davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-15
FOR LAW.

Too much emphasis cannot be plac-
fence to authority. Since render
unto Caesar the things that be Gaze
wisest men have taught obedience to
rightly constituted authority. Abra-
ham Lincoln enunciated an eternal
truth when he said:
Let reverence for the laws be
taught in schools, in seminaries and
in colleges; let it be written in prim-
ers, SpellIng-books and almanacs: let
it be preached from the pulpit. pro-
claimed in legislative halls and en-
forced in courts of justice. And. in
short, let it become the political re-
ligion OF the nation; and let the old
and the young. the rich and the
poor, the grave and the gay Of all
sexes and tongues and colors and
conditions. sacrifice increasingly upon
its affairs"
Bear in mind that Mr.. Lincoln wish
ed not only the children to learn it
and the grown up people to practice
it, but he said that it should be ZEN
forced in courts of Justice Some
times Judges forget that it is as much
their duty to enforce the law as Of
private individuals to obey it. The
guardians of the law become them
selves law-break ers when by doubtful
construction they presume to set
aside a legislative act or by technical
construction to defeat the will Of the
people as expressed in statutes.
Judges are under as much obliga-
ton to obey the law-indeed under
r1ore-than private individuals. When
they assume to set it aside and enjoin
its enforcement on ex parte statement
or technical pleas they have done
more to break down reverence for
law than any mob that ever battered
down a Jail door.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-15
COTTON Is KING.

The Southern people themselves do
not always appreciate the value Of the
cotton crop 1t was never better ex-
pressed than at the Bankers Associa-
ton by MIR. Whitman, Of Georgia. who
said:
Bring to me all of the grain, all Of
the provisions, all of the feedstuf, all
of the steel and all Of the iron of the
~ states of this great Union which
was exported last year and l will sell
the cotton crop of 1907 and ray you
cash. and yet ave money enough left
TO capitalize 200 national banks"
The value of the cotton exported
last year was in the neighborhood of
four hundred million dollars That
not only means big money for the
South, but it also means that h.
changing h balance Of trade in our
favor a big inflow Of gold comes "a
the United States and helps everv
business interest.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-15
A RAILROAD PAPER.

The Salisbury Post and the News
the matter Of whether a railroad can
publish e. PAPER since the Post makes
this statement:
" We would have added, had we
thought there any likelihood of the
Southern Railway Company or any
other public service corporation pub
fishing an organ at its own expense,
that such corporations should not be
permitted tc charge the amount in
vested in such a venture to operating
expenses"
OF course If a railroad gets the
money from some other Race than
operating expenses and gets up a
corporation that openly publishes a
paper, that is quite a different thing
from the sort of paper that railroads
run, and the public would not cry
out against such use of the none
they pay for transportation and
freight for publishing a newspaper.
Some railroads publish industrial
journals like The Southern Field to
induce immigration and increase bus
mess along the line Of the railroad.
w L ~ - iidI SuCI
publications are not in the same class
with paying out money to publish
journals to BOOST the railroads or op-
pose legislation desired by railroads or
to publish such clippings as the rail-
road officials may designate. Such
journals as 1.-The Southern Field"
"Sala1nagunda," tbe circulation of in
dustrial editions and advantages do
great good. A railroad is doing a
great work for itself and it's section by
the circulation of such %teratur
But we stick to il that it has no right
to publish a newspaper at all; certain
ly not to subsidize one and to keep
in the background while its paid or
gan prints for pay whatever the rail-
road magnate ~designates. Upon
these propositions the Post and the
News and Observer are in perfect
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-15

