The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-10-04
MIR. CARD.

4 popCIS ia III q nav o1Ch OS
handing hat Mr.. Drewry should
make a statement about those
vouchers. He has made it. and opin.
ion is as much divided now as il
was before the statement was made
Some condemn his action as set forth
by himself. Some say that he had
a perfect right to do as he did in
conducting a purely business trans,
action for the benefit of his paper.
Every one, We suppose, admits that
| what money has been paid by the
| Southern railroad went into the treas
| ury of The Evening Times. We do
not suppose that Joe Daniels even
would now contend that Mr.. Drew
cry did not account to The Times
Company for all the money paid to
him as the president of that COM
pany. If The Times Company wish
ed to make such a bargain with the
Southern it was the business of the
two parties to the contract and we
do not see that the public has any
thing to do with it, though the pub
lie may form it's opinion on the one
side or the other as to the propriety
of a newspaper making such a bar
gain.
If the owner of a paper wishes
to sell his columns to a railroad or
to any other business, whose concern
is it but that of the two parties to
the contract? We do not deny, how
ever, that such a contract may
shock the sensibilities OF some peo-
ple-ef some too who would not
hesitate to stoop to lower things if
they knew they would not be found
out. There are some persons in this
state who are now holding up their
hands in holy horror at the conduct
of Mr.. Drewry whom we would not
trust in the dark with a nickel as
far as we would Mr.. Drewry if there
was no one else present to prove
that we had placed the coin in their
hands.
We think it a pity that Mr.. Drew
ry should have made such a bargain
with the Southern. There is no
doubt that his paper was paid for
advertising and the like more than
such matter came to, but at the same
time the railroad and the whole state
got value received for the aid given
The Times in assisting it to publish
q frcf o1occ nono of tho cfqfn P9n nj
tai, which most probably could not
have been done without such aid. 1t
vas in opposition to the radical, pop
ulistic, communistic and socialistic
principles of The News and Observer.
The Times was doing the whole state
a benefit by fostering a public sem
timent along lines of fair dealing and
conservatism which were in contrast
sentiments the other Raleigh paper
was intoxicating in the minds Of it's
readers. The Times was doing a
good work even if the means by
which it was enabled to do it was
questionable.
1t strikes us that there are some
matters connected with the affair
that are still kept from the public
by both sides. One thing for in
stance. That last voucher was made
late in January. The records of the
Southern which disclosed it's exist
ence were very easily found by Mr..
Drewry's enemies. The record show
ing that the last voucher was return
ed bears date on the books of the
company of February 4th, Isn't it
natural to suppose that the men
who found the record Of the issu,
of the voucher also found the record
of it's return entered only a few days
later? Yet they herald the one fact
to the world and are as mum as
oysters as to the other. Does that
look well for attorneys and agents
OF the state who are examining the
books? Isn't that an OVERRIDING OF
the grandstand play to the state. II
the grandstand play to- the state? II
Of the first entry in the books as to
that last voucher they must have
known of the second n showing its
return. Why did they not give GER
tain papers in this state both items
Of news at the same time?
We do not uphold Mr.. Drewry in
his course, but we do say according
to present appearances those in con-
troll of the giving out Of information
are acting in a ann calculated to
and for the purpose Of putting Mr..
Drewry's conduct in the worst light
possible and of putting him in a
false position before the public.
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.