The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-05-22

Observer w5Il recall the cruel rredlca-
ment Of one Isaac II. smith. Of New
Bern. communicated from his
church ana seeking b. mandamus
from the courts 10 compel his rein
statement BY the RI Rev. Robert
strange. Bishop II the Eastern Do
cese OF North Carolina.
In following the course Of the
Cyprian's parish some iuadequate at
tempt was made 10 hint the person
ality Of the plaintiff thus seeking to
storm the heavenly citadel OF grace
by the narrow pathway Of the law
across the legal corpses OF his rector
and his bishop. However broad the
way, it would BE- a narrow one FOR
Smith, who is q broad-gauged man.
But the sequel how that the fairness
and the ~blackness and the shor.
breath and long wind Of he plaintiff
are but physical incidents Of an Ut
ter triViality. Beneath the blubbcr
with which he is buttressed from the
world there beats in Smith a chargers
heart of fire: turks in the blunt grasp
Of his frankfurter fingers Il poets
lure of words; flames within the
hatchet of his skull a wit in ambush
Of a dangerous naivete. a scorn and
an inVective Of a whitening sort, a
militant religion and a logged Will.
Smith is a doughty antagonist in
other ways than his avoirdupois.
Noting my interest in his case he has
favored me with a brief for the de-
Tense in the accommodation and
with side notes of the plaintiffs right
Of action and scars of wrong. 1t is a
thrilling sequel to last Sundays story.
There is humoT and ridicule n craft;
imagery, the Witchcry of words, i'm
precautions which sound like the solemn
beat of breakers on a lifcleSs shore.
Smith is nothing if not thorough. He
makes a frank approach, and then
appeals to my cupidity, thus:
\ Watermelon Jury.
"NV. G. Avant has been asked to re
sign by the acting vestryn1cn elected
when / was: and he fatty refuse and
says he will stay till the church is
reduced to three members. (EVi-
IDENTIFY the Rev. Avant is not a gutter
and VIC JOY i'll his spunk.)
But listen further to smith:
ct is fast nearing three now from
actual count last Sunday and sunday
! week." he says with gentle satire.
and continues: & have neVer been told
how much money | stole. though |
have asked this question several times
through the columns of the New Bern
Journal
1t does seem that so Jealous a seeker
after truth should be enlightened
when he advertises for information,
but Smith says not.
And then Smith loses his temper:
'"Thc truth is he eXclaims hotly, 1.-The
| steal boot fitted and fits another and
it was Of interest that [ not be allow
ed to act as a Vestryman.'
There follow details of the economy
of the church management and then,
circuitously. we come to the gist of the
matter in this wise:
IF the News and Observer will
send a good. able, fair ne~Ws-gatherer
! here to New Bern to get the real
truth, | will agree to do this: GIVE
twelve names of that class of mem
bcrs who have kept the church up
for forty years, and if they don't say
what / say about it, / will at once
pay ali expenses and Ten dollars be
: sides to the neWsgatheTer, on cOndl-
ton that if he do not find things III
bad shape $40 will be given him any
way.
Worded like Il diplomatic docu-
ment as the offer is, the fee and the
result of the investigation arc set
forth too clearly in advance for &C
ccotance.
Dr.Sam Mordecai once lost a water
melon from an open street car, where
upon he wrote Immediately to the
: company filing a bill for damages by
way Of mental anguish of himself and
family at the loss. q am willing to
arbitrate," he concluded in a burst Of
generosity, land by way OF COM
promise will consent to have the as
s%essnlent Of damages made by a jury
of any twelve niggers the company
may select And Smith even wants
to select the jury. We pass this up
and hasten to the facts and matters
which accompany the epistle.
Twinkle. Twinkle Little Truth:
For "Omc reason the title of EX-
hibit a" has been carefully cut from
the conN which we have. 1t seems.
however, to be a series of letters from
Smith to the public, all addressed
My Friend" as love-lorn bards once
wrote to "Amaryllis.'
But in chaste black type upon the
virgin f~orepage shines his touching
gem of hope and comfort midst the
LIQUIDS of persecution:
Truth crushed to earth will rise
again. sparkling like II diamond in a
clear blue sky"
From which it will appear that
Smith is not wanting in imagination or
ebay of the license OF a poet. Bar
ring such material cavil as a question
of how the diamond reaches to the
ether. we must love the smile. Smith
never does things by half. He has
the genius of Improvement. While
Truth is getting up after the knock
down, Why indeed should she not keep
on rising till she is out Of reach Of
the fishing pole? She is rising in
value anyway and her sparkle is dia-
mond-rare. Doubtless Smith near
to say that he is Truth. There the
comparison gets mixed again. But
much must be permitted the poets
soul to symbolise where mortal mind
may not invade. Certainly if Smith
be Truth, he would be visible against
the blue empyrean. And to equal
gertrude would he afford a back
ground to a diamond. Swung in mic
air, short of heaven by an eXcom-
m~unicatiOn and missing hell by a
mandamus. Smith can certainly lay
claim to being a sparkling star of
aerial navigation. Somewhere in
this lies Truth, sparkling like a dia-
mond in the rough-trust Smith for
that,
Smith as "a Church Lawyer.
The succeeding letters show the first
notice Smith received of his excOnn-
municatiOn. and quote the section of
the COmmOn prayer of the church III
| which a minister NAV aXCommuniCdfe