bets are being made on that
contingency happening or falling to
happen. Those who know him well
are beginning to t0'fs Of his brass,
of his nerve" They cite the nom
chalance with which he carried off
the Greenville scandal 1t is possible
that he may come back at any day
What is Raleigh going to do when
he does return? The action of the
city will be interesting. Will the old
spirit of indifference that fails to en-
thuse over a candidate whose path
other places strew with roses, fail also
in Indignation at the presumption of
a man whom other places would send
away as a college expels for cheating
at cards?
Merely as a specuiation-the enor-
nifty of the disgrace contending with
the rooted conservatism of the city
the result is worth thought.
Perhaps it VIII teach a lesson.