courts. The books contain the only
matter upon which the road can hope
10 rely TO show that q rate - conds-
catory. They indicate the experience
OF the road In doing business. which
Is the only test OF a positive character
by when the effect OF the rate can be
IN anywise estimated. The eguiar
course Is for the railroads 10 exhibit
their books and set forth their expe-
rience, subject. OF course to d cross
examination and counter inspection
for the purpose Of clearly setting
forth their experience. The question
has generally been. not how rar an e.
animation could be had. but how far
il would be necessary 70 go To satisfy
the court. Anything that savors OF
keeping the experience Of the
road away from n courts. IN
the interest OF either party,
can only throw suspicion upon
the justice OF that party's con-
tentlons and the morality Of It's
motives. The truth about rates in ad-
dition TO the taking OF judicial notice
OF the principle of increased
business following upon their
reduction, may be guaged only by the
experience of the conduct of the
road. Anything that tends TO be-
cloud that experience or u render i
difficult Of demonstration tends 70
prevent the doing Of equity-whlch
is what. ostensibly. the railroad Is
after in Judge P~ritchard's court.
In the meantime all such as have
been alarmed by what has been dis
covered in the cursory examination
so far had under difficulties, Will
breathe more freely since Judge
Pritchard has called a halt on a pro-
ceeding Observation-Disclosures
have had the sanitary effect of disin-
fecting hypocrisy with sunlight on the
facts.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-15
THE soUTH's CRITICAL PERIOD.
(Afouroe Journal

very officers appointed - protect
them. ss in Idaho, Oregon. California
and other States. and best Of all
business has not yet tad a corrupt
hand upon politics IN the Soath-
The alliance between business and
politics as IL exists IN Tae North aaa
West. has produced more corruption
in politics. IN business, IN publlc
morals than has an the demAgpEges
who have ~harrangusd h n~alttudes
since the days OF old Cicero. While
our Southern politicians were con-
tent TO make beautiful speeches on
the academic questions u govern
ment. the more practical ones ~ the
North were turning TIER positions OF
honor into gold by selling out TIE
law making and law enforcing arms
Of to corrupt business
We know that the New fork legIsla-
ture sold Itself for years To the tnsGr-
ance co~rrupdonists. We know that
Pennsylvania sold 70 anybody who
could pay a price: we know that Ger
tain Western States sold to land
thieves: we now that practically
every large city OF the North was
sold to public utility corp .raLoas.
we know many other things OF Ike
character that do not now come to
mind. and lastly, we know that the
whole vast system OF fraud and cor
ruption exists under the wing Of the
national government. which. unfsr
the guise of protection. betrays the
interest OF the vast majority OF the
people OF the country to the trusts.
Until lately these things went un-
rebuked. And those who are now
rebuking them are called socialists,
anarchists. destructionists and break
ers down of business. Is it any Won
der that the t~houghtless man OF the
street has a real admiration for
grafters?
But corrupt business has not yet
got its hand on the South, though ii
IS reaching out its sineWy claws.
The Raleigh Times was paid to rush
around and cry stop thief" IN
der the profession of fair play, OF
conservatism. of business interest, it
did this. It's paid-for cry was AIKEN
UP by some honest and respectable
papers who thought it sincere, and
s~traightWay the thoughtless rabble
fell into line and there was a great
hue and cry. This cry is always
raised, when business and politics seek
to steal something from the public.
When enterprises that desire unfair
concessions, when they want to make
the laws in their own interest or
evade those already made, they know
that they can count on buying some
influence, flattering some, securing
some honest ones by specious argu-
ments, and that the thoughtless will
follow the bell wethers in sufficient
numbers.
With the growth of legitimate bus
mess in the South, Legitimate bust
ness counts on working its usual
game. The Times incident is a sam
pie. Will the scheme succeed?
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-15
SOUTH WANTS FOR COTTON
WHAT 1T Is WORTH.

