Newspapers / The Era (Raleigh, N.C.) / Jan. 18, 1872, edition 1 / Page 2
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feffic. in the "Standard" building. East aide of Fajrctterille Street. Lurvvis iiajntes, - - - Editor. THURSDAY, JANUARY 18th, 1872. ROOMS REPUBLICAN STATE Executive Committee, Raleigh, Jan. 6, 1872. A meeting of this Committee is called to meet in this City on Wednesday, the 24th day of this month. A full at- pndnnrft is desired. Members who cannot attend, will please appoint prox ies. J. C. L. Harris, Secretary. Hox. John Sherman has been re elected to the United States Senate for six years from the 4th of March, 1872, by the Ohio Legislature. Hon. Wm. B. Allison lias ben elected by the Legislature of Iowa to succeed Hon. James Harlan in the tJn- Hnr! Stntr Senate after the 4th of March, 1872. The Christian Advocate. The subscription price of this excellent re ligious and family paper has been re duced to f2per annum, in advance. It Is the organ of the Methodists In North Carolina, and an able and faithful ex ponent of their doctrines. The "Ku Klux act," under which the prisoners in South Carolina have recently been tried, convicted and sen tenced, seems1 likely to be tested before the Supreme Court of the United States. The release of the, convicted men, Mitchel and Grier, on a habeas corpus, has been demanded, and an appeal taken to the highest Court. An exchange, speaking of the dis graceful struggle between the "War mouth and Carter factions in Louisiana, says it is a wonder the great Father of waters, the Mississippi, does not rise and wash the entire crew into the Gulf of Mexico. If such a catastrophe should happen to the leaders of both factions, it would probably prove a relief to the people of Louisiana, especially those of them who are honest Republicans. TheSquth Carolina bondholders, says The Herald, have commenced to organ ize to compel the State to fulfil its obli gations. At a meeting of the stock holders of Baltimore last night, where fourteen persons represented two hun dred thousand dollars' worth of the stock, it was generally conceded that Governor Scott, Parker, the Treasurer, andKerapton, the financial agent in New York, were responsible for the amount issued. A committee beingap . pointed to hunt up the bondholders all over the country we may soon expect to hear some heavy financial artillery fired at Columbia. What's the Matter ? For a num ler of days past the countenance of The Sentinel, has worn a gloomy as pecta melancholy hue. What's the matter? We hear many conjectures. Some say the machine is run down, and the key that winds it up is lost. Others say it is under conviction and trying to"'pent" itself of its many wrongs. The former may be true, but the latter is not believed. It may have, in its great velocity, run off the track, or out of the groove, and has not yet been able to get baek, as it is not likely to be without help. But whatever the cause may be, we hope it will soon be removed, as it is positively painful to contemplate its distressed countenance. It is evidently sick, and it is hoped a physician may soon be found able to heal all its : infirmities. Is there no balm in Gilead for its wounded soul? Mr. Stephens' Opinion of Presi dent Grant The Most Remarka ble Man of the Age. In his work entitled "The War Between the States," vol. II, page 597, Hon. Alexander II. Stephens says: "I was instantly struck with the great simplicity and perfect naturalness of his manners, and the entire absence of every thing like affecta tion, show, 'or even usual military air or mien of men in his position. There was nothing in his appearance or surroundings which indicated his of ficial rank. His conversation was easy and fluent, without the least effort or restraint. In this, nothing wa so closely noticed by me as the point and terseness with which he ex pressed whatever he said. He did not "seem cither to court or avoid conversa tion, but whenever he did speak, what he said was directly to the point, and covered the whole matter, in a few words. I saw, before I was with him long, that he was exceedingly quick in perception, and direct in purpose, with a vast deal more of brains than tongue, as ready as that was at his command. The more I became acquainted with him, the more became thor oughly impressed with the tcry extra ordinary combination of rare elements of character which he exhibited. Upon the whole the result of this first acquaintance with General Grant was, the conviction on my mind that, taken all in all, he was one of the mast remarkable men I had ever met with, and that his career of life, if his days should be prolonged, was hardly en tered upon; that he himself was not aware of his power, and that if he lived he would In the future exert a controll ing influence in shaping the destinies of this country," Ac The North Carolina Agricultural and Industrtal convention.! " This Convention, which assembled in the city of Raleigh and-' was perma nently organized on the 11th of Janua ry, and adjourned! on the evening of the 14th, to meet at the call of the Pres ident, truly and fairly represented the great farming and industrial interests of the State. The people of North olina will be under many obligations to the originators of