The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-09-03

49, 4 - 80 - -
irrelevant matter in other columns in
support of a clearcut contention. The
Observer on its own responsibility
specified only two inaccuracies in my
speech, and then referred to the COM
plants of the Wilmington Messenger.
and the Evening Times, which l have
already mentioned. The two specifi-
cations were. first. that | was mac
curate in saying that il had publish
ed as a purpose Of the conservatives
the retirement OF JOsephus Daniels
from the National Committee. IN sup
port of no. statement | cite that it
published in its issue of March Z,
1907, q letter from its corrc ~poud-
ent. Mr.. w. ID. Adams, writing from
Raleigh, in which in the answer Of an
unnamed leader who was asked the
question: What do you intend TO 90
should you succeed in gaining control
of the next State Convention? - ap-
peared the following words Defeat
Kftchin for Governor, Justice for At
torney-General, II all the rest Of
the nominees Of the Fifth District
Combine, and last and not east, Gust
the editor of the News and Observer
from his position as National Commit
teeman.' Therefore, | was accurate in
saying that the Charlotte Observer
had published as a purpose Of the
conservatives the retirement of the
present National Committeeman, IN
less indeed the leader who the cor
respondent thought might get CON
troll of the neXt State Convention is
not a conservative. If the Observer
will name this leader, l doubt not the
people of the State Will know thai
he was speaking as a conservatives.
The other i~naccuracy alleged
against me was that 1 had charged by
implication that the Observer was in
"collusiOn with the Southern Railway
and American Tobacco Company" 1
made no such charge, unless indeed
their common opposition to me
amounts to collision. The Obser-
yer from its own environment that
l had charged collision, and says that
what it inferred vas inaccurate.
My attention was called to the at
titude of these papers, it was but hui
man for editors favoring my compet-
itors. in order to prevent the people
from giving proper weight to the
record and reasons of my critics, to
charge me with unduly assailing the
press. Yet not one of them thinks
l should sit silent without resistance.
/ hope the people Will never take
my positions from the reports of hos
tile correspondents or the Writeups
in hostile papers. Among papers the
Charlotte Observer is perhaps as fair
an enemy as draws a political sabre
in the State, and yet its columns have
frequently misrepresented me. 1t has
said by trusts and mOnopOlieS" !
mean almost every successful bust
ness enterprise in North Carolina
which is not true, but that was sai1
doubtless to encourage the idea that
| am a dangerous" man.
Where I have said railroads and
trusts are against me-, the bright cor
respondent has said corporate inter
ests." When | said my enemies might
offer a $4,000 reward for an honest
mans evidence that | had ever had
an agreement or understanding with
any man or men touching any office
or offices before q County, District,
or State Convention, the versatile re-
porter undertook to improve the state
ment. When | challenged my assail-
ants to name a man not over forty
one years of age, who had done more
faithful party work or more Loyalty
served the people, the bright young
man omits the mot" When after
abiding to a paragraph in his paper,
I said, Il deny that. l never charged
etc" the humorous u man leaves
out the period and makes one sentence
of two. [ cannot of course allude to
all the "inaccuracies'' even in the OBJ
server, to say nothing of those papers
that make no point Of accuracy.
The Asheville paDer charged with
being unsafe. noted the fact that
had appeared for plaintiffs against
fallreads, and thought the difference
tCtN Ell my views and those of the
EoNthefn Railway and the Am rican
tobacco Company so serious that if
Governor l could not treat those cor
IcratiOns fairly.
Though for many years my life has
been an open book, l never became
unfair. unsafe or dangerous un-
til after my candidacy was an
n~Ounced, and then only to those who
do not know me, or who dc know vel
the railroads and trusts. Can hostile
critics deceive the people of North
Carolina about my disposition Or char
acter, when the greatest district If
the State has given me five unanimous
nominations, when most of the bes'
bankers, preachers, merchants, manu-
~facturers, farmers, lawyers, doctors
and men of every honorable and use
full call have Loyalty stood. by me AND
never suspected that l was unsafe, un
fair or dangerous 1 again defy my
critics to specify a single vote OF
speech or act, or position of mine
which they Will dare to charge a:
unsafe, unfair or dangerous, Or con
trary to the interests Of the people
They dare not try to specify the fact.
they dare not undertake to produce
the evidence. They prefer to sprea6
abroad an untrue and unsupported
charge, hoping in their anxiety tc
wrong me that some good citizen viii
be deceived thereby.
when III obSSA pobIAS4lSo c
challenge to my services as represent.
ative, it was neither just to itself MOI
fair to its readers. 1t knew that since
my career began in Congress, we had
not had a Democratic House, or ad.
ministratiOn. 1t knew that not ever
the distinguished leader of the Demo
Gratis. nor even all the Democrat,
combined, had been able to accom-
plish any general legislation during
that time. The intimation that l = ugh'
to have accomplished such Legislation
under such circumstances is a compl1'
ment far greater than I deserve.
Minority members can vote the1
Judgment and maintain the principle:
of their party. No critic can dlsputf
that | have in these respect per
formed my full duty. The Observer
knows, or could Know by consulting
the records or inquiring of any Sena'
tor or member that In all matter:
pertaining to my State or district,
have likewise performed my full dut1
in committee, in the House and be
fA-n 49, o~a W. h-n rHrn