The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-01
SENATOR DREWRY MAKES
IA HUMILIATING CONFESSION
Admits He Got the $4,000 But Says He Returned
$4,000 While in the Senate

ward the enterprise. He said he
would not take any stock, but would
give us advertising to the extent of
few thousand dollars upon the Times
publishing the schedules, special no.
tices, and such clippings from other
papers as he might designate, the
editorial department to be left en-
tirely with the editor
Arrangements were then made to
enlarge the Times and take the full
Associated Press dispatches, all OF
these arrangements being perfected
before I had an idea of being a can
didate for the State Senate.
In April of the following year Col.
Andrews gave me a Southern Railway
voucher for 1000, payable to me,
president of the Press-Visitor Com
pany. I turned this voucher over to
Mr.. Geo. B. Crater, business, manager
Of the Times. and it was deposited to
the credit Of the Raleigh Evening
Times. in the Citizens National Bank
on April 5th.
In August following Colonel An
drews gave me another voucher for
$4,000. payable to me as president of
the Raleigh Evening Times, which
voucher was also turned over to Mr..
Geo. 3. Crater, business manager of
the Times which voucher was de-
posted in the Citizens National Bank
to the credit of the Raleigh Evening
Times on August 9Th. These entries
are all shown on the books of the
Raleigh Evening Times and the Citi-
zens National Bank.
In the latter part of January fol-
lowing. Colonel Andrews gave me an
other voucher for $4,000, payable to
the Times for advertising, which was
placed in the Citizens National Bank.
However, after thinking over the
matter a. few hours afterwards ] real
lied that as State Senator from Wake
county. 7 might be criticised for ac-
cepting a voucher from the Southern
Railway Company, even though ! did
50 in my capacity as president of the
| Visitor-Press Company, and in the
performance of an agreement tina
was made before I was candidate
for office.
7 imm ediately went to see Colonel
Andrews. and found that he had gone
to Washington. The following morn
ing | saw Mr. Henry Miller, and told
him how / felt about the matter and
that I had determined to return it to
the Southern Railway Company,
which | did through Mr.. Miller i'm
mediately.
The books of the Southern Railway
Company, which the attorneys for the
State no doubt saw. show that this
amount reached Washington in due
course, and was credited February
II,
| Raleigh Evening Times.
Neither Colonel Andrews nor the
/ Southern Railway, nor any other cor
| poration or individual outside of my
| immediate family contributed one
| nickle towards my campaign fund.
either directly or indirectly.
| Ny record in the Senate will bear
/ me out in the statement that / was
| not influenced or controlled to the
slightest extent by either Colonel An
drews or the Southern Railway Com
| pany, nor has either ever undertaker er
to do So because in almost every
measure that came before the Senate
affecting railroads ] voted against
the railroads and in favor of what /
| believed to be the best interests of
the State.
/ I promised the people of Wake
county to vote for q reduction of rail
| road rates and voted for a twO-and-
| a-half cent rate. Subsequently. when
the conference report was presented
t" the Senate. fixing the rate at. two
and quarter cents. I voted for that.
| have served the Visitor-Press
Company. which publishes the Times
as president. and part of the time as
| general manager. ever since | have
| been connected wit il. and l have
| never drawn one dollar out of the
| business for my services, In addi-
| ton to that. I have paid about $1O.-
| 900 in cash into the paper besides
| allowing the company to occupy my
| building for more than two years now
without paying one dollar for rent.
have never had any desire or
| thought that the Evening Times would
! prove a profitable investment from a
| pecuniary standpoint. but | have la
| bored to build up this paper, believing
| that it would ultimately be apower for
| good in this communitv and a benefit
| to the best interests OF the State
| Of my entire connection with the
| Southern Railway vouchers.
The statement would have been
| made sooner. but | felt that it was
| best to be calm and deliberate and
| verify every fact and detail before
| making any statement al all. I know
/ I have been severely criticised. but
| preferred to wait patiently and un-
| dergo any amount of criticism rather
| than make a mistake in the slightest
| detail in making this statement.
| JOHN G. DREWRY.