this Conventioji. They will feel its Impress, and receive new life from its' influences. It ,was the saying of the great Church Reform er, that one man with a true principle constitutes a majority. The force jand power of true principles haveahyays been admitted. It was the purpose of the Convention which organized' on the 11th, to settle and lay downjthe principles upon which improvement in the industrial pursuits must be based. The necessity of reform, in the agricul tural interests of the State especially, is obvious. It stares us in the face. We meet it at almost every turn. Its 1 and is upon us. We cannot escape it. The first step in such! reform is, to settle the principles upon which it is to be made. To this work the Convention addressed itself singly, wisely," well. 1 and It is not our purpose now to review the entire work. We may recur to the the matter at another time. We pro pose at present to notice . only onje of j tne principles iiuuju.uv ii wo vi vention as the ground-work of agricul tural prosperity in the State. It is,cbn- tained in the following resolution which was unanimously adopted : 710,1 That, tfiia fVmvntion niws the necessity of an efficient and .fr I V V ahhw recos udi- oin a svstpm nf free schools as the fou nda- tion of permanent improvement, and pros perity in the agricultural interests of the State." j j This resolution strikes at the very root of the matter.1 It locates the jvery seat of the disease which has paralyzed the great industrial interests ofj the State. The ideas of slavery wer0 in compatible with the ideas of. popular education. The two could not grow and flourish together upon the same soil. Since slavery was abolished the irirn inrwlpnt to slaverv have crradu- nllv civ-en tvav to the more liberal!: and advanced ideas of popular educa-j tion. Popular education is emphati-1 mil v tha oreat ouestion of the day; It! " J o . i - f will be regarded as a good omen for the future of the siate that a Conven tion representing he agricultural in-! tprpsts of the State, have endorsed! the! most advanced ideas of popular educa'J tion. and have recognized an efficient svstpin of free schools as the basis of permanent agricultural improvement This nation of the Convention will re eeive the most hearty approval oft th great mass of the people of NortI Carolina. They will sustain it, if nee essary, at the ballot box. Free school.- nrp for the benefit Df the masses: the' are for the benefit of the State arid o i every interest of the State. Theyj dry ii n the sources of pauperism and crime i . They beautify the; earth; trie iicCK i x with flnwors. and till its fields, and make them yield more abundantly But this work will be done slowly The present generation will pass away before those, who are to be especially) benefitted by an efficient systeiji o free schools, can bear their full Jcsti monv to the truth of the principle laid down by the Convention of January the 11th. Thp. Convention had before theni a very happy illustration, of the act van tasres of a good system oT free school in the person of Mr. Sampson, the SuK perintendent of the juoaei iarm in Guilford and one of the Vice President j of the Convention! Mr. Sampsori is i northern man by birth and education 4 He was brought up under the influerj ces of a go(wl system of free school vandj he shows it. Tho 'difference betw een ja community composed of such farmers as Mr. Sampson, and one romposed Of farmers generally; uneducated, is just the difference which a good system j6f free schools will make in any country. It was noticed, that among all the edu cated farmers in the Convention 3j. Sampson was the bnly one who spoje of holding the plow. Farming. Will j&e made respectable just in proportion ,to the provision which may be made for raluratinir those who are to " ho d the plow. Jj The Baltimore Association of Fri ends, which esiablished the model form jin Guilford, also established some thirty or forty free schools; thus acting upn the conviction that free schools a: e jjs sential to the prosperity of the coi ntty. If North Carolina becomes prosr erdps without a good system of free sc iools, it may be set down as an exception to the general rule, learned from the hts torv of other communities. If we are to sit still, till all obstacles are out ,pf f the way, we will be like the fool i fable who sat on tlie bank of the waiting for all the water to flow n t$ river by.l- Obstacles will never be out of the way. Thprft novpr will be a better time to establish and provide for an efijeiept and judicious system of free schools than the present. The people dejnand it ; the statistics of all civilized jpouh- tries justify it ; reason approves it ; nothing but folly can oppose it. 3 the the THESKXTiXELOftheHth say statement that it ever had any qf public printing done on the press of Tie Oirolinian " is as void of truth astfie statement of the editor that we belong ed to the Ku Ktux.1 It is now a lus ted that Tlie Sentinel did have a por tion of the State printing done o4 trjje press of The Carolinian. . Does noj; that amount to an admission of the pthr As The Sentinel has coh fessed, of course no prosecution will Q instituted. Civil Service Reform. There seems to be an earnestness in work of; civil service reform that can j hardly fail to carry it on to the highest attainable success. The Presi dent readily accepted the rules regula tjng appointments to office, reported by the commission of which' the distin guished Geo. Wm. Curtis was chair man. He has given every evidence of His determination to make the reform ta thorough and complete as he possi- frrty can. From his zeal in the matter the country expects much, and it is be lieved that the expectation will not be disappointed. ) The report of the commission afore laid was referred to a committee of the ;H6use 0f Representatives. That com mittee reported on Monday last, and bowed a disposition to go even beyond he report of the commission in the ' - - . ' i w i. . ! 