This Paper was in error in stating IN
an editorial on Wednesday tina the
total amount of cotton raised In
Egypt amounted only to 100000 bales.
n crop of Egypt is much larger than
the figures given and, in addition, the
staple is the finest in the world with
the exception of the very rare Sea
Island cotton. Egypt cotton at this
time, : in fact selling for as much
as % cents per pound.
Considerable cotton also is grown in
India. and, while it is the poorest quail
1ty of any cotton produced in the
world, it is used quite extensively in
a number of continental mills and in
Japan.
From the Journal of Commerce,
which publishes the annual report of
the international Federation of Mas
ter Cotton Spinners and Manufacture
ers' Associations, it appears also that
there are now in h hands of Euro
pean spinners 1~,078,000 bales, as
against 6S4,00O bales IN the CORE
spending date last year, and in the
United states 996, 900, against $4,000
last year. The total increase in cot
ton held by spinners and manufacture
ers is, therefore, 100000 bales over
the amount so held at the correspond
ing date last season. While the cotton
growers of the South are determined
to obtain an adequate price for this
years crop, the price that viii be
definitely fixed depends, of course up
on the uncertain quality of the size
of the crop itself, and, also, upon the
market for the manufactured product.
At present the decline in cotton,
supposed to be largely the result of
cotton exchange manipulation, is con-
tributed to by the fact that the hold
ings Of the mills are more extensive
than last year and by the weakness
that has existed for the past six weeks
in yarns, which have declined in price
in that time from 3 to 5 cents.
Shout this decline extend to other
classes OF cotton manufactures the eff
feet on the price of the present crop
might be important, especially if it
should develop that it will reach as
high a figure as / 5000, 900 or more
bales.
In the meantime, however, the part
thtre wisdom for the farmer, to which
he is advised not only by the promi-
nent growers, but also by the many
manufacturers who have his interests
at heart. is to mark ct slowly to the
end of obtaining finally for cotton
what the supply and demand make it
worth. That, after all, is all that the
farmers Of the South demand; and. if
such a price can be obtained indie
pendently of the fictitious values put
upon the staple by cotton exchange
quotations through arbitrary methods
CT grading, the South can Well aord
to be content.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-15
\ PIPING FUSION PLANT.

Justice in the Union Republican,
contributes his mite OF satire to the
situation in the following paragraph:
THE stopping work on the
double tracking of the Southern
and other roads,, the stopping OF
work on the SOuthbound road,
the vicious attacks on other cor
pOrate interests all show a con-
dition II public sentiment that
is too much akin to anarchy to be
healthy and men of means do not
want to and in fact will not invest
their money in any community
or State where such a feeling OF
sentiment exists
Justice is that Postmaster, G. A.
Reynolds, who was Lieutenant-Gov-
Russell and the r~ight-hand man OF
him and his Legislatures that created
such intolerable conditions that the
campaign to bring back decency, law
and order had all the passion-and
all the necessity-of q revolution.
The man who was second in command
under a reign that brought more re-
proach upon the State than any era
except the vicious one of ''reconstruc-
ton whose party and whose gov
eminent did more than the war to
paralyze industry and injure the credit
of the State, now prates of men Of
means not desiring to invest their
money in the face of vicious attacks
on corporate interests and a "condi-
ton of public sentiment akin to an
archy.' The man VINO represented a
party that soWed the seeds of an an
archy based on prostrating the East
under the rule of the negro, now pre-
tends to see the destruction of prop
erty rights in laws controlling pub
lie service corporations and it's effects
in the stock market, political and jul
dicial threat of work stopped on
double-tracking.
Work or railroad building in the
State has not stopped, though the
Southern makes its grand-stand play.
In one year of Glenn were built more
miles of railroad than in four years
of Russell. More railroad is build
ing today in the State than at any
time in its history. Does ex-Lieuten-
ant-Governor Fusion Reynolds think
that, knowing the fact himself he
can fool any considerable part Of the
States intelligence into thinking
otherwise?
Like General Gill, of Baltimore.
who cannot bring himself at this
time to invest in Southern Securities,
Postmaster Reynolds needs no in
PRODUCTION in North Carolina"
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-15

