The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-08-27


This and Come Down.
To the Editor of The Robesonian:
For some months it had been
rumored that the old commits
sioners would be candidates for
reelection. For several weeks
their announcement cards have
been in the papers. 1t is
generally understood that they
ask the nomination and election
as a vindication of certain find
ings against them, made by the
board of audit and finance, which
findings charge them with num-
erous violations of the law, some
of them of a minor nature, and
others very grave of character.
We do not wish to discuss these
charges, or at this time to ex-
press an opinion one way or the
other as to the truthfulness of
them. They, and the evidence
upon which they are based, have
been submitted to the people,
and every man is at liberty to
draw his own conclusions, after
having read the evidence.
The point we wish to make is,
how would election "vindicate"
these officials, or disprove the
charges against them? And
more especially, how could there
be any 'vindication" when the
executive committee, of which
ex-Sheriff Mcleod is chairman,
and Mr.. McEachern a member,
after an earnest speech by Mr..
Mcleod, took action to prevent
the discussion of these matters
before the people, so that the
truth might be ascertained? If
the people are to be made the
triers of these charges, ought
not all the light possible be turn
ed on before the people should be
expected to render a yer dict
''vindicating" any one? Would
not a verdict, where the truth
was held back, and all discussion
shut off, be a humbug and a
farce?But we would look at it in
a broader sense. If the commits
sioners wish to "vindicate'
themselves let them do in {
proper manner, by coming ou-
openly and showing that the
testimony of the witnesses whC
have sworn against them il
false, if they can do so; but d.
not let them wreck the Demo
cratic party by throwing th'
whole responsibility on th'
party, as in effect they ar
doing, when they say, eve will
not meet these charges" on th'
stump before the people, but
nevertheless, we ask you to taxi
US, to endorse US, to nominate III
for Office, and thus "vindicat,
US" without reference to wheth
er these charges are true or not
The issue might just as we'll b,
met, and met now, for if it il
not settled by the Democratic
. party in it's primaries, it will
have to be settled on the stump
and when the contest is between
the Democratic and Republican
parties. And if the commits
sioners should be nominated
while it wonld not "vindicate'
them, it would put upon th'
party all the burden of apollo
giving for the violations of Law
of which these candidates shal
= be shown guilty, and put the
q party in the very unpleasant, ant
exceedingly perilous predicament
= of having to meet and explain, il
u the presence of the enemy
charges which these candidates
would not, or could not, explain
before their friends.
Have the commissioners tht
right to expect that the part,
will put itself in this wholly in
defensible attitude? Do they no
know that even if they shoult
be nominated, their very nomi
nation will imperil the entire
Democratic ticket in this county
! Are they willing to wreck tn
party for selfish reasons? If they
are, is it not time that the peo
pie should take hand and nom
mate men against whom NJ
charges of this kind can b.
brought, and who will be &C
ceptable to all classes of th'
. party?
So far as we are concerne
: personally, we have nothing
against the commissioners; an,
we have no candidate for any of
flee; but we do insist, first, that tn
success of the Democratic part
is of more importance than tn
qualification of the personal de
\ sires of the commissioners; sec
{ ond, that for them to continu
candidates, under all the Gil
cumstances, is working grea
harm to the party; third, tina
to nominate them would probab
ly ruin the party; fourth, tha
, as good Democrats they ough
to see this and come down; fifth
that if they will not, the pee
pie should then nominate me
acceptable to all Democrats, an
S. STATE OF OHIO, CITY OF TOLEDO, ! {
LUCAS COUNTY.
Frank J. Cheney makes oath that /
. is senior partner of the firm of ]
~ j. Cheney & Co., doing business in tt
City of Toledo, County and State afor
said, and that said firm will pay tt
;. sum of ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR
for each and every case of Catarrh tn;