The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1910-10-24
THE ANSWER.

Reasons Tor believing Hat
Holders of Fraudulent Bor,ds
are Furnishing Republican
Campaign Funds--Meares
Has to Appeal to Democratic
Legislation in His Defense.
In a speech at Raleigh some
time ago a newspaper man re-
ported Ex-Governor Aycock as
saying:
He sounded a note of warn
ing that Republicans are listen
ing with favor to holders of
fraudulent bonds OF North Caro-
lima who would saddle On the
State liability for nifty or sixty
million dollars of fraudulent
bonds scattered broadcast in re-
construction days. and declared
that while Republicans deny that
they are having any relations
with them or would take any
steps to commit the State gov
eminent to burdening the people
with the bonds, it is a fact that
cannot be denied that big con-
tributions from these bondholders
and their agents are coming into
the campaign fund of the Re-
publican party in the State"
Immediately after the publ ca
ton of this report Mr.. Iredell
Meares of Wilmington, who,
Gov. Aycock says, is trying to
persuade himself that he is
seriously a candidate for Con-
gress in the sixth district, had
published in the Wilmington Star
an open letter to Gov. Aycock
taking him to task for the alleged
statement, and called attention
to the fact that the constitution
prevents the payment OF these
bonds without first submitting
the question of their payment to
the people, and calls for proof of
the charges. In a speech at
Laurinburg on the 18th inst, Mr.
Aycock said that Mr.. Meares is
too recent a Republican and too
much given to talk to be tru sted
with campaign secrets and that it
may we'll be believed that he
does not know Of any contribu-
ton from the bondholders to any
Republican campaign fund for
that reason, but that some
weighty reasons can be given for
believing that this is true. In
the first place, the bonds were
issued by the Republicans when
they were in power in North
Carolina. AS soon as the Dem
ocratic party came into full pow
er it repudiated the bonds and
submitted an amendment to the
constitution to the people forbid
ding the payment Of the same
unless the people voted on the
question, and that therefore the
Only hope of the bondholders to
secure favorable action in regard
to their bonds is in the Republi.
can party. In the second place
Senator Butler was of counse
for Shafer Bros. in the collection
Of the bonds held by them against
the State of North Carolina,
ard he engineered the transfe
of $4,000 Of these bonds to tn
: State of South Dakota in order
that suit might be brought il
t the name of that State agains
North Carolina. These were no
) among the fraudulent specia
! tax bonds, but Senator Butler
: while still holding the Senator
2 ship fer North Carolina, was en-
e ployed to overturn a settlement
: and compromise which had bee
i offered by the State and accepte
d by all the bondholders excel
# Snafer Bros. AS soon as tn
re suit was decided in favor of tt
e State of South Dakota the hol'
70 ers Of special tax bonds BEGAN
D. extremely active and are active
e, engaged in a propaganda for tt
j. payment of the bonds. Just
10 the time of their unusual activi
Butler becomes again promine
an in North Carolina politics, b
I'd comes, in fact, the head OF t
Id Republican party. While he W
~ manager Of Morehead's campaii
ny Tor the State craftsmanship
or Greensboro News, the organ
Ne the Republican party in the Sta
NE used this language about hi
of who made Mr.. Butter a man
I'd, means?Whence comes the boo
lg- forthe expensive campaign he
been waging so assiduous
div since January last? Are tn
Jon irrepressible bondholders beh
be him? Are they expecting leg
CIV. ton favorable to their content
led in the event Mr.. Buffers asst