From the text OF the Dre~ry Incl
dent-State Senator D-ewrys own
admission that the Southern has
paid 5000 Il his paper as a subsidy
the Progressive Farmer goes 10 the
heart OF the matter In the following
clearly expressed editorial:
Upon such dealings as this our
people cannot afford 10 look with the
least degree Of allowance We OF the
South have long boasted Of the pur-
ity OF our poiitics-boaxted that Meth
er our public men nor our newspapers
have been overcome Of he lust Tor
gold, and that our cities have been
free Of that faint Of graft which has
made a stencil or the names OF many
a Northern metropolis. Now IL we are
to maintain our traditions, II the
honor OF the fathers is 10 be kept IN
our hands inviolate. we must not toll
crate the prostitution OF the pubic
press nor countenance even the ap-
pearance Of evil on the part OF the
man chosen as the unbiased and un-
purchaseabl bic defender Of the rights or
all the people. And IL a man be per
sonally popular and wear the outward
appearance Of virtue. all the more
reason for condemnation If he betray
his trust.
In this transition period OF South
ern life. in this time when prosper
ity would seek TO make US money
q we must preach even more
strenuously than ever before the stern
and unrelenting ideals of honor
which have been our chiefest heri-
tage."
To us the most alarming thing
connected with this whole deplorable
affair, is the attitude of the thought
less man on the street and what that
attitude seems to us TO indicate.
Listen about the streets and notice
now many men you will hear say in
substance. oh, easy way to make
Now these expressions. even from
thoughtless men, could not be heard
if the atmosphere were what it once
was. That which the Progressive
Farmer says we must not lose, we
fear, has already largely slipped
from us. The ~decadence is here.
Thoughtless men on the street ex-
press only what public opinion
stands for. Under our old time
standards of honor, thoughtIess men
would not talk that way and a daily
paper in the city of Wilmington could
not practically condone the act and
retain public respect.
The Progressive Farmer rightly
says that the South is in a transition
period. The worst things tina could
be said of u politicians was that
they played too much to the preju-
dices of the people for the sake of
securing popularity and office. This
charge was of course no more appli-
cable to the South than to other sec
tons Of the country. Our men, once
in, were not accused Of selling them
selves for gold, as has been the we'll
known case elsewhere. No Southern
State has been. run for
the benefit Of thieves, as has that of
Pennsylvania; no Southern city has
been run upon a recognized basis of
graft as has New York, philadelphia
and States outside or the South; no
public lands nave been stolen by the
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-15
FOUR MONTHS SCHOOL REALLY
IMPERATIVE.

The decision reported yesterday in
the case of Collie VS.. Commissioners,
from Franklin, in which the principle
Of the four months school is upheld
Notwithstanding the constitutional
Inhibition upon the amount Of taxa
ton, gives effect to a thing for which
the editor of this paper has fought
and for which it has argued for
fifteen years and more. When the
R~arksdale case was decided. the State
Chronicle mad the prediction that
the dissenting opinion of then Asso-
ciste Justice Merrimon would yet be-
come the law in North Carolina. Now
that the Supreme Court has definitely
decided that the clause in the Consti
tuition that guarantees a four months
school is superior instead OF depend
ent upon another clause limiting the
amount of tax, we take a natural
pride IN having been proved right by
time, while rejoicing more unselnsh-
y in 3 decision thai is, in every re-
spect, indicative OF the growth of the
people in understanding Of the
Fact that the greatest measure OF
progress lies IN the thing that is in
its first analysis the least selfish of all
things. The square dcaI' and the
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-15

even chance find in popular educa-
ton their best and fullest practical
exposition.
IN the leading opinion Of the
Court, Justice ~own bases his de-
cis!on 0 the ground that h sec
tion Of the Constitution which re-
ouireg a -four months term IS rnanda-
tory in equal proportion with that
which limits the ratio OF taxation In
other words, that a positive constitu-
uonal requirement aHnot be defeated
by another requirement. as 10 a gen.
crai principle. that may in practice
conflict with IT.
As Chief Justice Clark says in a
brief and pointed c~oncurring opinion.
The error has been in assuming that
in such case (where the margin be
tween the levy Of taxes for State and
county and that required
for the maintenance Of the
schools is not sufficient for county
government and the maintea-
ance OF the four months SCHOOL,
the necessary expenses of the county
come first. such is not the mandate
Of the Constitution. The maintenance
Of schools for four months in each
county is irnperativeIy commanded.
If the margin left IS not sufficient 10
raise enough money to defray the
necessary expenses Of the county,
without a vote Of the people, by APP
Of the General Assembly
And Justice Walker. also concur
ring, says: Il have made these gen
eraI observations for the purpose of
showing that the provision of the
Constitution, as to the education Of
the masses. being Of supreme import
ance, it must of necessity be held to
be something apart from other not
relating to that subject, and TO be
mandatory. 1t cannot be sub
ject 10 any limitation Of taxation, for
the very terms by which the duty to
educate the people is enjoined, are al
together Independent of the provision
establishing a limitation of the tax
ing power and are just as inpera-
tive"
The Supreme Court of recent years
has extended the exception noted in
the Constitution expanding the limi-
tatlOn 10 the power OF taxation to
necessary expenses" to various utili-
ties that have come with civilization
and progress to take a rank that they
did not formerly possess as necessary
to communities, as opposed to COM
luxuries. The question in the
educational test case was thought to
hang on whether the public schools
were a necessity within the meaning
of the constitutional exception" In
deciding the point the Court bases it's
decision upon the broader ground and
deeper foundation that the schools
mentioned in the Constitution are
more than necessities, but are m
perative.
The judicial acceptance of this
great principle will be hailed with
satisfaction by the whole State and
its results, in the impetus given to
education and in the increase of edu-
cational facilities for the masses will
be perpetual in their influence.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-15
PREVENTS A FULL AND FAIR
DETERMINATION