1 1 XI fooa worK. ; in tne Din reponeu uy uie louse committee, the rules of tne com- iissioh are adopted in the form of a law, and two new Hud important fea tures added j The tenure of all officers, pbt appointed for a defined term, is hfld to Be for good behavior, and re movals are prohibited except for mis fconducut," inefficiency or like cause. JaII officers in the civil service are pro hibited from taking part in the busi ness of electioneering, or attempting to '' A F J 1 rAnlXnrx inienere in any iu we chjvjwjli officers. in the State or Federal Govern ments. f importance to secure real reform in the Civil service of the country than almost pny trther contained in the bill. Of course the first of them cannot apply to babinet, and some other important of ficers, but it can apply to the great mass of Federal officials all over the country. iAll such officials would then have the highest possible motives to discharge the duties of their respective .offices with "zeal and fidelity, so as to be able to re tain their places. It makes them in dependent in the discharge of their du ties ; it holds up to their view a proper jreward for ; honestly and faithfulness, 'and punishment only for official defin jquencies. Thesecond is no less impor Itant than the first, though the govern- j'ment might find some difficulty in en forcing it. It may, possibly, be enforc- fed by making such interference in elec- jtious a cause of removal. This, how- feever, will depend upon the zeal of the 'removing power in favor of enforcing the law. Ht would, if enforced, put an end to'the many disgraceful seenes which the country has witnessed since O830, of conventions and nominations cqntroled by the office holders of the FHeral Government. Both together would go far to eradicate the evils of tlie policy, first proclaimed by Mr. Van Bureu, and inaugurated by Gen. Jackson, known as "the spoils policy." The celebrated motto of the wily New York politician, "To the Victors belong the Spoils," would cease to be inscribed upon 'political banners and borne aloft in political processions. This is a bold and manly act that shows the committee to bo one of pa triotism and nerve. The passage and proper enforcement of the bill is jan event almpst too desirable to every one but the office-seeker, to be hoped for. The very fact that it has been reported by the committee shows how deeply the country feels the necessity of a rad ieal and sweeping reform. The abuses under the present system have become J such as to arouse the apprehensions of the country. Thoughtful men are be ginning to feel alarmed at the corrup tion that is manifesting itself begin ning to feel that liberty is in danger from it. And if President Grant shall carry out successfully the measure of reform, now being inaugurated under his auspices, he will go down to poster ity as the restorer, of the Republic to its original purity. He has a glorious field open before him, and it is believed that he will improve it to the utmost. Since the above was written we see that Senator Carpenter has introduced a. bill adverse to the Civil Service Bill, to the effect that any regulation reliev ing the Executive from the responsi bility for. appointments imposed upon him is unconstitutional. We have not heard Mr. Carpenter's reasoning, and are unable to give any opinion upon the merits of the Constitutional ques tion ho has raised.. Still, we cannot see that the Constitution will be violated by the President, in appointing to offiec only such men as have been pronounc ed worthy and competent, by aboard or ganised for the purpose assisting him to ascertain the qualifications of appli cants. It is hoped that Mr. Carpenter is mistaken in his opinion, and that he will not be sustained in it by Congress. Otherwise the proper amendments to the Constitution should be proposed at once. - .TAKrra Ftsk. Junior, is dead. He was shot by a man naruedJStokes. The difficulty grew out of the Fisk-Mans-field matter. Fisk had been a noted personage for some time, owing to his connection with the Erie ring, and certain gold speculations in New York. He had amassed considerable wealth which he expended with a lavish hand. With all his faults and vices, and they were many and great, he was yet pos sessed of some good qualities, among them a capacity for warm and disin terested friendship. The sorrow for him among the employees of the vari ous industries with which he was con nected is said to have been touching, t 'Somebody advertises for agents to sell jv work entitled " Hymeneal In structor."