The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-08-08
ppETTy KETTLE OF FISH.

for the United States Senate and the
Democratic organ of this city are into
another spirited wrangle. The pres
ant vrangle was started on last
Thursday by a speech made by Gov
ernor Kitchin in Charlotte. in which
he charged that certain Democratic
newspapers were making demands on
candidates for pay for what boost
ing they got through the newspa-
pers.'
He intimated, If he did not charge,
that Senator Simmons was paying the
Raleigh News and Observer and 9TH
or Democratic newspapers for the
large amount of boosting which he
was getting through their news col
umns He furthe stated that ne
could, if he had the money and was
willing to engage in that kind OF
thing, buy two whole pages in the
Raleigh News and Observer to boost
him for the Senate. He further
charged that the News and Observer
had not only been taking money for
news articles boosting his opponents,
bat had published such matter with
the appearance that it was not paid
matter but was published as news.
Senator Simmons came back at the
Governor in a hot reply two days la
ter, in which he Indignantly denied
that he was substituting the news
papers and said that he had spent
very little money in buying advertis-
ing space in the news columns of the
papers of the State. He further de-
clared that he had not received any
money from the lumber trust or any
other trust for his campaign or in
advertising, and that he did not think
his campaign manager had. He fur
Their stated that his campaign man
ager had no doubt received small con-
trihutions from some of his friends
in the State, but he did not believe
any of the money came from trusts
and monoplies He further declared
that he was not rich, as charged by
Governor Kitchin, and that he was
poorer now than when he entered the
Senate.
On the next day, the Raleigh News
and Observer came out in a long ed
itorial trying to explain the charge
made by Governor Kitchin that it
had been publishing news matter
boosting Senator Simmons for pay
The explanation admitted the charge
by saying that that paper tried to be
fair, and was wiling to publish mat
ter for all of the candidates in equal
amount for the same amount of pay
and that 1t would only charge fol-
boosting matter in excess of two hun.
dred lines, and that that much would
be freely given to the candidates.
Governor Kitchin then comes bach
in another statement in which he
calls attention to the fact that there
is no objection to a candidate buying
space in a newspaper, providing the
boosting matter Is marked as an ad.
vertisement. He calls attention to
the fact such matter had not beer
marked as advertisement, and thai
the News and Observer had mo-
denied this charge or explain
ed why it published news maottel
for pay. He further called attention
to the fact that this was a new thing
for newspapers to do in North Caro-
lima, and that it was a misuse of jour
nalism to fool the people by having
them to read pay advertisement
while making them think it wa
news. The News and Observer ha
so far made no explanation or denia
in response to this second charge O
the Governor.
Judge Clark then comes into tn
ring with speech and declares tina
if he was Governor of North Carolin
that he would at once call an extr
session of the Legislature to pass
corrupt practice act and one tha
would require the publication of cam
paign expenses. Neither of the car
didates for the Senate nor the Demo
cratic organ have replied to or com
mented upon this declaration Q
Judge Clark.
If Senator Simmons has receive