The decision of Judge Pritchard
UNFOLDING Master Montgomery's order
limiting the investigation into the
Southern Railways books to two years
and to such matters as the Master
may consider pertinent amounts in
effect to this:
The railroad, with the books in its
possession and with special knowledge
as to what the books contained. has
been permitted to select therefrOm
such matters as might tend to support
its theory in opposition to the passen-
ger rate bill;
While the State, which desired 20
examine thoroughly into the books
and to have the aid in doing 50 of the
indexes thereto to discover whether
the Southern's experts have not Sc
lected only that portion of the truth
applicable to its contentious, is denied
the power to do so.
Ever since the time came for the
State to put in it's testimony, every
possible obstruction and difficulty has
been thrown in the way of an accurate
and thorough scrutiny of the South
ern's books. The books, indeed, were
produced. The indexes were with
held. AS attorneys clearly illustrated
the difficulty the situation with re-
spect to an adequate examination was
the same as if a lawyer should at
tempt to trace the title to lands IN a
register of deeds Office in which the
records of the deeds themselves were
kept without order and without index
of any sort. In addition such matters
as might be disclosed were made sub
ject to the masters ruling as to
whether they were pertinent" And,
in despair of any fair opportunity to
conduct the examintion, the peril
nency of what was desired to be eX-
amined was, in practice, left to the
determination OF Mr.. Plant, the
~Southern's man whose afhdav is the
very basis of opposition to the rate
itself.
Judge P~ritchard's order, therefore,
is tantamount to permitting the
Southern to put such portions of It's
books in evidence as it desired and de
nying to the State the contesting
L l IL " SLIo" "1IStIlcI VI lioI SuCI CIV
idence was faulty in itself or false
with relation to other matters which
may lave been suppressed. There
will be general regret that the matter
has taken this turn, but that the
Southern Railway should have insist
ed upon concealment of its records
was not only natural under the cir
cumstances, but characteristic of its
record and policy.
The decision, too, seems to be clear
ly improper and out of harmony with
the Supreme Court of the United
States. In the Louisville
case, in 164 Y. s., the past experience
Of the company vas considered for
fifteen years; in Smith vs.. Ames. the
leading case relied upon by the Rail-
way in the litigation, The Examination
covered a three veal period. in Mat
thews VS.. n. c. Corporation Commits
sion, in the 106 Federal Reporter
Judge Simonton considered testimony
as to the rate for four years.
The theory OF the examination irto
the books Of q company opposing p
rate established by law does not.
however, seem to have been under
stood either by the public or by the
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-15
ALL FOR S1.7O

There has never been offered
in North Carolina SO much
good reading for SO little
money as we are offering I'M
der the following proposition:
For S1.7O we will send the
following for ole year:
The North Carolinian, an
SPACE Democratic weekly
newspaper:
The %Commoner, the able
weekly journal published by
Hon. William Jennings Bry-
an:
The Farmer and Mechanic,
an SPACE North Carolina
home and farm weekly jour
nal:
Thus for One Dollar and
Seventy Cents you can get
all these papers one year.
For particulars, address
TOSEPHUS DANIELS,
Raleigh, n. c.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-15

North Carolina last year consured
733,608 bales of cotton in its mills a.
$1,000 more bales than u Carolina.
In the same year it established be-
yond controversy hat Andrew Jack
son was born in Union county, North
Carolina. The Palmetto state is .
great commonwealth and stands me-.
to the Tar Heel state