! A contemporary adds: "The best hymeneal instructor we know of is a young widowr. What she don't know there is no use in learning.". Second Babel. The Democratic builders having rais ed their political tower as high as they possibly could on so narrow and defect ive a foundation, are how, like their illustrious prototypes on the plains of Shinar, in a great dilemma as to what course to pursue in the future. Some of them wish to add to their ill-designed and badly constructed structure, oth ers wish to take from, while the peo ple have said in unmistakable language: " Raze the whole thing to the ground. Select a better site, choose better build ers, use better materials or you will never succeed." Some of these builders vainly sup pose the Democratic edifice, unsafe and tottering as it is acknowledged to be, can be propped up for a time with Re publican timbers, or that some Repub lican architect can suggest some method which will prevent its speedy downfall, and give it a more comely appearance. All is confusion with them. When a different builder is allied for and an old Whig secessionist appears they see an old enemy and cry, away with him, We don't want him. When cement is sent for sand is brought. When tim bers are wanted, stones and bricks are forthcoming. Each brick in the tower in its folly imagines itself an "inde pendent brick,"; and refuses to be bound to the other bricks. Some of the tim bers have fallen on some empty Demo ocratic heads, and while some cried others laughed, and the excitement and unintelligible jargon of the whole party reminds one of a Convention of enthu siastic lunatics. ;. We notice as something remarkable that the very men who opposed the en terprise in its inception, and who have thrown every obstacle in the way of the builders to impede their progress, now seem to be bossing the job, and the old architects are the hewers of wood and drawers of water for them. Of course it is impossible to say how it will all end, but the folly and confu sion of the first Babel seems about to be eclipsed by these.democratic build ers of the second. Signs of Life Honorable George H. Pendleton, whose magnificent corpse has been ly ing in state for many months at the Democratic Morgue, again gives some signs of life. He has written a letter against the "passive policy," not be ing encouraged by the fact that Frank Blair, the most lively and restless of all the corpses at the Morgue, has re affirmed his faith in it. He is, doubt less, either superstitious or a fatalist, and thinks it impossible for anything to turn up and succeed in spite of the fact that Blair favors it. When the success of the "Greenback policy" is consid ered the Republicans may consider themselves nearly as fortunate in hav ing Pendleton against them as Blair. Mr. Pendleton has little lope that the Democracy can succeed in the next campaign single handed. He is, there fore, for a union with the anti-Grant Republicans, or rather, we should say, he is for a union of the anti-Grant Re publicans with the Democracy. For Mr. Pendleton, in his letter, has placed the cart before the horse. He says : " If there be, as claimed, many mem bers of the Republican party who dis approve the ideas which dominate the administration of President Granand are prepared to oppose-his re-election, they should declare their purposes, or ganize their party, develop and mani fest their strength, and, if I may pre dict the future, they will have no just cause, even the most timid and sensi tive among them, for refusing to co-operate with the Democratic fytrty." It is not believed that a single one of the reform Republican Senators, and least of all Mr. Trumbull, has the re motest idea of splitting off from the Republican party, or of supporting any candidate but the regular Republican nominee for the Presidency. But if any large number of leading and able Republican statesmen entertain such views, they have never dreamed of in viting themselves to any such feast as that to which; Mr. Pendleton welcomes them. The idea of following the De mocracy, we venture to say, has never entered into the minds of any of them, and never will. The pub lication of Mr. Pendleton's letter will show them, if they entertain such views, which is not believed, how and in what light they are regarded by the effete Democratic leaders. Wanted. A Democratic Raleigh. organ at A journal devoted to the pure and undefiled principles of the Democratic party. ' , A paper controlled by gentlemen of recognized ability and experience, thoroughly qualified to discuss all grave matters of State and National in terest, i ' A paper managed and directed in an impersonal spirit having force, brains and intellect sufficient to meet success fully the opposition without lugging into its columns personal controversies and disputes. A paper edited by men of well known Earty antecedants, whose opinions will e entitled to merited weight and in fluence among the rank and file. Who will sav that such a paper is now in existence at the State Capitol? So long as such an organ is wanting, so long will the Democratic party suffer from the assaults of its opponents. So long will its principles be assailed without sufficient vindication, and, consequently, so long will the best in