The State Press Association
Mr. Lawrence has dug back into the records
of this organization and has succeeded in
finding out many interesting things about
its early meetings.
THE pro** made no effort to exer¬
cise its power as an organized
body until 1873; when Captain
William Biggs, of the ancient Tarhnm
Southerner, circulated a call for such
a meeting to be held at Goldsboro.
The Captain had been a gallant Con¬
federate soldier, and lie was u lawyer
as well as an editor, and his editorials
denouncing the conduct of certain of
the Reconstruction judiciary were so
scathing that .lodge “Jay Bird” Jones
disbarred him from the practice—
which action was reversed later by
the Supreme Court.
On May M, 1873, some twenty-five
editors in jM'reon or by proxy were in
attendance when the Press Association
was first organized in Goldsboro by
the election of Major (later Secretary
of State) dames A. Englchard of the
\V ilmingtnn Journal as President,
Milton must have been a considerable
town in that day. as the editor of
its paper was elected vice president of
the infant association. At the first
meeting the press was represented
from mountains to the sea. Asheville
sending Robert M. Furman of the
Citizen ns its representative, and
Wilmington «ending J. C. Mann of
the Port. Within a few minutes after
the election of it* officers, it received
a telegram of congratulation from the
Georgia Press Association, then in
session at Columbus. On the social
side, the editors accepted the invita¬
tion of the Atlantic Railroad for a
free excursion to Morehcad City, and
the Atlantic Hotel of that resort
tendered the visitors a banquet and
other courtesies.
Financial Matters
Finance was the first matter of busi¬
ness to engage the attention of the
new Association, and the first com¬
mittee it named advised that all
papers adhere most, strictly to their
published rates, and that the Associa¬
tion would discountenance any editor
who deviated therefrom; and the reso¬
lution strongly disapproved the
custom of having ‘•patent" pages
printed at foreign points and sent to
local paper*, an action which the
Association reversed in later year*.
The action of the postoffice depart-
By R. C. LAWRENCE
merit in charging postage upon ex¬
changes was sternly reprobated.
The second meeting held at Raleigh
in 1874 found forty-five papers repre¬
sented, the important business at this
session being that the Association
placed itself behind the effort to re¬
quire the publication of all legal ad¬
vertisements in newspapers; and
resolved that gratuitous advertising
in the form of complimentary notices
l-e no longer published. At this ses¬
sion appeared <’o|. I,. I. Folk of the
Wndcsboro Antonian, who was in
later years to become founder of the
Progressive Former, the first Com¬
missioner of Agriculture, President of
the National Farmer* Alliance and
one of the founders of the Populist
party. The social side included a visit
to the “mammoth plant" of Edwards
Si Broughton Co., where they were
regaled with "cakes, ice cream and
delicious strawberries"; after which
they paid a visit of ceremony to
Governor Tod R. Caldwell, where that
statesman unearthed "hi* best Caro¬
lina drinkables" (probably Nash
County apple brandy) and toasted the
Press: “May they ever defend the
right and always condemn the wrong.”
Somehow the editor* survived iee
cream, strawberries and hard liquor
taken within the hour!
The Wilmington Meeting
Eighteen hundred seventy - five
found the Association at Wilmington,
among those attending l>eing John T.
Patrick of the Wadesboro Herald.
Inter Commissioner of Immigration,
and founder of the resort of Southern
Pines. Twenty-seven were present,
and the body condemned the legisla¬
ture for paying out hundreds of dol¬
lars for advertising in New York
and London newspapers when the
money should have been spent here at
home. Resolution deploring “per¬
sonal quarrels” among members of
the Association was unanimously
adopted; as also resolutions request¬
ing State and National aid in the
development of the harbor* of Wil¬
mington. Beaufort and New Bern. An
excursion to Southport wn- enjoyed,
and free tickets were furnished for
the lecture of former Governor Vance,
which was doubtless on the “Scattered
Nation." A trip was made through
Fort Caswell, where the visitors were
serenaded by the band, and the com¬
manding Colonel and his tuff
tendered them something la-sides
water. RejH>rters stated that Vance
was the center of attraction during
the excursion.
The body was to have met at New
Bern in 1876, but the Messenger re¬
ported that this was an inglorious
failure, a* scarce half a dozen editors
were present. But the President, Col.
.John
I».
Cameron, refused to let the
body full into “innocuous dessetude"
ami called a special meeting to
1ю
held at Raleigh the following month
to consider whether the Association
should 1m- continued. Twenty editors
attended; resolved to continue the As¬
sociation; elected Dr. Manning of the
Roanoke Veuve ns President and re¬
solved to hold the next meeting at
Charlotte.
The ( /'harlot to meeting was attended
by “Rev." J. H. Mills of the Oxford
Orphan's Friend. Here Col. William
L Saunders was elected President.
He had been desperately wounded dur¬
ing the Civil War. after which he
became Grand Dragon of the original
Ku-Klux Klan, and as such wn* sum¬
moned to Washington before n Sena¬
torial committee of investigation and
threatened with dire penalties unless
he disclosed the secret* of that or¬
ganization; but he courageously stood
his ground, defied the Committee and
made no disclosure». While editor of
the Raleigh Observer, he was elected
as Secretary of State, and rendered
invaluable service in compiling the
"Colonial Records.”
Rev. Dr. C. T. Bailey (father of
our Senator) figured at this meeting
a* chairman of a Committee to
examine the books of the treasurer.
A dinner was tendered, and the con¬
temporary report stated “A more
orderly or better behaved company
( Continued on page twenty-one)
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