The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1916-05-12
there was probability Of reshipment to
Germany and Austria.

"Our tobacco friends in Wilson over
look the fact that was of great service
to the tobacco people in the last Con-
gress in defeating a tax Of several mil
lions of dollars on tobacco, even after
the ways and means committee had
voted by good majority to put tax
on tobacco. Colonel Bruton and a
committee from his town and state,
who came here protesting against such
a tax, know the service I rendered in
the matter. I felt under the circum-
stances the war having hit the tobacco
hard as well as cotton, that no increase
in the tax on tobacco should be made
and I vigorously fought it for over
three weeks in the committee and final
ly won out on the proposition. They
are looking to me now to prevent a to-
bacco tax at this session.
Apparent Efforts at Criminal Libel.
w approach an unpleasant but neces-
sary task. The Wilson Times some
weeks since published in its editorial
columns some astounding Incompetent
sible references to the Daily News.
These seemed to imply that the Wilson
paper was laboring under the obsession
that the Daily News is attempting to
build up respectable Republican party
in the state,'' and "attempting to boil
ster and encourage the leadership Of a
man who has proved traitor to every
trust reposed in him. who "sets like
vulture on his roost in Washington,
ready to pounce upon the state when
ever there is a carcass of booty, or
spoils in sight, the references appar-
emily being to Marion Butler A few
words in reply to these strange maun-
behring's were put in type, but on second
thought, the whole thing lacking either
point or sense, and our comment being
rather severe, although apparently JUS
tilted, it was decided to abandon it as
an undignified enterprise.
Monday Of this week the Wilson
Times devoted half column of editor
ial space-an almost unprecedented eff
fort at editorial labor-to equally alb
surd deliverance, in which the name of
the Daily News, and reference to it's
Washington bureau, were employed; but
inasmuch as this latest enterprise ap-
pears to have behind it the motive of
criminal libel, it is not to pass unchal-
lenged. We quote the Wilson Times
article in part:
''The reports being sent out from
Washington to the Republican paper
the Greensboro News and undoubtedly
inspired by the friends of Mr. Kitchin
alleging that all the opposition to Mr..
Kitchen originated in Wilson county
and that the friends of Mr. Mitchell
had raised campaign fund of $4,000 to
defeat Mr.. Kitchen is unfair and Unjust
to the Democrats of Wilson county who
want representative in Congress that
will truly represent the interests and
people Of the second district and hold
up the hands Of the President.
1t would be an interesting matter to
ascertain how much it is costing Mr..
Kitchen to sustain his newspaper bu-
reau in Washington where such dope as
the President regrets the fight on Mr..
Kitchen &C., is sent out
This contains
False insinuation as to the political
character of the Daily News, Of ma
ture to damage this newspaper, in pro-
portion to the number of readers the
Wilson Times has, any influence it may
have amongst those readers.
An implication that the representa-
tive of the second district in Congress
is a bride giver.
An implication that the Washington
representative of the Daily News , is
being bribed; or that the Daily News is
being paid for advertising matter, in
violation of the federal statutes.
The Times article has 10 references
to the representative of the second dis
trict, in none of which his name is cor
rectly spelled; indicating that the au-
thor of the Times article could not give
in written examination, the name of
the representative Of his own district in
Congress.
The Wilson Times has been wont for
years bodily to lift and display, as orig
inal matter, on its front page. news ar
ticles sent to the Greensboro News by
its Washington bureau; and has left
with some of it's readers at least the i'm
preston that Mr.. Anderson, of the Daily
News Washington bureau, was paid for
this matter, contrary to fact. The Times
broadly insinuates, on May 1, that this
news matter is corrupted at it's source
by bribery. Yet on May 3, the Wilson
Times publishes on it's front page, with
out mark or credit, as original matter
legitimately obtained, three special arti-
cles sent to the Daily News by it's, Wash
ington correspondent, and appearing in
this paper the same morning. These
were three out of five Of the leading
news items in that issue of the Wilson
Times. Moreover, in the same uncere-
monious manner, the Wilson paper ap-