terests of the State be the sufferer. Tarboro Southerner. Whydont The Southerner move to Raleigh? Can any paper better fill the bill than the one having " the brains and intellect sufficient" to understand and define what qualities are needed in "an organ 9 Speech of Gen. Wm. F. Loftin, J OF LENOIR COUNTY X)elivered in the House of Representatives January 10, 1872, upon a bill to amend the Constitution of the State! Mr. Speaker: I would be derelict to a duty that I owe my constituents, were I not to submit my views upon this all important subject to the people of North Carolina. I stand here com mitted to my constituents to vote for some amendments to the Constitution ; but, I cannot vote for this bill in its present shape. I hope however, that before the bill is put upon its final pass age, it will be so amended that I can support it. There arej many reasons why we should try to 'make this bill acceptable to all parties; one of the most prominent reasons now present ing itself to my mind is, that this same bill will have to pass the next General Assembly by a two-third vote; and Mr. Speaker, mine will surely be the domi nant party upon this floor at the next, session of the General j Assembly and I i know there are some; features in this bill that Republicans will not support, therefore, if you retain them you only kill the. whole bill. Now, sir, let us strike out the objectionable features from the bill and thereby enable all parties to support the scheme of consti tutional amendment by the legislative mode; indo?ngthis, let us divest our selves of all party feeling, voting for what we honestly believe j to be the wishes of our constituents, j The honest yeomanry of North Caro lina have decided not to have any more Constitutional Conventions. ( They said by their verdict last summer that Con servative gentlemen j misrepresented them in this House last Winter when they asserted that the people wanted a Convention. But the people have not decided, by voting down the Conven tion, that they would not change and alter their Constitution in a peaceful and lawful manner, and, while every individual gentleman; upon this floor enterteins each his own views as to the changes necessary to be made in the Constitution, yet, let us all sacrifice some of our own views, and try to com promise upon abill which will be sat isfactory -to gentlemen who will fill hese seats at the next General Assem bly, and also to the people of the State at large. ! The first proposition in the bill now under consideration, is to strike out that clause in the Constitution relative to the State debt ; that, sir, is one of the amendments I shall heartily sup port, and I do not believe there is a gentleman upon this floor who will not support it. ' , The second proposition is, to change the meeting of the General Assembly from annual to biennial sessions. This, sir, is a change very much needed in North Crrolina, as in my opinion, no thing could be offered that would afford more relief to the tax-ridden people of the State than this change, j The next proposition is also one of importance, it being in reference to the census; all these are necessary amend ments, and the people are anxiously looking to us as their j Representatives for these much-needed changes. We will now take up the proposition in the bill which is, to add a new section to the second Article to be known as sec tion 30, and to read as follows: "The members of the General Assembly shall each receive three hundred dollars as compensation for their services during their term, subject to such j regulations ill regard to time of payment and re duction for non-attendancej as may be prescribed by law; but they may have an additional allowance when they are called together in special session, and mileage shall be ten cents per mile for each session." Now, Mr. i Speaker, I am opposed to this section from princi ple. I think all legislative bodiesshould be free; furthermore, this looks like discriminating against the poor man, inasmuch as it virtually closes the doors of legislation to him but, pir, as I said in the outset of my remarks, it is neces sary that we all should surrender some of our individual views if we desire to accomplish anything in this matter of Constitutional amendment; I will there fore vote for this proposition. The next is equally as objectionable to me, viz: to make the Governor's term of office two years instead of four. 1 1 am of the opinion that it is best for all parties not to bring an officer of so much impor tance too often before the people ; but, sir, as I propose to beliberal, I , will vote for this amendment. I airi also in fa vor of the amendment to abolish the office of Superintendent of Publie Works, be lieving it to be a useless " office in this State. i . ! Now, Mr. Speaker, the next proposi tion commences with a blow at the Supreme Court, whose decisions have saved so many of the poor of North Carolina from beggary and ruin. Gen tlemen well know that, but for the de cisions of this tribunal, many thousands of poor people who to day are. living and supporting their wives and little ones on the "Homesteads,' would have been turned out of doors to seek shel ter wherever they could find it no, Mr. Speaker, I will not vote for this