Watauga Democrat

It Is Nothing Short of Revolution.
News and Observer.
Two weeks ago when this paper (a few days after the Supreme Court in the Day decision decided virtually that the legislature had no right to control the State institutions) said that all the other ex-Fusion officers would bring contests for their old places, some of the Fusion officers, who have since resorted to revolutionary proceedings in order to save their "pie," said this paper was misrepresenting the Fusionists by saying that the Board of Agriculture was contemplating revolutionary proceedings to hold their jobs. Yesterday they took action verifying our prediction. When the legislature was in session there was strong sentiment in favor of immediately removing John R. Smith, whose inefficiency was pronounced, but upon an examination of the law it was decided that Mr. Smith could not be legally removed until June 15, and no attempt was made to remove him. The same was true of the Secretary and other officers of the Board. The Legislature then elected Mr. Samuel L. Patterson, of Caldwell, Commissioner of Agriculture and fifteen new members of the Board of Agriculture. The Fusion members were not removed. Shortly after the legislature adjourned the twenty members met in Raleigh, held a harmonious session, unanimously elected Col. John S. Cunningham Chairman, and T. K. Bruner Secretary, appointed committees, and the next issue of the Bulletin, the official organ of the Board of Agriculture, recognized the legality of the proceedings and printed the committees and other matters relative to the meeting. There was no suggestion then of a contest or of ground for a contest. Yesterday afternoon as the members arrived, Secretary Ramsey in person delivered to each member a notification that the old members of the board repudiated the new members, had expunged the proceedings of the last meeting, and would go it alone. Why this change of front? The Supreme court's decision in the Day case. That is the cause of all the litigation and revolution that has come to the surface.
If the action of the old board was taken with the belief, in good faith, that the Supreme court would sustain it in the position assumed, then it is the most scathing possible comment upon the decision in the Day case and a pertinent instance of what must follow from that inroad upon a dignified public policy. Whether in that belief or not, it is most open, shameless and arrogant grab for place that has disgraced even a Fusion administration. That the parties to it believe however, that they have a shred of law to sustain them or that they are persuaded that the Supreme court will follow them thus far into the sordid mire of partisanship is extremely improbable.
Doubtless the most that they hope to gain by the unprecedented course of yesterday is to keep themselves in place until the next term of the Supreme court, and thereby play fast and loose with the department funds, for that much longer, after the approved Fusion method. Then if the court decides against them, and the court will really have to draw the line somewhere, the dog will have prolonged his day that much. A few months more of office a little more mileage and per diem-these under cover of a decision of the Supreme court that gives an air of sanctity to a Fusion tenure of office. are at the root of the matter.