amendment ; I tell gentlemen now, that I cannot, nor I will not vote for any proposition to changd our present Judicial system, nor to re-establish the old County Courts, nor the whipping post in North Carolina. The bill also proposes to reduce the number of Su preme Court Judges to three, after the terms of the present Court shall have expired then sir, to alter section twelve of the fourth article which shall read as follows ; "The State shall be divided into nine Judicial District, for each of which a-Judge shall be chosen, and in each District a Superior Court shall be held at least twice in each year, to continue for such time in each county respectively, as may be precribedby law." "The General Assembly shall lay off said districts in due time, so that the said nine Judges maybe chosen and begin their official term at the first general election for members of the General Assembly which shall occur after the ratification of this section." Thereby, you propose to turn out of of fice every Superior Court Judge in the State ; you propose to refdistrict the State to have new Judges clrosen, but your bill does not provide how they shall be chosen nor for what time they shall serve after they are chosen. Mr. Speaker, under our present Con stitution the judiciary is firmly and permanently fixed, and, II for one am not disposed to lend myself to any scheme of my political opponents to change or to alter this branch of our State government, merely for the pur pose of advancing, the interest of the Conservative party ; as I consider this attempted change in the judicial sys tem of the State to be made in the in terest of the Conservative party, and of that party alone. j The next change that I ; wish to no tice, is, to strike out the word "Town ship" and insert "Precinct.!' This proposition is made in the face of the decision of the Supreme Court , which fijivs. " Township Trustees shall not levy any tax except for Township ex penses." I prefer the name of Town ship, and I think I have it from good authority, that some gentlemen only wanted this change so that, when they go home they can tell their constitu ents, that they had abolished the Townships. The next proposition in the bill is as follows: "Amend sections, one and seven of the fifth article, by strikngout the words " Commissioners of the sev eral counties" where they occur, in' said sections, and in lieu thereof insert ing the words County Authorities es tablished and authorized by law. Now, sir, what is the meaning of this pro posed change? Nothing more nor less than to upset the county governments all over the State and every gentle man on this floor well knows that the present mode of administering the county governments is the cheapest mode ever known in North Carolina. Had it not been for this cheap mode of administering our county governments', what would have been the condition of affairs? Why, the already tax-ridden people of the State would have been bankrupt with taxation. Gentlemen wish to return to the "old land-marks" and re-establish the old county courts; some lawyers want more work, and in their. eagerness to establish the "old land-marks," they forget that the Con servative party is not to control North Carolina any longer than this General Assembly is in session. This bill is a party measure; the gist of the whole matter is a blow at the judiciary, and nearly every amendment which has been offered, has been aimed at this branch of our State government, and I cannot now vote in any way to inter fere with this branch of the govern ment of our State. This was not the cry last summer in Convention campaign ; they then want ed to amend the Constitution relative to the State debt. The following par agraph in the bill is on this subject ; it proposes to strike out the fourth sec tion of the fifth article which reads as follows : " The General Assembly shall by appropriate legislation and adequate taxation provide for the prompt and regular payment of the interest on the public debt, and after the year 1880, it shall lay a specific, annual tax upon the property of the State, and the sum thus realized shall be set apart as a sinking fund to be devoted to the pay ment of the public debt." This is an .amendment that I wish to vote for ; not that I believe the section to be mandatory on this or any future Gen eral Assembly, but, to shut the mouths of politicians in future upon the sub ject of taxation. When Mr. Mills offered an amend ment to the Revenue Bill, to raise a tax sufficient to pay the interest on the State debt, only thirteen members vo ted for that amendment. S6me mem bers even waited until the roll was call ed to see the fate of the amendment before they would vote. Another amendment in the bill is with reference to the Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind, and the Lunatic Asylum. Under the pres ent Constitution, those institutions are carried on by the State ; this bill pro poses to make all persons who are able, pay their own expenses at those in stitutions. I I confess that some doubt exists in my mind whether this ought to be changed or not. We tax all the people of the State to maintain the free school system, and we allow all the children in the State to attend the schools free of "charge. The Asylums also are kept up by a tax levied upon the people of the State. Now, sir, is it right to tax the people to maintain the institutions, and then compel all those who are able, to pay-their expenses in those institutions? This is a question that I am not fully prepared to answer, but, Mr. Speaker, I am Willing to go a little further and vote for this amend ment also, being willing to go back to the " old land-marks " in this particu lar if gentlemen wish it. I wish to amend the Constitution, and I regret that this bill which has some very de sirable amendments as well as some objectionable ones, should for party purposes, be forced upon us in the form of an omnibus bill ; our Conservative friends insisting that we must accept it as a whole or reject it as a whole. In mv humble opinion a better way to ar rive at a compromise in this matter, which wrould be si tisiactory to aiLpar ct upon this bill by ties, would be to sections or paraj "aphs, but, if forced i in its present shaoe. upon us as a who! I for one feel ebmpe lied to vote asrainst it. Now. Mr. Sneaker. , I have briefly submitted my view.upon the " Bill on Constitutional Amendments." Ithink, sir, that I have taken a reasonable view of the whole matter. There are several propositions in the bill that I am anxious to voto for, and if the dom inant party here is willing to so arrange the bill as to allow me, with any degree of consistency, to vote for it, . I will cheerfully vote wi :h them, and I will go home to my people' and do all in my power to make it! a success. But, on the other hand, if it is the pleasure of Democratic members here to make no compromise in the bill, but, to call the previous question, a id pass the bill un der a suspension of the rules, then sir, I am compelled, ir justice to my con stituents and to the people of North Carolina, to vote against the whole bill. For I will I never .knowingly cast my vote to, in any way, interfere with the Public School systevx nor the Homesteads of the State. ; . . ; I admit your strength here gentle men to pass this bill as you may please but there are serieus doubts in my. minrl as to tuo siucerityof somepf the members who favor the bill as amend ments have been offered to it bytgentle men who favor the bill, still they have all been voted down. The gentlemen from Carteract, pro posed to take the three amendments most needed in .the Constitution, and let the others go down The party lash has been cracked and you seem deter mined to force your minibus bill through by an application of gag-law, you are determined to give future Legislatures the power to establish as many Courts as they please, and to deal with the public school system and the Homesteads of the people ; as they shall think prop er. I tell gentlemen here now, that if they cast their votes to interfere with those rights of the people, they are po litically dead and damned in North Carolina. ; Now,i5ir, in cone . 1 ' -. t ;. usion I ask the Con- servative members of this House ; to make some little sacrifice of individual views uoon this important subiect at least, be willing to meet us halfway. Let us shake hands upon this measure and for once, bury the partisan in the Patriot; thus rlsirg above party and all party ties, vote in accordance with me wisnes oi me peopu uimurui vaiu- .BUKOLARY AND dence of Mr. L. L. Tcna lirnltenintd th Robbery. xhe resi- Boone, of Newberne, dther night and a quan- tity of clothing stolerj Reniarks of Senator R. WJ King, In the Senate of North Corolina, Jan. Gth, on the Pill proposing to loan the Western N. C. Railroad Company two Hundred and Thirty-Five Thousand, Dollars. ." ;! : ai TrMsirlpnt : I am astonished at the proposition now under considera tion, viz: to lan the Western N. C. -nr.;iari rVkmrwinv two hundred 'and thirty-five thousand dollars of (the tax ; u T i -i 1 ; TVooeiirV rf money now m the State, collected from the people to pay the contingent expenses of the State, and to support the Deaf and Dumb and Blind, and Insane ABylums, &c. , Tlie friends of this proposition say that the money will be returned to. the Treasury in sixty days, and that the amount proposed to be borrowed is nec essary to redeem mortgage bonds of the Company, which bonds have been -hypothecated in the city of New Yprk to the amount of twelve hundred thou-. sand dollars, for the amount proposed to be borrowed from the State; and,, that the Rail Road Company is now paying seventeen I per cent interest on the money for which those bonds arc deposited as collateral security. I 1 Sir, the bill now under consideration proposes to take from the Public Treas ury, two hundred and thirty-five thou sand dollars, and loan it to this Rail Road Corporation at eight per cent in terest per annum, to be returned in sixty days. J . Ji ' Mr. President, I now predict that, if this money is taken from the Treas ury by the passage of this bill under ; the name of a loan, that it never will be returned ; and, that the amount will have to be replaced in the Treasury by taxes imposed upon the people of j the State. : At - l J, .J It is well known that this Railroad . corporation is hopelessly insolvent. The fact that twelve hundred thousand .. dollars of the bonds of the Company are hypothecated for two hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars at seven teen per cent, interest, with the addi tional fact that, the holders of the bonds for this large amount at the high rate of interest paid or contracted to be paid, ' are now pressing payment, I should suppose sufficient evidence tq satisfy any reasonable man or set of men that this Railroad corporation is utterly i?isolvent; and that the loan proposed, should the bill pass, will I amount to nothing more nor less than a- donation of two hundred and thirty-five tbou sand dollars to an insolvent corporation, as I am convinced that the moiiey nev er will be returned. ! ! h - jji ! The question is asked by a Senator, " why I think the money will not be re turned, &c, in answer to which I will' say, that no money that has ever been invested in Railroad bonds by the State of North Carolina, has ever found its way back to the Treasury that the tracks are all oneway; and, that no money that has ever been invested in . or advanced by the State to Railroad corporations, has ever been returned. I am therefore fully justified iff coming to h conclusion, that money loaned to an insolvent corporation will never be returned. . ' The following question is asked ine by another Senator that, suppose he and his friend, another Senfator, were in copartnership, and the firm was in debted to me to a large amount, ! if I would not be willing to advance mqre money to save the property of the firm, k thereby enabling me to save a portion of my debt. In reply I will say, jthat , if the copartnership alluded , to were hopelessly insolvent, and I was rtwaro , of the fact that the amount they owed me would prove an entire loss, that I wrould not advance another; dollar, knowing that it would but increase my loss. Mr. President, it is well known that the State's interest in this railroad will prove an entire loss, and if this bill passes, it will only increase the los of the State to the amount, now pro posed to be borrowed, if the money is ever taken out of the treasury. A Senator, a friend of this proposi-" tion, says that if this money is loaned the Railroad Company, that thirty thousand dollars will be left in the. treasury, wrhieh will be a sum suflicient to pay the per diem of the members of this General Assembly. Sir, if this bill passes, and the money is taken froiri tho treasury, I hope that no member of this General Assembly will receive I any more per diem from this time, or from the ratification of this act. ; , Mr. President, if this money is taken from the treasury and Ibaned to an in solvent corporation, I would respect fully ask, how" are the contingent ex penses of the State to be paid? . Why, sir, there will be money left in I tho treasury to support the Asylums; I must therefore suppose that the Treas urer, will be compelled to borrow money at a high rate of interest, until the mon ey can be collected by taxation from the people, to supply the deficiency occa sioned by the so-called loan.' lj 1 Sir, I repeat, that this is a most ex traordinary proposition, (viz) to take the tax money from the Treasury, iiey-v ied and collected for specific purposes, and loan it or I might ay,,givo it to., an insolvent corporation! I did sup pose from the action of, the Senate 'in passing the bill proposing to transfer the State's interest in the Railroads and other public works of the State to the bond holders and -creditors of; the State, in liquidation of theState bonds; that it was the purpose of the General Assembly (at least so far as the Senate is concerned,) riot to invest any more money in Railroad Corporations, I! but on the contrary, to direct tho 1 Stato of lwr proton t interest in her public Work, ' by giving the creditors of the Httite, her stocks in the various .corporations in settlement of her- bnds -which bonds were issued on account and ' in aid of the Railroads, and other public works in which the State is a'stockhol der. It appears however, that the pro gramme is now proposed to be changed, and further investments, or advances are to be made or I might say further . donations are to -i be made to Railroad Corporations. Mr. President, it 'must be evident to every thinking man that, if this money is loaned, that it never will be returned. A worthy1 Senator, a friend of the proposed loan,! hesitates to vote for the bill unless atax is levied -at once he questions the Constitutional right &c., but, thinks it would be a ' gxxl investment. Now, sir,1 does"; the eneral Assembly contemplate i taxing the people to raise money .tQ loan in solvent Railroad Corporations t I hone not, yet, this will be the result if the bill now under consideration, becomes a law. - . . ' Mr. President, a Senator who f is a : friend of the proposed loan, reminded another Senator who opposes the loan that the Senate to-day passed a bill making a donation of the States inter est in the Wilmington, Charlotte & Rutherford Rail Road, amounting to six millions of dollars. Sir, I voted against the proposition to give! the State's interest in this road to the Rail Road Company for the reason that if the State's interest is worth anything it
The Era (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 18, 1872, edition 1
2
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